I know I'm a little different when it comes to meeting celebrities. Most people want to see famous people... That is what makes these people famous to begin with. I'm not sure why... 
Perhaps they want the "Celebrity Dust" to rub off a little and allow them to find that magical status. Or just the bragging rights to say that they saw "Celebrity X" live at this location on this date. I don't really know...
But I DO know that whenever I have met a famous person, it ended up being a different experience than I had imagined. And Of Course! How could it NOT be? For example: I met Charlton Heston back in 2000. It was one of his last public appearances, and he looked VERY different from his days of Ben Hur! He was old... and shaky, and.... Normal for a man of 76 years. 
If you ever watched the Ten Commandments, you might think of Charlton Heston as a Great Leader of a Nation... or even GOD!
But he was not. He was just a man. All of that Hollywood makeup and gray hair hid the fact that he was a young man playing an old man. But in reality, Age had caught him... and he was Old! ( And looked it!) No amount of acting was required at that age.
And so it went at the concert last night. Rod Stewart is old. That is no secret. And his farewell tour is meant as just that... a Farewell. Did I mention he sang 22 songs? Incredible! At his age, most people are in a home eating jello! He is on stage, dancing! Singing! And doing it for 2 hours in the sweltering Wisconsin heat and humidity!
That! Is amazing for Any man! Let alone an aged one.
But human he is... And was, last night. He was not the polished person from the MTV videos that I remembered. And his voice was not as sharp or clear as all of those songs I have playing in my car on my daily commute. ( yes, I play his songs, mostly the new stuff, just about everyday.) I never really thought I was a "Rod Stewart Fan", But looking closely, I guess I actually am.
I was looking forward to last night in all honesty. I wanted to hear him sing his latest songs with the grace and elegance that I have become attached to. (I personally believe he is the BEST singer for "Time after Time".)
But he sang HIS songs. The ones he is known for... And he had a LOT of them! (22 songs!) over the last 40-50 years! ( That is a long time!) the last several times I went to a concert with bands that I knew, The saved the one or two songs that I knew till the end. Most of the concert was filled with songs I had never heard of.
But last night, I knew ALL of the songs!
But something felt a little "disappointing". And it is difficult to put my finger on without sounding harsh. Many of the songs he sang back in the 70's and 80's were young "Sexy" songs.( Do ya think I'm sexy, Tonight's the Night.) And watching an old man dance like he was 20 at first was rather entertaining... But after the third song, it began feeling a little .."odd." (Creepy is too harsh of a word....)
During the late 80's and early 90's, I think his music had matured into songs about growing up and raising family.( Forever young, Have I told you lately. Young Turks.) And later, About memories and looking back on life (On a Down Town Train.)
And then his Great American Songbook album. A masterpiece if you ask me. Songs from before he was famous, sung by greats like Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Songs written by Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, and Gershwin! And Rod Stewart's voice has aged to perfection for many of these songs.
But he did not sing any of those songs last night. Which was rather disappointing for me.
However, no one else seemed to mind in the crowd. They sang along and danced just like they were back in their teens again. I imagine they saw the event like the first time I watched Styx in concert. A time Machine to another Era. And they did not see an old man on stage, but a talisman to their youth.
I know there are people out there who, when they see a mountain, feel the need to climb to the top of it to see what is there. Rather than simply taking in the beauty that the snow caps and towering presents the mountain brings, they feel the need to discover its secrets and hidden mysteries.
But far too often in the process of climbing that mountain, they only find injury, death, or worse: Nothing!
No Buddhist monk with all of the answers to happiness or life, No fountain of youth, or city of gold. Nothing.... Just snow, and cold, and emptiness.
And for those reasons, There are times when I choose to keep the magic of beauty a mystery. I do not need to know the meaning behind the song to appreciate the lyrics or the music. Sometimes it adds to it, Other times, it takes away... But I would rather simply listen to the song and enjoy it what the meaning I give it.
And the same goes for the Celebrities who sing the songs. Seeing them in person will most likely not make the music sound any better. In fact, I think it distracts from the music when you discover that they are just normal people doing a very specialized job. Singing a song, sounding possibly no better than you when you sing that song in the shower..... But they are doing it on stage... in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. And making it look easy! ( Because that is what they do... Routinely!)
Sometimes, looking behind the curtain only takes the magic and wonder away...
So a farewell to Rod Stewart... Who is Human after all. And that actually brings a smile to my face. For rather than focusing on an old man trying to behave as if he were still 20. By writing this blog post I can appreciate that an 80 year old... was doing things that many 50 year olds can't do! (Hey wait! I'm 55!) And Seeing that in person, makes me still believe that humans can do AMAZING things... Even when they are old. Even when they have "out aged" their songs. Perhaps it is the magic and mystery in the music.... that keeps us young. And helps him Make every second count.
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