SXSW is for the young, or at least the young at heart: Loud music, late nights, lots of free alcohol, and so many kids running around, trying to hit the jackpot now that they learned how to make a guitar talk.
But last night featured sets by two living legends: Loretta Lynn opened the BBC Music showcase at Stubb’s BBQ and Dion played a crowded room at the grand old Driskill Hotel.
Loretta showed that at age 83, the coal-miner’s daughter can still sign those hits she’s produced over six decades in the music biz.
And Dion, at 76, still has plenty of skill with the six-string and a delighted gleam in his eye when he’s onstage. He played a mix of old stuff and new stuff, including—of course—”The Wanderer.”
May we all keep rocking as our own years pile up.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2016.
Dion’s latest album — New York Is My Home — is outstanding.