The Boys in the Band Are in AARP

Like a child who has discovered a new toy, thislive tune together."
information will open up a whole new world ofNAMM, a trade group that represents tune
awe and wonder for you.retailers and apparatus manudetailurers, has
DARREN REIS isn't disparate to the band practicenoticed the increasing records of inside-aged
that takes place in his house every Tuesday night.sawyers, and now oversees what it calls the
But there's only so greatly loud sway tune he isWeekend Warriors encode, a six-weekend
ready to tolerate. So when the umpteenthsequence planned specifically for baby boomers to
rendition of the Monkeys' "Last sequence toget back into live in a band - or create live in one.
Clarksville" creates rattling the windows, he goesThe encode brings would-be sawyers into tune
downstairs, knocks on the door and makes hisfood around the country and provides gear,
request: "Dad, do you think you guys could keeppractice legroom, coaches and, for those in
it down? I'm wearisome to review."requisite, additional band members.
ADULTS WITH TOYS rework Ego practices inJoe Almond, the chief executive of NAMM,
Weston, stack. In bands with elder people, sayscreated the encode when he was effective in a
songster chant Cheney, Threes no drama.tune keep in Sacramento and began noticing a
The classic American midlife emergency haschange in the keep's clientele. "I created since
found a new retailer: garage-band sway 'n' spin.customers advent in who you'd think would have
Baby boomers across the country - generallybeen shopping for their kids," he said. "But they
inside-aged dads who never utterly outgrew anwere shopping for themselves."
obsession with the tune of their youth - areMr. Almond said the encode has burgeoned in
cranking up their amps and living their sway 'n'current living, as the sway 'n' spinners of the '60s
spin fantasies.and '70s become clear nesters with time and
We hope that you have gained a clear grasp ofdisposable revenue on their hands.
the subject matter presented in the first half ofNostalgia provides the backbeat for this advance.
this article."The tune we pass through our lifetimes is tune
The Tennyson Seven in Palo Alto, Calif., is normal.we eavesdrop to in our recent youth and early
The two-year-old band includes Darren's dad, Rob20s, because it was such an emotional time," Mr.
Reis, 53, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who getsAlmond said. "That tune is plainly sheltered into
together once a week with five other amateuryour usage - your wits, your body, and your
sway 'n' spinners - some more-experiencedemotions."
Tunisians than others - to play the tunnel comfortFor those now in their 50s defective to alter back
food of their generation: the Beatles, Vanthe timer, that means live "brunette eyed
Morrison, the Monkeys and the Romantics.youngster" and "I Saw Her rank there." And
The band won't be signing with Virgin account any"Mustang outing," in the key of C.
time presently. But that's beside the situation. With"We commend? Mustang outing' as a good
one son at seminary and Darren, 17, last highcreature song," Mr. Almond said. "A bad creature
prepare next year, Mr. Reis said he can think ofsong is something by hard Dan, or truthful Zappa.
no better way to consume inside age. "What doOr Yes."
other people do?" he asked, as if only randomlyPart of recapturing perplexed innocence means
conscious of his other options, nobody of whichlaboring under an illusion or two. Mr. Almond
request to him in the slightest. "A daydream car?commends that the practice quarters be open of
An issue?"mirrors. "You don't want to be living your guitar,
Mr. Reis has amply of visitors. In his urban forlorn,emotion like you're 20 all over again, then look in a
there is a wealth of such bands. The Tennysonmirror and see some paunchy bald guy," Mr.
Seven newly sent out e-send letters to numerousAlmond said.
Palo Alto prepares present to play open of indictNot only do many spouses pass of the bands,
at some support-raising actions. The retort, Mr.some even participate. Rob Reis's spouse, Julie,
Reis said, was, "No merit, we have our own dad54, is a songster in the Tennyson Seven.
band that theater for us."And when such bands get the occasional gig, the
Mike Lynda, 55, who lives just north of Palo Altofaces in the viewers lean to distort to the bands
in Redwood City, theater deep, drums and guitarown demographic, a detail that helps verify song
in a six-guise band called distance untaken. Mr.span. Mike brunette, who was taught as a classical
Lynda, who has a day job as a marketingpianist and came to sway 'n' spin a bit recent in
essayist at Deloitte & Touché, said nothinglife as the keyboardist for the Palo Alto band the
utterly compares to the therapeutic aspects ofWildcats, said his band's repertory is simply
practicing riffs with a group of like-minded swayrecognizable, with a basic of Beatles and Double
aficionados.Brothers. "We want each to know the song in the
"I don't know what has done me better -first pair of comments," he said.
Leapfrog or Thursday nights jamming with theIf you type in the main word from the subject of
band," Mr. Lynda said. "You're effective out athis article into any reliable search engine, you will
intact lot more than chord patterns when you'repull up a variety of resources.