You're still a young man

Many of my good friends know that Tower of Power has always been my favorite band. Last night I saw them in concert for the umpteenth time in Elmira, NY, just down the road from where I live. (That’s me with TOP’s lead singer Larry Braggs after the concert.)

There are some pretty obvious reasons why I like TOP so much. They have the tightest horn section and rhythm section on the planet. They practically wrote the book on creating funk music with great melodies. Their music has been the soundtrack to my life, from the 1970s all the way through their latest albums in the 21st century.

There is also a less obvious reason I like them, which made this concert very special. Their signature song “You’re Still a Young Man” deals with a guy trying to convince an older woman that he isn’t too young for her. When that song came out in 1972, it was practically my theme song: I was 18 years old at the time, and starting to woo someone who was several years older than me.

Well, guess what – it worked, and this month we are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. I love you, Colleen.