This is a grim prompt, I know, inspired by seeing Paul Simon this week, but it's also kind of a fun game. Call it a reverse bucket list: Who do you want to catch before they kick the bucket?
I admit, I don't have a list I've my own. Partly because of my line of work, I've been fortunate to see plenty of bona fide legends, even some I'm not all that crazy about. And the older I get myself, the less I regret missing any shows. There are just too many, and you can't catch 'em all.
And honestly, I've seen too many boomer rock stars turn in profesh but uninspiring sets to simply want to bask in the presence of an icon. Honestly, I'd rather catch someone young and in their prime than, say, Paul McCartney.
I'm happy I saw Al Green and Sonny Rollins decades ago when they were no longer young but still vital. Still there are people I wish I'd seen before they checked out. I'd start my list with James Brown or Aretha Franklin or George Jones.
Alternately, who are you grateful for having seen in their final years? I'll flex here and say that Prince's "Piano & Microphone" show at Paisley Park felt special even before he died a few months later. And in honor of David Thomas, who died this week, I'll mention that I saw Pere Ubu twice—in the early '90s at Central Park in New York with They Might Be Giants and NRBQ (what a bill!) and later that decade at (oh well) the Fine Line—though I probably regret missing him deliver this talk in 2005 as much as I do missing any concert.
As always, feel free to ignore this prompt and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread, after all.
