My sister Maureen and I saw Don McLean last weekend at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. You know, Don McLean, the “American Pie”/”Castles in the Air”/”Vincent” guy.
The Birchmere‘s a wonderful locale, kind of a combination road house/supper club type place. Our seats couldn’t have been more than 30 feet from the stage, and we didn’t go in until 20 minutes before the music started.
We were both a little nervous after our Gordon Lightfoot debacle last summer at Wolftrap (no audience interaction, a major loss of range, and 20-odd songs in two hours). But I think we knew from the second Don and his touring band hit the stage with Buddy Holly’s “Well Alright” that we were in for some great entertainment.
He sang us all the old songs cuz he knew that’s why we came–“Castles in the Air” (who knew it was about the Hudson River Valley?), “Starry Starry Night,” “Cross Roads,” “Winterwood,” “And I Love You So,” “Crying”–and threw in a few others just for fun, a little Cash, some more Holly, and a swing-ish version of “This Little Light of Mine.” And what’s more, he seemed to actually be enjoying himself.
Many years ago when Don was asked what “American Pie” meant, he quipped, “It means I don’t have to work anymore.” And yet, there he was, on the stage in Alexandria Virginia, about a month after his sixty-fifth birthday, playing hard. I’ll bet if you asked him, he’d say it wasn’t work at all. May we all feel that way about what we’re doing at sixty-five… and today.
