Generations United
Last night, I walked up 9th Street in downtown Columbia and approached the back of a well-lit stage that straddled the intersection of 9th Street and Broadway. I edged my way up the sidewalk and entered the throng of music fans that filled the block in front of the Blue Note concert venue.
Chump Change, a local blues band, had just finished. Chuck Berry, the legendary “Father of Rock’n’Roll,” was about to take the stage, and the crowd was ready.
Any event in downtown Columbia is bound to have its fair share of twenty-somethings in attendance—especially if the event is a free music show. But the appearance of so many young fans is a testament to Berry’s iconic status, particularly when you consider that the eighty-four-year-old Berry had hit celebrity status back when most college students’ parents were still children. For every twenty-one-year-old at the show there was a concertgoer who remembered how to swing his or her hips to the rhythm of Berry’s classic guitar riffs.
I pushed through the sticky crowd by the stage to a more ventilated spot halfway up the block. From where I stood, Berry’s sequined shirt gleamed under the spotlights, and his sailor hat bobbed up and down in time to the music. The crowd thrilled to the anthem of “Johnny B. Goode,” and I spotted a couple swing dancing in front of me. Sure, the show wasn’t as impressive as it probably was when he played for Jimmy Carter at the White House or toured with Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. But on a warm summer night, the chance to see a living part of rock’n’roll history united generations.
If you’re a dedicated Berry fan but missed last night’s concert, catch the St. Louis native’s monthly show at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room in St. Louis.
Although back-to-school season is here, summer isn’t over yet! Check out these upcoming outdoor concerts on 9th Street:
Wednesday September 16
9th Street Summerfest featuring Dr. Zhivegas
Free
Wednesday October 7
9th Street Fall fest featuring The Decemberists, Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames
$23
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