Recently I heard about one of my favorite bands that are touring again, Foghat.
When I was a kid, I remember listening to music on AM radio. Sounds odd by today’s standards I know, and some people may not get some of these references, but this story transcends today’s music technology and how we access our entertainment, and one of those early icons is headed our way.
Back in the early ‘70s, I would listen intently to the music on the school bus that picked us up every morning. I can’t recall the bus driver’s name – let’s call him Joe – and to his credit, he was always on time, and always friendly. Picture Otto, the bus driver on The Simpsons.
SIMPSON’S PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
Joe was a younger guy and played one of the local radio stations while he drove. What I remember most was how much I looked forward to that bus ride and asking him what band sang a certain song. Joe was always quick with a response and some background on the band, and he would tell anyone who would ask when they were playing in Los Angeles. Fast forward to 1975, and Joe was still the bus driver, and it was the last year I would be on his route before changing over to the high school bus. That’s when it happened. I heard the guitar riff that would change my life. I heard “Slowride” by Foghat.
Fast forward to my high school days. I was stealing my older brother’s vinyl records and cassette tapes, and came across “Foghat Live.” Songs like “Fool in the City,” “Honey Hush,” “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” and of course “Slowride,” became an anthem for so many of us. Rebels without a cause so-to-speak, and Foghat was the Pied Piper. Any respectable teenager who wanted to rebel was part of a large movement, and bands like Foghat, KISS, Loverboy, Zeppelin, Sabbath, The Stones were all part of our movement.
Music has the power to take you back in time and make you smile. The films “Dazed and Confused” and “That ‘70s Show,” depicted with astonishing accuracy what being a teenager in the ‘70s was like and the music that made the era unforgettable. Back then, these bands were just starting out; now, they are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When I hear about the bands from those early days touring, it takes me back to my time on the school bus with Joe.
As for Foghat, I didn’t know back then that they were Brits; I honestly thought they were from this side of the pond. They spoke a universal language that we all can all appreciate. If you want to be thoroughly entertained and go back in time – as I intend to do – check out Foghat when they play the Canyon in Agoura Hills on April 3rd.
Depending on where you live, you can probably catch them as they’ll be touring nationally in 2022. So bust out your best polyester and get out and see this band, they are an experience you need to see to believe – no matter your age!
