Rocker Mom

I’m a Rocker Mom.

Literally.

My 15 year old has been in a band since he was 12, and performed even before that. He has been going to School of Rock since he was 10. The program there is to teach classic rock to kids, and then after 3 months they put on a show at a live music venue. Usually bars. Smoky, bras-hanging from the ceiling, liquor lining the stage bars.

He first asked for a guitar at 4. His pre-school music teacher had one, and he wanted one just like hers. He was hooked, and got an electric guitar from Santa a few months later. Now I have to tell you here, we have a HUGE collection of classic rock CDs. Both of my kids were named for Beatles. But neither my husband or myself play any instruments. We did when we were kids, but never stuck to it.

This kid is AMAZING. I know I’m his mom, but you have no idea how many people stop us after shows and say they are blown away by his talent. He has also started singing and is getting really good at that too, but his guitar playing is amazing.

The best part? He plays GREAT music. All of my favorites. His band plays only psychedelic music…Pink Floyd, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Traffic, Crosby Stills & Nash, Beatles…all of my favorites. (Yes, I love music from before my time). So when he is blowing my ears out and making my walls shake while I read or blog, at least he does it with some really good music.

This summer he was chosen as an Allstar and he will be going on a mini-tour for a week. Playing at huge venues. And mom, dad and little bro will be following the tour bus like groupies!

My 8 year old has also joined the fun playing bass (but not an allstar yet). You have no idea how proud I am to see both of my kids rocking out on an amazing song together. Where we never used to go out…now we are out every weekend watching one or now sometimes both of our kids playing at every carnival, festival, bar or biker event in Florida. I’ll tell you, it has done wonders for our marriage. I used to complain we never went out. Now we have no choice!

Except kids aren’t into their music. But people 35 and up LOVE them. And wherever we go, there is a drunk lady dancing in front of the stage fawning all over him. Every.Single.Time. Then we get the “music producers” who are going to “make things happen” everywhere we go. We also have lots of bar food and alcohol. Not the best for a woman who is attempting to be on Weight Watchers.

We never know where we are really going to end up. A nice restaurant? Or a field filled with 30 old stoners? But I’m happy to see him perform anywhere.

The life of a Rocker Mom….by the way, I’m the idiot screaming and whistling for my kid at every event. His biggest groupie (literally).

Here is an original from him: