Sunday, August 29, 1999
Music brings baby boomers to Blue Ash
BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BLUE ASH — Food is the feature at the 14th annual Taste of Blue Ash, but, for many people — especially baby boomers — music is the main course.
John and Barbara Callahan came all the way from Chattanooga, Tenn., to hear Ray Charles, Lesley Gore, Three Dog Night and other oldies artists on the event's lineup at no charge.
The festival concludes noon-9 p.m. today.
“It brings back the good memories,” Mr. Callahan, 51, said Saturday. “We go to oldies concerts all over the South. But I never heard Ray Charles and Lesley Gore live. I especially wanted to see them.”
The Taste of Blue Ash, whose oldies acts pack the festival each year, illustrates the powerful attraction the '50s, '60s and early '70s rock still holds for baby boomers.
At 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Rita Barrier staked out front-row, center seats at the main stage for her family 13 hours before show time.
“We love this music,” said Mrs. Barrier, 48, of White Oak. “And the price is right, too.”
It's the music that makes her sister, Rexie Barrier, 45, of Colerain Township, look forward to the Taste of Blue Ash each year.
“This music takes me back to when I was a teen-ager,” she said. “I also think the groups are better now than when we were in high school.”
She said Three Dog Night played as well as she's ever heard them on Friday night.
WGRR-FM is the media sponsor of the Taste of Blue Ash.
Jim Richards, the radio station's vice president and general manager, said the nostalgia for oldies rock that began in the early '80s is stronger than ever.
“Ratings for oldies stations around the country are better than they've ever been,” said Mr. Richards, himself a baby boomer at 53. “People have such a passion for this music. It's just good-time, fun, family-oriented music.”
He doesn't expect oldies rock to die with the baby boomers. Although the younger generations have their own music, many of them also like the earlier rock music, he said.
“I don't think there will ever be a music that will have the kind of staying power that this music has,” he said.
Sitting in the front row in front of the main stage, Robert Thompson smiled and began tapping his foot as the Crickets, the group of the late rock legend Buddy Holly, started playing an infectious riff during its sound check.
“Yeah!,” yelled Mr. Thompson, 59, of Mount Carmel.
“I love '50s rock,” he said. “As the saying goes, rock and roll is here to stay.”
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