I knew I was in trouble when I asked my new hairdresser what his favorite band was and he responded with the name of a band I had never heard of and then explained that it was "Screamo".  I've heard of "Screamo" music, and being a rock and roll aficionado, I had some idea of what the genre sounded like.  I thought of bands like Disturbed, maybe Megadeth.  I guess I gave my age away when I told him that I really liked bands like Aerosmith and Godsmack.  I know it's a bit of a stretch to say that Godsmack is old school.  But to this "kid" who was now chopping off my hair, I guess they are.    

Then he told me he didn't like Aerosmith.  He thought their music was over-produced.  He said that he likes his music more "gritty" and I chuckled.  Gritty is just the word I would use to describe early Aerosmith.  I told him not to think of "Dude Looks Like a Lady".  Then I grabbed him rang his neck (oh wait, that was just my own visualization), and told him to please pick up one of their older albums.  Toys in the Attic.  Rocks.  Get Your Wings.  I wanted to break out into song right there in my chair, draped with that plastic cape around my neck.  I was going to sing "Last Child" but then I thought it probably wasn't a good idea.  I mean, only Steven Tyler can scream like that.  My new hairdresser seemed open to checking out the older albums and even liked the title of Toys in the Attic.  So maybe I have converted a music lover that didn't really know music at all. 

It's sad to think that this generation has never heard the music of bands like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Van Halen unless they happen to tune their XM radio to a Classic Rock station by mistake.  Or their parents made them listen to good rock music.  I tried to tell him Screamo, Emo and the like are all just a fad.  But maybe Neil Young was wrong.  Maybe rock and roll is dying.