Posted on July 5, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

So You Wanna be A Rock’n'Roll Star?

Seeing Roger McGuinn (what a marvellous thing the man who made Rickenbacker a legend has a blog!) live on stage was not an experiece. It was a dream. After seeing “America” some time ago I came to the conclusion that Brian Wilson was right: “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”. There could be no other explanations, since the older the guest the better I get involved in the show up to singing each song they’re playng. That lead me to provide the armony for “Eight Miles High” (as you can see here). But that’s another story. Let’s go back from the start.

I was 15 when I started to listening to Byrds. Guess it was a natural move after having heard some Dylan and tones of Beatles. If I got hooked by pop classics like “All I really want to do” and “Mr. Tambourine Man”, on the way on the total consumption of my collection tape, I slightly became fashinated and then intereted on their suggestive strange psychedelic space folk with tracks like “Mr. Spaceman” and “Eight Miles Heigh” or “Why?”. In few words: Byrds slightly became imprinted on my D.N.A.. And while I always expected that someday I would have had the chance to see Paul McCartney live (that dream never came true) I would never have wondered from in 20 years that one day I would have heard the soul of The Byrds from the frontline!

The show was open but some American drunk old blokes playing cool blues with an Italian drummer (I met the singer complaining ’bout the price of the Beer, that was indeed lower than anywhereelse). Ok. They played pretty smooth, but it was nothing compared to Roger (younger than ever, in great shape and with an impressive voice) walking calm into the stage and blasting everyone on the audience stroking the first notes of Dylan “My back pages”, a perfect opening for what the show was meant to be: a musical jounrney in time and space.  “One day they asked me if I wanted to do a song for a low budget movie…” , and then here we go:“Ballad of Easy Ride”. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” it’s so much more than a song. I can’t cound on which many different occasions I heart this one, each moment specia, was it a TV Serie episode or a warm DJSet. Collaborations with Tom Petty – another artist I really appreciate – where easily spotted on “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” (covered by Tom on “Full Moon Fever”) and the perfect pop-ballad “American Girl”.

The long bis ended, and we went to the backstage. A friend of mine, the singer of the Italian psychedelic band “Spacepony”, brought his old Byrds vynil copied with him, but he wasn’t lucky. Roger’s wife didn’t allowed his legendary mate to sign anything, giving us the option to have his pre-autographed flyer. Maybe Byrds where so much into Beatlemania that each of them made sure to have their little Yoko. After the three second thought of picking up his little abbandoned amply instead, we just walked away from Faenza Theater arena carrying with us only the good memories of a memorable show. It was history on stage, and what fashinating lesson for all who still “wants to be a rock’n'roll star”.

Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.1
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.2
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.3
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.4
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.5
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.6
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.7
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.8
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.9
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.10
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.11
Roger McGuinn – Live in Italy 09 Pt.12

Roger McGuinn – Ballad Of Easy Rider

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