There’s a reason it’s called classic rock, friends and neighbors. The rock music of the late ’60 and much of the 1970s simply stands the test of time. It’s not the only music to legitimately make that claim, but the sounds of the baby-boomer crowd have clearly found favor with subsequent generations.
Because hunks of that music are now woven into the fabric of pop culture, it’s easy—maybe too easy—to encounter it, whether in the form of mediocre covers, shopping-center soundtracks, or radio stations with predictable, paint-by-number playlists you could set your clock to: “Whoa, it’s half-past ‘Gimme Three Steps,’ man, I gotta get back to work by ‘Carry On Wayward Son’!”
Classic rock—like any music, in fact—is best when personality is being breathed into it by musicians who aren’t just going through the motions. Enter Jason Minton Band, a crack area quintet that has built a faithful following just down the road in Franklin. A lifetime Middle Tennessee local, Minton wields the pipes to pull off McCartney, Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free) and their sandpapery ilk, all convincingly enough to make you think you can party like it’s 1977. Minton’s meaty original tunes reveal a perhaps unexpected side; they often tap into the spiritual stream that sometimes finds him playing to comfort and inspire folks in the missions of downtown Nashville.
When Minton and his mighty musical crew take the stage at Seasons of Murfreesboro (2227 Old Fort Pkwy.) beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, they’ll offer up steaming classic rock and originals, including tracks from the band’s recently released new album, Just Another Day—but for the vintage-rock aficionado, it’s not likely to seem like just another night.