Boomers make some noise

Big-time rock ‘n’ roll — think the Stones, the Eagles, Springsteen, etc. — doesn’t discriminate based on age, but sometimes, it seems local music is a young man’s game. Young musicians have their dreams, older ones have jobs. But in Bend, the Boomers are holding their own. Willie Carmichael and Bo Reynolds each made intimate, interesting folk albums in 2008, while Carl Ventis’ “A Day In The Sun” is a throwback to ‘70s and ‘80s pop-rock. And Slick Side Down’s “Eat At Joe’s” is a blend of its members’ influences: funk, jazz, Motown. (If you’re 22 years old, you didn’t sneak into clubs to see Miles Davis as a teen, like Slick Side’s A.J. Cohen did.) Does the fact that these records were made by middle-aged dudes make them inherently better? Not necessarily. But listening to a guy like Ventis talk about making his first album at age 55 will soften even the most jaded music writer. (What? I have something in my eye!)