The recent PBS shows featuring 25 year old Elvis video combined with live backup by his old bandmates are just a recent twist of what I call the PBS "Lawrence Welk" effect.

We've all seen the 30-40-50 year old reruns of the Lawrence Welk show on PBS. They're quaint. Charming. And colorful! A glimpse of an earlier time in entertainment. This was a top ten show on the ABC network for years. It was broadcast two night per week for a short time. Although not as popular as "American Idol" in its day, it came close!

Now, it's just a nostalgic look back. Most of the folks are dead.

Compare the Lawrence Welk reruns with recent PBS shows featuring 25 year old Elvis video combined with former Elvis bandmates-also 25 year older, playing along live in front of the video screen.

Consider also last week's shows featuring 60+ year old grandpas and grannies, once the young members of the British rock invasion, reliving their youth with tribute shows.

Lawrence Welk reruns are charming. Old rock'n rollers reliving their youth are creepy. I was especially reminded of this creepy factor by reading the Oregonian's recent review of Rod Stewart's Portland concert. Stewart, who is now a paunchy 62 years old, was still singing "Do ya think I'm sexy", "Maggie May", and other old hits.

In high school, I worshipped two bands: The Faces and the Kinks. I saw the Kinks every year when they came to Portland. It was a ritual. I never saw the Faces live, but I saw Rod Stewart in concert at the Memorial Coliseum in 1977. I was 20 years old then. I was in the front row. I even touched his hand! But the magic was gone after that concert. The teen worship I had was replaced by the reality of seeing him live. It was a great show, don't get me wrong. I'll remember it always.

Now its 30 years later. I want to remember my youth the way it was. I don't want to relive it. I learned my lesson about reliving your youth several years ago. Another favorite of mine was Jesse Colin Young. We also saw him every year he came to Portland in the 70's.

In the 90's, he came to Portland, I think it was at the Melody Ballroom. The ad for the concert said "Jesse Colin Young", and "special guest". We went. First of all, his long hair and mustache were gone, replaced by corporate clothing and matching short hair.

There was no band. Just Jesse Colin Young and his acoustic guitar. The "special guest" was a combined karaoke/drum machine. Talk about the dangers of reliving your youth! My bubble popped. This was scary stuff. We were just another pit stop of cash for an aging rocker who was still recycling 20 year old tunes.

I don't think these old rockers should be allowed on the road. It is the ultimate in selling out, a term which bands of the 60's and 70's swore they'd never do.

And now look at them. Balding, gray haired, paunched up, singing about youth and sex and drugs and the evil of those over 30 years old. Even watching 25 year old Elvis video when he was 20+ years past his prime makes for a sad viewing experience. Overweight, obviously drugged up, just a caricature of his former "King"-ness. Sad. Very sad.

PBS should just wait until us boomers are all dead and buried, and only then allow broadcasts of the film clips of rockers from the 60's and 70's to generation X and Y folks. By then, it'll be quaint and not creepy.

I know some people eat this nostalgia stuff up. I don't. It makes my skin crawl. PBS obviously thinks is a fundraising cash cow. But Paul McCartney said it best when asked once about a Beatles reunion: "You can't reheat an omelet".

PBS, don't show us rockers as they are now. That's creepy. Just show us the film clips when they were in their prime.

I like looking at the old Lawrance Welk stuff to see a friend of mine who sang on the show. My kids get a kick out it because it's new to them.

I saw part of the Elvis show and I liked it because of the technology of old and new "live" at the same time. Very creative. The only other time we have heard songs from the past with the original singer combined with a singer from today was Nat and Natalie Cole. I'm sure there are a few others I can't recall.

The Jessie Colin Young thing is truly sad.

However Sunday nights "Nature" show was pretty awesome.

"Lawrence Welk reruns are charming."

They are? I think they are creepy -- as if Adolph Hitler himself selected all the performers as a warped attempt of demonstrating the superiority of a master white race.

I don't watch the King because he is creepy too.

I hear what you're saying, but it's not a given, e.g.,
last year I saw Tom Rush at The Aladdin Theater and he
was every bit as good as he's ever been. I hadn't seen him
live in person for 30 years. Solo then, solo now.

King Crimson, in whatever configuration, never disappoint their fan base which covers 3 generations. Robert Fripp may be grey around the edges, but their music is never stale and often do very little of the old songs that got them going.

Many artists keep their old stuff on board because a large percentage of their fans want to hear that stuff, not because it's all they can perform. Over the years, I've never been disappointed by my choices, but then again I don't generally find myself attracted to pop stars, rather to truly talented musicians.

I could go on and on, and of course, it's always subjective. I just think that many seasoned veterans are worth the price of a ticket. Perhaps the Elvis play-sync was a bit over the top, but it's nary enough to condemn every artist older than 25.

It's interesting that you put Welk in a "charming" category while the retro/reunion shows are "creepy". Is it because the style of music on the Welk show is passe', while the Elvis stuff is still rooted in the kind of music still popular today?

When one looks at pictures of other people from the '70s it is interesting and nostalgic, but when looking at pictures of *yourself* from the '70s it is unsettling, maybe even "creepy". Same idea?

I always enjoy watching the Lawrence Welk show, just to watch the musicians play 'on the fly'. Corny? Perhaps, but Welk hired excellent players.

Loved the Elvis special! The old/new mix was fascinating to watch. Rumor has had it (for years) that the "Live From Hawaii Via Satellite" special was originally taped "straight" without all the mind-numbing fast cuts and hooplah. If that's the case, it's overdue to be released as such.

Couldn't give a rats-ass about Jesse Colin Young.

I watched that British Beat show a couple of times. I understand where you are coming from, but I did enjoy it anyhow. These bands aren't touring really, they were put together for that show. I suspect some of them do limited tours (like The Troggs), but for the most part I think they realize thier time is past. Peter & Gordon for instance looked like they were barely hanging on.

There are lots of "old" rockers that still make new music and tour in some fashion or another. Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, and Bonnie Raitt for example are all north of 50 and still make valid new music, and haven't lost much live either. Full bands, not so much. I imagine part of it depends on how one has treated thier body over the years.

"I imagine part of it depends on how one has treated thier body over the years."

On the other hand, we have The Rolling Stones.

The Stones, yes, the exception.

Keith Richards, a miracle of modern science.