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carlcav
Sep 30, 2013carlcav rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
In 1982, Bob Cilman was working in a Northampton Massachusetts nursing home, feeding residents, when one of his colleagues suggested he play guitar with the old folks after supper. Cilman had had a short-lived career in rock ‘n’ roll (most memorably in a local R&B band called “The Self-Righteous Brothers”) and decided to give it a shot. Turned out that the seniors loved to sing, especially old favourites like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “Bicycle Built For Two”. Their families were thrilled when Cilman put on shows, but the songs that really grabbed listeners in their early performances were the gently scurrilous rock tunes like “Doo Wa Diddy” and “Louie Louie”. It helped that one of the residents was a retired stripper. Cilman saw an opportunity, and before long “The Young At Heart Chorus” was touring the region. Just before the new millennium they became Young@Heart and were doing concerts in Europe. Audiences loved their bemused but enthusiastic takes on songs as diverse as The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and The Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive”. British filmmaker Steven Walker was so taken by Young@Heart that he followed them home to Northampton in 2007 and documented their seven-week preparation for a new tour. Seven weeks to learn a raft of new songs, including punk-rock anthem “Schizophrenia” by Sonic Youth, and Alain Toussaint’s cajun dazzler “Yes We Can” – notable for repeating the word “can” 72 times in rapid, syncopated, succession. Cilman clearly adores his group, whose members range in age from 73 to 92, but he is demanding and often confrontational. The opera and jazz-loving seniors, who are often mystified and offended by Cilman’s musical choices, also struggle with the health problems endemic to their stage of life. By opening night we’re genuinely not sure if there’ll be delight or disaster.