I Must Be Old and White

It turns out you don’t actually have to be old and white to be old and white.

Growing up in 1980s Connecticut as one of the few non-white kids is close enough.

Sure, you may not look the part, but you know the role damn well.

In fact, it’s not a role—it’s who you are.

And come Grammy time, there really is no doubt.

***

It’s January 2025, and I’m done pretending.

Thanks to my 13-year-old daughter, I’ve had to feign interest in Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and Charli XCX. I even threw my arms up in disgust when the Recording Academy snubbed Dua Lipa.

Thanks to my Nashville-bound 17-year-old son, I’ve been coerced into mentioning how amazing Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, and Kacey Musgraves are. Country is where it’s at, I’ve uttered a time or two.

And thanks to being scared of Kanye (Ye?), I’ve started to dabble in the world of rap. The Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake thing was dope, I said on one occasion. This remarkably repetitive bass line is amazing, I fibbed on another.

But as I scan the 2025 Grammy nominees, my eyes jump immediately to the category that requires no acting whatsoever. It’s the one that 1980s New England has made my baby.

Best Rock Album.

I know I’m old and white.

And the best part is that so are (almost) all the nominees!

I scroll excitedly through the list of potential winners.

 

No Name by Jack White

White is 49, still pumping out great tracks like “That’s How I’m Feeling.” I know how I’m feeling—middle-aged and pale.

 

Saviors by Green Day

Frontman Billy Joe Armstrong is 52, and the band still sounds like it did in 1994—like exactly.

 

Dark Matter by Pearl Jam

Lead singer Eddie Vedder is 60, and I’m just happy that unlike several of his contemporaries, he’s still alive.

 

Tangk by Idles

I don’t know these guys, but the vocalist is 40 and the album was produced by Nigel Godrich, the dude who worked with Radiohead. It all fits.

 

Happiness Bastards by The Black Crowes

These guys formed in 1984. Back then, they saved Southern rock, which they’re apparently still saving.

 

Romance by Fontaines D.C.

I’ve never heard of them, and the face of the band is only 29. Now’s not the time for new sh*t.

 

Hackney Diamonds by The Rolling Stones

That’s more like it. These kids released their first album in 1964—enough said.

 

I know this award won’t be presented on the air, but I still feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And I have a plan.

***

Even nostalgia, I’ve learned, needs a tech upgrade from time to time.

So I link my phone to a small but surprisingly robust Bluetooth speaker.

Then I take a moment to find the right website.

And there it is.

102.9 The Whale.

Connecticut’s classic rock.

I click listen live, knowing my masked identity is just one stream away.