You can hear it far in the distance, the clanging of blade on armor, the whizzing of terrifying projectiles as the Old Guard, protectors of the past, battle the Neo-Langoliers, toothy interdimensional creatures out to destroy every semblance of the past by eating it. An old alchemist once remarked “Raking over the past and sifting its dust is an occupation for the idle or elderly retired,” an uncharitable opinion at best. We prefer the words of the English historian John Dalberg Acton: “To be able to look back upon one’s past with satisfaction is to live twice.”
A love affair with The Past is no diminution of the present or the future, just a healthy recollection of our Glory Days, a time when we were at the height of our powers and ruled the world, a collection of Clark Gables and Marilyn Monroes off to plant our flags, explore the territory and save the world…which we did, if temporarily. Time and tide, alas, wait for no man, and we are withered and compromised now, so please, let’s have no vilification for seeking solace in our collective past, for trying to remember the kind of September when dreams were kept beside our pillows.
Decades have passed since Woodstock shocked the world, since many of us gathered our resources and traipsed up to the venerable Atlanta Pop Festival to watch our heroes dance across the stage. We were so much younger then, we’re older than that now, our ranks thinned by the antics of The Grim Reaper, our bodies ravaged by the unsympathetic mandates of Time, our confidence a bit shaken. But we’re still here, scattered across the universe in big cities and tiny backwaters, some with the world on a string, others playing out the string, but all with one thing still in common; old guys and girls still wanna have fun. Trouble is, in this day and age our kind of fun is a little harder to come by. But don’t give up, because help is on the way.
Without further ado, we officially announce the Coming of The Grand Finale at Heartwood Soundstage, a celebration of our continued existence and our common past, a final gathering of the creaky tribes, geared toward septuagenarians-plus but open to all humans over 15 years of age, to be held on May 2, 2026 between the hours of noon and 8 pm. Four or five bands will play, preceded by a showing of the LAST TANGO IN GAINESVILLE movie from 2022. Admission is free with your Medicare card. The prior evening, Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin will play at Heartwood’s inside stage, and that will not be free, but we guarantee that the 125 people who show up will be glad they did.
When asked to speculate on TGF attendance, Will Thacker said it best: “I think the attendance might even supersede The Last Tango because all of us can see the end of the tunnel from here…they know this really IS The Grand Finale.”
Commentary On The Last Tango
So what should we expect from The Grand Finale? What was it like that last time the old hippies of the sixties, seventies and eighties clambered aboard planes, trains and automobiles to return to the shrine of their adolescence, the scene of their minor crimes? Let’s ask some of The Last Tango attendees.
Paco Paco: “I realize in retrospect why The Last Tango was designated as a “Grand” Reunion. Much like the psychedelic headspace the store celebrated, there are so many layers to unpack. A kaleidoscope of reunions within the greater view. Beside all the social and professional connections rekindled among people directly connected to the store, there were reunions of all sorts going on among the musicians present. Seeing players with that spark in their performances that only comes with the joy of reuniting with fellow artists gave me a glow that no money can buy. Being immersed in that same nostalgic energy with my bandmates during our set was something to savor. The lineup on stage represented multiple generations of another Gainesville phenomenon known as the Monday Night Jam.
Then there was the audience. The energy of an audience makes or breaks the show. An audience that projects love and enthusiasm can carry an artist through any adversity. In 40 years of playing every type of gig imaginable I have seen some amazing audiences. Nothing compares to what I experienced at The Last Tango. The love, positivity and joy in that space at that time was palpable. Truth be told, I was dealing with adversity in the form of a migraine that had me gobsmacked. The love and joy in that scene lifted me up and carried me where nothing else could have. It’s really that simple. This to me is the definition and personification of a good time. Good friends celebrating each other’s company and giving themselves over to that vortex of reciprocal energy we call live music.
One of the wisest humans who ever lived once said in a historically respected book that there is nothing better for man than to gaze in retrospect at the good results of one’s hard work. Let us, every one of us, raise a glass to one another in a toast. We did some damn fine work that day. CHEERS!”
Arthur King, Charlotte, N.C.: “The Last Tango on the Heartwood Soundstage grounds was not of this Earth. Everybody was deliriously happy. Didn’t make any difference if you didn’t know a soul, you could walk up and talk to anybody. It was like being a member of a far-flung tribe, the members of which would recognize and accept you even if you were a complete stranger. I became very emotional, almost teary-eyed. I noticed I wasn’t alone. It was as if a giant bubble existed over the grounds encapsulating all the good feelings. The music from a lost era just punctuated the joyful spectacle. I could barely speak. My past years in Gainesville came flashing by and I was happier than I had been in years. My God, there’s still life in them there hills, I thought.”
Judi Cain, Morgantown, W.V.: “As soon as I walked through the Heartwood gate, I was transported to a gathering of all the true hippies I had always wanted to meet. I danced among the crowd to music I stood in a shaded park, reunited with the soul brothers and sisters I had never met but was sure were out there. I was sure I made the right choice when I opted to change my life and move to Gainesville.”
Cathy DeWitt, Gainesville: “As I started scanning the field, a petite woman came walking toward me with arms outstretched, a wide grin and tears on her face. ‘Ginnie!’ I exclaimed, holding out my own arms to receive the longest, closest hug I’ve had in years. I hadn’t seen Ginnie since she moved to Tampa shortly after delivering my son, Jackson, via C-section at Shands Hospital over 40 years ago.”
Nancy Luca, Los Angeles: On Saturday, May 7, 2022 in Gainesville, Florida, I took to The Last Tango stage with my bandmates. We hadn’t seen one another or played together since January of 2020. I was nervous because of Covid but excited because I started seeing faces from my past growing up in Gainesville. I started playing with Gregg McMillan in 1974 when my Dad dropped me off at Tim Henry’s house to jam. We were taking guitar lessons from Mike Campbell of Mudcrutch. He was teaching to raise money for the band to move to L.A. later in the year. Now, Greg is beside me on stage wailing on the Johnny Winter version of Jumpin’ Jack Flash we played when we were in high school. We were cranking it out for our Gainesville Green tribe!!!!”
Don David, Gainesville: “It was great to Get Back! I stood on stage singing Strawberry Fields Forever with a string section beside me and the perfect Spring sky above. A woman twirled in circles in front of a flowered wall. Friends sat in chairs or strolled about the lawn. Old friends with young hearts and knowing eyes. Another band took the stage and treasured songs spilled forth and brought the dancers to their feet. Joy was rekindled. Youth felt a little closer than it had a minute ago. A beer was procured to toast the occasion. The occasion was The Last Tango in Gainesville, a celebration marking the 55th anniversary of the opening of the Subterranean Circus, a shop for the discerning delinquents of the time.
Time keeps slipping, slipping, slipping into the future. And here we all were again, in the future. With the music and the vibration of the past centering us. Giving us, as it always had, a playful backdrop for the serious business of having a good time, and a good time was had by all. Girls, now women, still smarter than the boys. Boys, now men, glad they met smart women. Together again for one purpose—to revel in our commonality and shared good fortune. Night fell and as we walked back to our car, for a moment she was 21 again. In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Tom Shed, Gainesville: “The magic conjured up memories of Gainesville when kids were given freedom to explore the world of another reality. Gatherings in the early ‘70s brought together young people looking for an alternate universe where their ideals triumphed over the bad news of the day. We were all supporting one another and hoping for the best while trying to avoid getting killed or caught.
A familiar song would start up and a memory would trigger. Almost every time, it included someone now gone from my life forever, leaving me to wonder how life had had gone for them. A memory so distant it felt imagined. Looking from the stage during the finale, I recalled the hundreds of events I had seen from a stage in Gainesville. Working SGP, Reitz Union, the Ocala Fronton, Halloween Ball and the Great Southern Music Hall in the early ‘70s, playing guitar at all the acoustic events in town DJing at WGVL, I was a part of what happened. Gainesville gave me the chance to become something I wanted to be.
My job Saturday was to handle the finale. Bill wanted Auld Lang Syne to sum up the day. Once I started, I realized it was more powerful than I had considered. The faces looking back and singing with me knew we had all been changed by Gainesville in our youth. We were the fortunate ones who experienced something at the right time, right place.The Last Tango gave us a chance to look back and realize what a great ride it has been.”
That’s all, folks….
bill.killeen094@gmail.com
