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7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,O ctober 4,2018 theifp.ca OPINION The Sidekick and I re- cently made the trek to Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, and ended up visiting my past. I didn't plan it that way. I saw an advertisement for Joan Baez in concert, and in a spur of the moment, I bought a pair of tickets - the last two available for the show. They were single tick- ets, so The Sidekick sat be- hind me, instead of beside me. Being quite friendly she developed a "brand new best friend" on either side of her before the concert even started. I had similar luck, strik- ing up a conversation with a couple from Saskatchewan in town to see the sights and attend the Joan Baez con- cert. We traded stories about various concerts. I almost forgot The Sidekick was in the seat behind me, but she was doing the same from her seat. Finally, the lights dimmed, the applause swelled, and Baez walked out on stage. She opened with Don't think twice it's alright, one of the many Bob Dylan songs she has made famous over the years, and I leaned back in my seat to soak up the magic. Her voice is still the same old Joan: Strong, controlled and able to hit those high notes flawlessly. At 77 years of age, she is truly amazing. She performed old favou- rites, like There But For For- tune, A Hard Rain's A-Gon- na Fall, and Me and Bobby McGee in a duet with back- up singer Grace Stumberg. It was great, as Joan sang the traditional version and Grace wrapped up with Ja- nis Joplin's rendition. Every song evoked mem- ories of years gone by and, when she played the intro for Diamonds and Rust, a shiver rang up my spine. It took me back to 1969, when times were much simpler. My sister Mary Lou and I were in a folk group with friends Gord McDonald and Vern Denny. And like all fol- kies of that time, we wor- shipped the various folk art- ists, many of them covering Bob Dylan's music. Baez was no exception. Most folkies agreed she made Dylan's music come alive. She could sing - Dylan, not so much. A dedicated pacifist, Joan used her voice and mu- sic to protest her country's involvement in Vietnam and Cambodia, the draft, ra- cial discrimination, and countless social issues. She even did a stint in jail. For that small group of four teens growing up in Limehouse and Acton who loved her music, we were pretty tame. We were in a time when there was no such thing as terrorism in our country. We were safe and comfortable. No one was rich, but we were all content. And as the concert prog- ressed, it was apparent Joan is still a pacifist, champion- ing her cause. She has no love for US President Donald Trump, and she said "It's so comfort- ing to visit Canada, and still be able to find those little pockets of sanity here, some- thing we no longer have at home (in the US)." I pondered those days when the four of us were to- gether, playing music in a young, simple life. Gord moved away years ago, and plays in a country band. Vern passed away a few years ago, and Mary Lou and I don't play together much anymore. The times certainly have "a-changed." Joan was approaching the end of her concert, I rec- ognized the intro of another Dylan song that made tears well up in my eyes. It's enti- tled Forever Young. As her great soprano voice swelled up in the cho- rus, my heart swelled in my chest and those lyrics went so deep. It seemed so appro- priate. May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the lights sur- rounding you May you always be coura- geous Stand upright and be strong And may you stay Forever young. Ted Brown is a freelance columnist for the IFP. He can be reached at ted- bit@hotmail.com. MAY WE ALL BE, FOREVER YOUNG ... SONGS PERFORMED AT JOAN BAEZ CONCERT 'TOOK ME BACK TO 1969, WHEN TIMES WERE MUCH SIMPLER,' WRITES BROWN TED BROWN Column Heritage Halton Hills photo THEN AND NOW The Royal Canadian Legion building was built around 1880 to house H.A. McCallum's livery stables. In 1909, the stables were bought by John Willoughby. At that time they were renovated by J.B. Mackenzie and Co. The building was later renovated again when it was bought by the Royal Canadian Legion to become the headquarters of Branch 120. The building is commonly known as Legion Hall. Presently part of the building on the main floor houses C&S Printing. Alison Walker photo • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 Wehandleall insurance work. We handle all insurance work. Call for a FREE Estimate 25 Year Guarantee Award Winning Waterproofer Readers Choice 2018Silver 2018 Halton Hills Member of the www.crownseal.ca s CROWNSEAL INC. BASEMENT WATERPROOFING Furnace Air Conditioning Gaslines Boilers Water Heaters Radiant Heating 905-877-3100 proud local dealer of Canadian made products .ca