Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., 1963. Wikimedia / Rowland Scherman. Some rights reserved.Longevity is in these days. A young meteor of film or music racing through fast life to early death will always have romantic appeal. A mid-career artist's grapple with setback or misfortune can have a nobility of its own. But a rock of ages pressing on against the fading of the light now seems to win readier and more heartfelt acclaim, including across generations.
In part that reflects demographic, commercial and social trends. There are ever more older people, professional, influential and solvent, whose most enduring cultural loyalties were forged at a time, the 1960s-70s, when aesthetic tastes began to signify not just consumer preference but ethical commitment. Whether their ideals are upheld or have been allowed to rust, the opportunity for a late encounter with those who once inspired or embodied them has special appeal.
The trends come together in the cultural marketplace. 'Supply' might be the group reunion, perhaps after a long-ago bitter breakup; the comeback tour, perhaps after illness or trauma; or the late novel, perhaps after a long-ago critical mauling. The promotion and curation of these events are themselves often a sophisticated fusion of art and commerce.
