A list on social media caught Roger McGuinn’s attention. It ranked 10 musicians over the age of 80 who still toured on a regular basis. The Byrds’ frontman fit in at number six.
“I said, ‘I finally made the top 10,’” he recalls with a laugh.
Two songs by the groundbreaking band topped the U.S. charts. But “Mr. Tambourine Man” was penned by Bob Dylan while “Turn! Turn! Turn!” was a Pete Seeger original. Yet the catalog of songs written by McGuinn has resonated through the decades. And with each turn, The Byrds expanded the cultural imprint of rock.
The band’s first songs were identified as folk rock. With “Eight Miles High” in 1966, they brought psychedelic rock to the top 40. The Byrds then traveled to Nashville, giving a name to country rock. “We were inventors,” McGuinn says – again with a chuckle, dismissing the importance of such genres. “We didn’t want to get labeled. Nobody got that.”
McGuinn brings his one-man “play” to Sunset Center on Oct. 13. He is joined by his famous Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, as well as the seven-string with a double-G that helped shape The Byrds’ signature sound, along with a banjo and 12-string acoustic.
“I take people through my journey as a musician,” McGuinn explains. “I do the hits, but weave them into a play with more obscure songs.” The program is chronological, beginning with his years as a teenager starting out in the music industry. Through it all, he shares stories about the songs and the time.
One such memory dispels a common myth. It is often said by radio hosts and music writers that “So You Want to be A Rock ’n’ Roll Star” was a swipe at a popular television band. But McGuinn insists that is not the case.
“Chris [Hillman] and I were going through Teen Beat and noticed all the one-hit wonders,” he points out. “People assumed it was about The Monkees, but it wasn’t.” McGuinn is quick to note that he was close friends with Michael Nesmith and also played with Peter Tork, both of The Monkees.
“People tell my wife they like the stories the best,” he says, laughing once more. “Then they come back: ‘We like the songs, too.’”
McGuinn clearly enjoys being on the road, even in his mid-80s. “We get paid to travel,” he says. “I’m having fun.” And he remains in the top 10.
ROGER McGUINN performs 7pm Tuesday, Oct. 13. Sunset Center, 908 San Carlos St., Carmel. $50-$85. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.