Jonathan Faia Guest Columnist for the Chino Champion Newspaper- Gen X anthems in the grocery aisle
Gen X anthems in the grocery aisles
My Sundays begin with a trip to the grocery store to stock up for the week. With my teenage daughters in tow, it’s a chance to not only check off a mundane task but an opportunity for some bonding over Starbucks while we wander the aisles.
As I push my cart past the cereal boxes and the produce, a familiar bass line from the music playing at the store kicks in. Suddenly, I’m not just shopping for dinner, I’m reliving the soundtrack of my youth.
If you’re a Gen Xer, there is no doubt you have shared a similar experience. One second, I’m looking at mac and cheese and the next thing I know, I’m feeling a familiar musical hug with the opening chords of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” In that moment, I’m transported to a simpler time. A time filled with high school dances, young angst, awkward crushes and remembering when nobody understood me except of course, Robert Smith in this case. I begin to wonder if the store playlist was curated just for me. The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” plays while I decide if I should choose blueberry waffles or plain.
What strikes me the most is how these once rebellious, counterculture works of art made their way into such a domestic task. Bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, The Pixies, and The Smiths were bands we listened to trying to find ourselves while rebelling against the mainstream. Now they play while I’m selecting avocados.
This shift in culture is surreal to say the least for a generation that grew up straddling pop culture and a search for a deeper meaning.
My midlife musical dilemma may be a simple case of nostalgia sells. Music is a powerful trigger not just for memories, but for feelings. Have retailers figured out Gen Xers are now adults with kids of their own with disposable incomes? Reminiscing slow dances to Mazzy Star might just keep me in the store a little longer, transport me to a simpler time, and maybe nudge me into buying an extra bag of pretzels.
We talk a lot about music in my house, but these trips to the grocery store have become a generational bridge with its soundtrack. While I’m singing to Aerosmith and Screaming Trees, one of my daughters asks “What’s this song?” I get the opportunity to expand on the lyrical revolution that was Mark Lanegan or the guitar influence of Joe Perry. That moment allows me to connect my past with my present. It’s funny how at one point they were just songs, but now they have become cultural moments.
The music that defined my youth reminds me of how far I’ve come, even in a grocery store. The next time you hear “Wonderwall” while picking up some bread, take a second to stop and listen. Grocery shopping can become a pleasant journey through time.
