"Wonder If He'll Make Elephants Disappear..."

During a chat with some broadcasting peers the other day, the conversation worked its way around to the difference between "contemporary" and "classic" country music.

A variety of names got tossed into the mixer from Carrie Underwood to Keith Urban, from Patsy Cline to Hank Sr before one name popped up that surprised us.

Not so much because his name popped up.

But because it made us realize that we had all, without realizing it, gotten older.

Garth Brooks.

And the realization of aging came with the realization that Garth has crossed over.

His music has been around since the early 1990's.

That makes it almost twenty years since we first heard him.

And that, my fellow country folks/fans means that Garth is no longer a contemporary country artist.

He's classic, Jerry. Country classic.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It's just that we all seem to naturally want to gravitate away from anything that appears before us as an unmistakable roadsign that we have less miles ahead of us in the life journey that we do behind us.

So, after a few more minutes of fast footwork, loose chat and a whole messa rationalization, we had just about convinced ourselves that Garth was still relevant, still young, ergo, still entitled to check the box marked "contemporary" on his CMA Certified Preeformer Card.

Then, damned if Troyal didn't go and dash our hopes his very own self today.

By announcing his "un-retirement" and return to the performing arena.

Ready to lock, load and take on Carrie and Keith and Brad and Taylor and Toby and Blake and Miranda and open up a can of country music whup ass on em?

Not exactly.

Garth Brooks. In house artist. At a major hotel/casino

In Las Vegas.

Following in the proud tradition of Don Ho.

David Copperfield.

Siegried and Roy.

Celine Dion.

And Wayne Newton.

I'm sure the blue haired fans will be in a frenzy and the Garth Brooks Experience, complete with coupons for the all night buffet will be just boffo.

But, damn, my friends and I are much too young to feel this damn old.