The end of 2006 is almost here and before it comes to a close, I want to share my personal favorite concert experiences. I’m really into metal, but I like other styles as well. I saw legends, Robin Trower and Johnny Winter, both at B.B. King’s. I highly recommend anyone to pick up a copy of Trower’s masterpiece, Bridge of Sighs. My dad used to play this album when I was growing up and without even knowing it, I absorbed Day of the Eagle. He’s been described as a “white Hendrix”, but I think this is a superficial comparison, just as it would be to say Stevie Ray Vaughan is a Hendrix clone. There’s only one Hendrix. That’s not to say he did not inspire either guitar player or legions for that matter. Each guitar player was strongly influenced by Hendrix’s playing, but they both have their own distinct styles. The basis of Trower’s playing is the Blues. He makes generous use of double stops and plays with a heavy vibrato. Saying he is a “white Hendrix” just does not do him justice although I’m sure he does not mind the comparison (He often expresses his admiration for Hendrix in interviews). I thoroughly enjoyed watching him play live.
I also saw Johnny Winter. Everyone I talk to says he’s always been frail, even in his ’70’s heyday. The man can barely walk, and I think he may almost be blind, but he can still play. He only played an hour set, but that was made up for when he abandoned his fretless tinny sounding Steinberger in favor of his legendary Gibson Firebird and brought out his metal slide. His playing on the Steinberger is customary, rote, predictable, textbook, and unbefitting a player of his stature. When he plays his slide, however, he is one of the greatest performers you will ever hear.
I saw Steve Howe, guitar player of the legendary Yes. He’s a virtuoso, but a very different one. No, you will not hear him burning through Paganini’s 24 Caprices with reckless abandon, but he will give you masterful renditions of songs in every fingerstyle format. At times, his playing suggests astute classical training, Chet Atkins, and Adrian Legg. Of course, he saved the best for last – the infamously titled, “The Clap”. Years ago, he told Guitar World magazine, the song was supposed to be called “Clap”, but the label executives got it wrong and put “The Clap” on the final printing of The Yes Album. The intention of the song was to get the audience to clap as he played, hence the title. One of the lighter moments of the show occurred after the first set. There was a guy back near the bar that wouldn’t stop bellowing, “YEAHHHHHHH!!!!” Howe joined in on the fun and bellowed back, YEAHHHHHH!!!. Here’s this old frail man in his 60’s screaming like an offensive lineman. It was a riot and the whole place was laughing.
May 12th was a memorable date – it was the very first show of Guns N’ Roses second comeback featuring the re-loaded, revamped line-up minus Buckethead. As the lights went out and the beginning lines of Welcome to the Jungle faded in and out, the place absolutely erupted. There was an electricity in the air. I watched in wonderment as Axl walked out on stage. The pyro shot off and the main riff kicked in. It was a different Axl – a healthier, more robust version, not the scrawny tatooed Sunset Strip Rose from Glam Metal’s heyday. He was doing all the familar moves – the side swagger from the Sweet Child O’ Mine video, the stationary one-legged hopscotch with his arms out. I could only smile. Despite all the years that have passed since the release of Appetite for Destruction, this was the same Axl. The next mystery was the guitar players. For months prior to the Hammerstein performance, there was growing speculation as to who would be the third guitarist. It was clear Buckethead was not returning and the search was on. Auditions were being held, but like everything done by Axl, every player auditioning had to sign a confidentiality agreement. Still, information leaked through the press, and we heard about Sean Baker auditioning (http://www.theseanbakerorchestra.com/) as well as Josh Craig of Alien Blakk (http://www.thealienblakk.com/) and Bryan Kehoe of M.I.R.V. (http://www.thekehoenation.com/). There was also speculation that John 5 (ex-Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) was being considered. Personally, of all the choices and names floating around, I thought John 5 was the closest to Buckethead’s style and hoped he would be the third guitarist. When I looked onstage there was a normal looking, unshaven, unkempt looking guy to the far left playing a Gibson (Bumblefoot), a guy that looked like Izzy, but wasn’t Izzy (Richard Fortus), and a guy that looked just like John Frusciante (Robin Finck). It was a show I’ll never forget.
Later in the year, I saw Guns N’ Roses at Madison Square Garden. (http://jwm102313.wordpress.com/2006/11/11/the-madison-square-garden-guns-n-roses-show/)
I saw Buckethead twice this year, both times at B.B. King’s. I first saw him at the Bowery Ballroom in 2005. Never before have I seen a guitar player that made me speechless. He was so good, I was completely dumbfounded. I kept shaking my head, asking if what I was seeing was real. Maybe this is what Eric Clapton was talking about when he describes his first encounter with Jimi Hendrix. Whenever Buckethead plays in New York, I will always be there to see him play.
Back in September, I took a Contiki Tour through Spain for two weeks. On Sept. 22nd, our last night in Barcelona, we saw Flamenco dancing with guitars. I don’t even know what scale they were playing (the Gypsy Scale?). They play Andres Segovia-style with their fingers as picks. The type of speed and accuracy they achieve is phenomenal. The more I think about that trip, the more I want to go back…
