Post by Mojo on Sept 10, 2010 9:05:49 GMT -5
... holy cow! What a show. Remarks/impressions:
1. No 30th Anniversary Marshall Combos last night, just a rack w/ two JMP-1s.
2. He had three Gibson Johnny A sig guitars. 2 were played, one in trans-black w/ a Bigsby, which he used for most of the show, and a red, hardtail one he used on a smoking cover of Brown Sugar.
3. On the floor, he had a TC Electronics unit that looked like a G System. He rode that thing constantly, changing tones at least 10 times per song, but seamlessly. It never detracted from the songs, to the contrary, it added and embellished the songs. GREAT TONES!
4. The guy smokes. What a guitar player. One of the best examples of using dynamics in his playing I have ever seen. He never overplayed, but he rocked plenty. He showed great taste in the notes he chose, very soulful. I usually don't care for instrumental guitar tunes, but he never wanked, if you'll excuse me the expression.
5. Nice band with him, a rhythm section that stayed out of the way but still drove the grooves home. The drummer's solo was a joy to listen to, and I don't often say that!
6. Johnny A was extremely gracious, thanking the wait staff, asking for a hand from the audience for the gentleman who opened the show, telling funny stories in a self-deprecating way, thanking the guy who came to help him w/ the monitor issues he was having, etc... a true gentleman, and a real pro. A pleasure to watch live, I'll buy another ticket when he comes back to town.
7. Chops: to die for. The guy can play it all, from groovy tunes to all out boogie to screaming leads. But always tastefully. A perfect example of what technique should be all about, which is to be at the service of the tune to enhance, not detract from it.
8. Got to talk to him a the end of the show. What a nice, simple guy. Friendly, loves to talk guitar and music, very personable.
9. Fender: some guy in the front row was wearing a Fender hat. Johnny A saw it during one of his monologues, and said "What do you think you're doing wearing a Fender hat?" The guitar players in the audience laughed their butts off. Some guy retorted that Jeff Beck said that Gibsons are for sissies. Without missing a beat, and without sounding overly aggressive, he replied "Yeah? I've done OK with mine." More laughter from the crowd.
10. Bottom line: a must-see show. I was lucky enough to catch him at the last minute, still scored 1st row tickets - my knee touched the edge of the stage - all that for $15. Best bang for the buck I've ever experienced, save for those free concerts that www.LLBean.com puts up every summer. After all, it's hard to beat free!
[edit] 11. Song selection: I was surprised by the amount of covers he played... some Hendrix, some Beatles, some Rollings Stones and some Chuck Berry come to mind. but the way he plays, it's alright
1. No 30th Anniversary Marshall Combos last night, just a rack w/ two JMP-1s.
2. He had three Gibson Johnny A sig guitars. 2 were played, one in trans-black w/ a Bigsby, which he used for most of the show, and a red, hardtail one he used on a smoking cover of Brown Sugar.
3. On the floor, he had a TC Electronics unit that looked like a G System. He rode that thing constantly, changing tones at least 10 times per song, but seamlessly. It never detracted from the songs, to the contrary, it added and embellished the songs. GREAT TONES!
4. The guy smokes. What a guitar player. One of the best examples of using dynamics in his playing I have ever seen. He never overplayed, but he rocked plenty. He showed great taste in the notes he chose, very soulful. I usually don't care for instrumental guitar tunes, but he never wanked, if you'll excuse me the expression.
5. Nice band with him, a rhythm section that stayed out of the way but still drove the grooves home. The drummer's solo was a joy to listen to, and I don't often say that!
6. Johnny A was extremely gracious, thanking the wait staff, asking for a hand from the audience for the gentleman who opened the show, telling funny stories in a self-deprecating way, thanking the guy who came to help him w/ the monitor issues he was having, etc... a true gentleman, and a real pro. A pleasure to watch live, I'll buy another ticket when he comes back to town.
7. Chops: to die for. The guy can play it all, from groovy tunes to all out boogie to screaming leads. But always tastefully. A perfect example of what technique should be all about, which is to be at the service of the tune to enhance, not detract from it.
8. Got to talk to him a the end of the show. What a nice, simple guy. Friendly, loves to talk guitar and music, very personable.
9. Fender: some guy in the front row was wearing a Fender hat. Johnny A saw it during one of his monologues, and said "What do you think you're doing wearing a Fender hat?" The guitar players in the audience laughed their butts off. Some guy retorted that Jeff Beck said that Gibsons are for sissies. Without missing a beat, and without sounding overly aggressive, he replied "Yeah? I've done OK with mine." More laughter from the crowd.
10. Bottom line: a must-see show. I was lucky enough to catch him at the last minute, still scored 1st row tickets - my knee touched the edge of the stage - all that for $15. Best bang for the buck I've ever experienced, save for those free concerts that www.LLBean.com puts up every summer. After all, it's hard to beat free!
[edit] 11. Song selection: I was surprised by the amount of covers he played... some Hendrix, some Beatles, some Rollings Stones and some Chuck Berry come to mind. but the way he plays, it's alright
