VMA's Hit Miami

[Mackovyak]

Well it's starting already.
All of the usual South Beach Wannabe's wearing their man blouses and Paris Hilton style sunglasses are starting to invade all the cool locals places. The local paper quotes "Miami is now the place where you break records, because people come here to party. New York's not like that no more. That's why New York is here."

I've never been one for South Beach, usually I'll head down when some friends from up north are in. (Take a Portage Kid to South Beach.....Good Times!) But what kills me is that the majority of the live music venues are now having $100 - $200 cover charges and are having DJ's for this weekend. Blaaaaaagh. I can't stand this MTV generation. The only place down south that's having a live group of musicians is Rok Bar, they're having Jett.....$1200 a table. Looks like I'll be heading to the Hollywood Beach Clam Bake to see a garaunteed good show......DICK DALE BABY! And it's FREE!

Sorry, a big rant, but for my topic..... Whatever happened to the Guitar showmen??? I mean, I'm a bass player turned rhythm guy, but there's really no superstar guitarists anymore....

Hammett has been silenced in Metallica (No Solos in St. Anger?)
Clapton still around but doing nothing spectacular
Kenny Wayne Shepard never caught on

What's goin on here?


JM

[bassist_25]

Uh, Paris Hilton *shudder* If brains were dynamite, she woudn't have enough to blow her nose. Not to mention, I just don't find anorexic, spoiled, little, rich girls all that attractive. Though, I'm not surprised that all the trendy people with high credit card limits are trying to emulate her.

As far as no guitar heros, well, I tend to agree. (at least in mainstream music) I always liked Hammett, and you don't study with Satch to walk away without knowing anything. It's always surprising on how many Satriani alumni are out there. (everyone knows about Vai and Hammett, but many people don't know that the guitarists of Primus, Counting Crows, and Third Eye Blind also studied under him) Some people are probaly going to say blemsphemy, but other than his pure Blues adventures, nothing Clapton did post-Cream really interested me. I prefered Johnny Lang over KWS. Lang seemed to have his own voice, but Shepperd just sounded like his was rehashing riffs he learned off of his Texas Flood and The Sky is Crying albums. The same could probaly be said for Henry Garza of Los Lonley Boys, but I find the soul in Garza's playing makes up for his SRV cloneness. I think that John Mayer is a fantastic player. I have a recording of him playing on Austin City Limits and it just smokes. His playing is so tasteful, and he's just an all around fantastic musician. He even invited Buddy Guy and Double Trouble to come out and jam during the show. It would be great if he decides to move away from the poppy material as his career progresses and do some more musically intense stuff.

PS: Definatley go see Dick Dale. I heard that he puts on an awesome performance. I've always had an adoration for surf music.

[Mackovyak]

I got the chance to see him last year in West Palm Beach and it was one of the best guitar shows ever. Two points I like to make about D.D.

1. I love when he frets with the mic stand. I'm sure someone else started this trend, but that always kicks ass.

2. He plays a righty guitar, lefty, but doesn't restring the thing. Low E on bottom. WTF?? I'm thinking it has to be an open E tuning or something.

Either way, it's almost a tribal experience. Like seeing Nugent. A lot of grunting and showmanship. Great stuff.

Justin

[Staceman]

Anyone familiar with Devin Townshead? He's somewhat of a modern-day guitar hero to some. Not sure what that's saying really, in an age where there are none, maybe we're just impressed with anyone a little different than the current norm.

[RobTheDrummer]

Did you ever realize that they put the "video" before the "music"? Hmmmm......

[bassist_25]

That's a good point, Rob. But I've never really put much creedence in those types of functions; it basically boils down to who made the music industry the most money that year. The performances are always top-notch, though.

[Jim Price]

Anyone familiar with Devin Townshead?

I'm familiar with Devin and am a big fan of his band, Strapping Young Lad. I still have to get a hold of their new self-titled album, put out last year.

[daveb]

My house, like most everybody else on this forum, is filled with music at all times. I have an 11 year old son that has started taking more of an interest in guitar playing. They say kids have a more pure understanding of things than adults do and that they can spot insincerity instantly. The two guitar players that will bring my boy running from the other room to listen to are Slash and .........Dick Dale. How's that for a couple of guitar heros for a kid to have.

[Mackovyak]

Dick Dale rocked Hollywood Beach. All of the classics as well as a killer version of House of the Rising Sun. Nice and LOUD too. He even played a little trumpet for us.

VMA's in my opinion were Terrible. I went to bed about 10:00, I was just bored with them. The first two hours consisted of only 3 acutal bands bands playing the first verse/chorus of their most overplayed songs (What was that about?)

Oh well, it's a good day at work. I got Nuge blasting. Great White Buffalo competing with "I see you standin there, shakin that ass" coming out of the Israeli shirt shop next door. Might as well get a little sun before the hurricane hits.

JM