The Associated Press reported last week that a young 8-year old blues guitarist named Tallan "T-Man" Latz was recently banned from playing in bars in Wisconsin: An anonymous e-mail sent to state officials complained that Tallan was too young to perform in taverns and nightclubs because of state child labor laws. His booking agent even got an anonymous letter threatening her … [Read more...]
Joe Bonamassa on the Les Paul
Joe Bonamassa discussing why he chose the Les Paul as his instrument of choice: “One night, I was doing this classical thing I do using the volume control, and I was playing it on a Strat,” Bonamassa said. “When I finished the show someone came up to me and told that I sounded like Stevie Ray [Vaughan] playing a violin. Well, bless his heart, and God bless Stevie Ray, but it … [Read more...]
Pre-Gig Rituals
Many athletes are superstitious. Whenever they get on a streak, they try and do the same thing before each game. For example, they may wear the same shirt and the same socks, or they may eat the same food before each game. Are musicians similarly superstitious? I.e. if you gig regularly, do you have a pre-gig ritual that you must follow before every show? Do you have to … [Read more...]
Do you want to be a guitar player, or do you want to play guitar?
During one of John Grisham's recent book tours, Grisham answered questions posed by readers. One reader posed the basic question "How can I become a writer?" I thought Grisham's response was fantastic. He essentially responded by saying "Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to write?" It was a very thought-provoking answer, and I think the same logic applies to the … [Read more...]
Guitar Lifestyle T-Shirts!
I love t-shirts. I feel like a good t-shirt sets the tone for the day. If I'm in a guitar mood, I'll put on a guitar-related t-shirt, and the shirt will help keep me focused on the guitar throughout the day, even if I'm not around my guitar. It's also a great conversation starter; it lets people know that you're a guitar player. And, one of the things that I've wanted to do … [Read more...]