Last night I checked out the new House of Blues in Boston. It is a great new midsize venue, with a very large open space in front of the stage and several tiers with limited seating. The show was sold out, with long lines of people going up the block in either direction. Security was tight, including metal detectors at the front doors. The place was totally packed. I initially set myself up not too far from the stage leaning against a rail along the side of the space, but right before the opening act the tallest dude in the world parked himself abruptly in front of me. Now maybe it’s irrational for a non-musician, but I really like to watch guitarists’ hands as they play, so I was very frustrated. I tried to be all zen about it, but then a teeny space opened up in front of me and without conscious thought I found myself worming my way right up to the stage, creating a nonexistent spot next to a bunch of rabid Jeff Beck fans who kept squishing closer to the center, so I ended up with a very nice view and good company for the show. Thanks rude tall dude.
Jeff Beck is a bona fide guitar god and his playing totally lived up to expectations, which means he was insanely, impossibly good. What a treat to see him so close up; for other guitar god shows I’m usually quite far away. The picture above reflects exactly what he looked like from where I was standing.
The bonus, totally unexpected and giving me faith in opening acts, was the young guitarist who opened, Davy Knowles, formerly of Back Door Slam. He played a short solo acoustic blues set and just blew me away with his guitar skills and his voice, both way too mature for a kid his age (21 or so). I tried to find some clips on youtube but none of the acoustic clips really do him justice though some of the clips of his electric shows are worth checking out (I’ll post some in comments later when I have more time). I’ll go out on a limb and predict we will hear great things from Davy in future, and I will certainly go hear him play next time he comes to town and hopefully get to hear an electric set. Davy Knowles seems to be a guitar god in the making and I feel very lucky to have seen him at this stage in his career.
Jeff Beck is a bona fide guitar god and his playing totally lived up to expectations, which means he was insanely, impossibly good. What a treat to see him so close up; for other guitar god shows I’m usually quite far away. The picture above reflects exactly what he looked like from where I was standing.
The bonus, totally unexpected and giving me faith in opening acts, was the young guitarist who opened, Davy Knowles, formerly of Back Door Slam. He played a short solo acoustic blues set and just blew me away with his guitar skills and his voice, both way too mature for a kid his age (21 or so). I tried to find some clips on youtube but none of the acoustic clips really do him justice though some of the clips of his electric shows are worth checking out (I’ll post some in comments later when I have more time). I’ll go out on a limb and predict we will hear great things from Davy in future, and I will certainly go hear him play next time he comes to town and hopefully get to hear an electric set. Davy Knowles seems to be a guitar god in the making and I feel very lucky to have seen him at this stage in his career.
6 comments:
I just saw the Rock Hall of Fame awards a couple of nights ago, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck playing Immigrant Song, with Beck playing Robert Plants vocals, it was awesome.... I think you should bring a thumb drive or two with you this Sunday!!!
the thought of that combo is making me drool, desroc! by sunday do you mean monday?
Nice AC! Jeff Beck is a living legend. (That's the only thing I know about him other than that he was in the Yardbirds.)
It really bothered me how tightly Boston clubs pack people in. Sold out shows can be stressful when walking to the restroom or bar is a chore.
See I'm lost without Dana's Brain, yep Monday, guess I can stop making my squid, raisin and tomato skewers
that's all i knew about him before last night, jsp. he plays fusion music and i would say it is worth seeing him live once, if you worship at the altar of guitar gods as i do. i don't feel the need to see him again. too true about the jammed clubs. at bjm i almost didn't make it back to jpx and whirly because i had the temerity to use the bathroom at some point during the show. that crowd did not want to let me get back to the front where i belonged.
hah hah desroc! i'd say make em anyway, so they can age properly.
I got on of Jeff Beck's solo albums back in 2001, and it was seriously guitar-heavy awesome. It wasn't exactly my gateway drug, but he is awesome. I'm glad desroc mentioned the HOF awards; Metallica with Beck, Page, and Joe Perry on stage at the same time doing "Train Kept A Rollin"?
Priceless. (I've also been on a Metallica kick lately because of the HOF. I even suffered through another viewing of the docu-castration, Some Kind Of Monster. That's actually still a load of horseshit.)
Jeff Beck is fantastic, though. Plus he looks like Nigel.
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