Solo guy. Solo gig guy. I hate Hate HATE that guy! I can count on my two fingers the times I’ve enjoyed myself at a solo guy gig. There’s not many folks that can do it. It’s usually a self indulgent expose, a me-me me-fest that distracts from the musicality and takes away from any coolness that the songs may hold or have in our lives. Nine out of ten times I am over it and ready to leave from song one, as I almost hoped I would be when I went to see Peter Holsapple tonight at the Pour House. My intentions were to go down there, hear my favorite 30 or 40 songs that he wrote and then head on back home, get to bed and then get up and go pick up my dad from the hospital and take him back home to see his doggy, Peaches.
(YEAH! Home tomorrow! Thanks fer y’all’s prayers and shit!)
Well, no such luck. I get there and sound dude extraordinaire Jac Cain buys me drinks so I’m automatically hangin’ around a while but then after a brief soundcheck Peter launches into his set and I soon realize why I REALLY came, on the off chance that this might really be something that I knew it could be. And it was.
I hate solo guy not only because it’s self indulgent but because I CAN’T do it! I mean, who wants to see me up there behind a set of drums screaming my head off by myself? I might could do it to a pre-recorded track but I ain’t the guitar player that most of my friends are. (Actually, that might be pretty cool, me playing drums and screaming my head off…hmmm…but not very musical.)
But that’s exactly what Peter did, NO! not play drums and scream his head off! BE MUSICAL!…and that’s a really hard thing to do by yourself. Well, damn if he didn’t do it. I guess it’s pretty easy to do if you have good songs, can play guitar really great and can sing your ass off. Hmmm. I guess THAT’S why I stayed till the very end and was glad I did! Good songs, good playing, good singing…that’s all we ask. Especially the good songs part…and Peter has plenty of them! Connect the singing and playing to a big 'ol heart…forget about it! Sold!
2 comments:
I'm off to butcher some music solo acoustic tonight up here in the windy city.
Happy Birthday Keith Richards. I'm a gunna warble "Happy" for ya at the Horseshoe.
Tom C
Yes, Peter has excellent songs, a beautiful voice and a GREAT BIG heart. When he and I lost a mutual friend to suicide earlier this year, he listened to my myspace messages non-stop. He has had the utmost patience when I have no doubt driven him nuts with my emails and messages.
Not to mention the fact that I have always been a giant fan of his. Okay, I still am, but he has still been extremely patient.
When David died, he listened to me once again. He is a good person, an awesome singer/songwriter/guitarist, and a diplomat to the nth degree. He has had ample opportunities to tell me to leave him alone, stop writing him, etc., but has not. I'm still a BIG fan of his music, but now know that his heart is, as Terry says, a big ol' one...J
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