Wanting to impress my wife!

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby cgprnd » Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:32 am

Hi Everyone,

I mentioned a while back that I had tickets for my wife and I to see Tommy E. in Kalamazoo this coming Tue. evening, the 21st. This is a second marriage and my wife is going through the same "indoctrination" that my first wife of 30 years did. My first wife attended many concerts with me of Chet, Jerry, Richard Smith, and even Tommy Jones over the years. Since we hosted Tommy J. in our home a few times, she got to watch him very closely as we went back and forth analyzing each other.

On the other hand, my present wife has basically only heard me. She probably has a better ear for music than my first wife but she has had so little exposure to instrumental guitar, which is a novelty to her. She is a big fan of mine but has a long way to go to be able to appreciate those who inspired me over the years. The upcoming Tommy E. concert will be her first live exposure to an instrumental guitarist other than myself.

Here's my situation: There was a recent PBS special on Tommy E. and we stumbled upon it about 2/3d's of the way through the show. At the very moment we tuned in there was a harmonica player being featured and Tommy was backing him up. Of course the goal was to enhance rather than to dominate, but my wife saw Tommy as "nothing special" during that time. He finished up his show with "Initiation" (I believe that was the title) and it was basically a bunch of noise and effects to communicate the feeling of the primitive Australian Outback. Again, there wasn't much actual guitar playing and then the show was over. She asked if we could then change the channel. As I was doing that I heard her say "Thank God, that was terrible!" She now has the feeling that she is in for an evening of misery........lol.

My question to those who have attended his concerts away from CAAS is the following: "Is his emphasis more on entertaining and less on actual guitar playing?" I was extremely disappointed with what I saw on PBS and, though I've watched him actually play solo guitar with skill, I would be embarrassed to have anyone watch him doing predominantly what I saw that night on PBS and expect to impress them. What exactly are we in for next Tuesday?

thanks,

Rande
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cgprnd
 
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby thenorm » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:01 am

He's a very engaging performer. Good humored and of course he's an excellent guitarist. I've only seen him once but it was an excellent show. He did close with the outback piece you mention and I thought it was interesting but personally I got tired of it about halfway through. Most of his other offerings were great. I didn't see the special so I can't say how much like his live performances it was.

Take it easy on the wife. You can't train people to like what you like.

I've been to shows with people I knew weren't all that into the music I took them to see and I found myself distracted by their not really enjoying themselves.

You should just be thankful that she's willing to put up with your guitar playing because guitar practice is a very demanding mistress...

I was married once. Held up my guitar and said "Don't ever ask me to choose..."

She did.

Still have the guitar.

Count your blessings...
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby Doug_H » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:05 am

You can see full shows with TE from the 'Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour' archives http://www.woodsongs.com/showlist.asp. Here are some direct links. You might want to right click and download them instead of streaming as they are large files and may not stream 'fluidly'.

Show 562: Tommy Emmanuel & Frank Vignola

http://128.163.130.14/woodsongs-562.wmv

Show 428: Tommy Emmanuel (solo..so probably more what you'll want to show her)

http://128.163.130.14/woodsongs-428.wmv
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby Randy Finney » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:34 am

As Tommy's Promoter in Canada, I'll take a shot at answering this...

The thing about Tommy - the most amazing thing, in my opinion - is that he doesn't play "what he knows", he plays "what he feels". Tommy has no set list and doesn't even really decide what he is going to play until the concert starts. He walks out on stage, feels the energy of that particular crowd, decides where he needs "to take them" and comes up with a "plan" on how to take them there. He does this standing backstage while he is being announced and within the first 30 seconds of being on stage. I am not making this up.

For example:

Two tours ago, Canada's most famous Rock Guitarist and Tommy met backstage before the show and talked for about half an hour - this guitarist was also in the audience for the show. The show on this night very much had a "Rock Vibe" to it. Meaning, there was less introspectiveness and the show had a lot of energy, even more than usual (even his 20 minute Chet Medley had a bit of a "Chet-on-steroids" feel to it), and I don't think he sat down once. It was, of course, absolutely mind-blowing and one of his best shows.

The following day, we had a very relaxed, unhectic day - long brunch, no travel - and he told me on our way to the venue that he was feeling really good and was "really gonna go for it" tonight. The show on this night couldn't have been more different than the previous night. He sat for a large percentage of it, he didn't play Initiation, played a lot of tunes from "Only" at the same tempo as they are on the recording (even did minimal percussion on Mombasa, which, in a live situation, is tune he often uses as a vehicle for this), and played some really intimate tunes he hadn't played in years,. This concert had more the vibe of a "Virtuoso Classical Guitar Concert". It was, of course, absolutely mind-blowing and one of his best shows.

A second example:

We added Ottawa to Tommy's Canadian Concert Tour 3 years ago. Tommy had a lot on his plate at this time. As we were walking from the green room to the stage, he asked me if he had ever played here before. I said, "no, this is your first time in Ottawa". He looked at me and said, "well, I guess we'll have to give them everything." The resulting show was Vintage Tommy. All the hits - Classical Gas, Guitar Boogie, etc. It was, of course, absolutely mind-blowing and one of his best shows.


My point, Rande, is that it is irrelevant what expectations your wife takes to the concert. As she becomes part of the collective consciousness of the event, she will end up with exactly what she needs. Here is the advertising blurb I wrote when I started bringing Tommy to Canada:

"Tommy Emmanuel is, without question, the most trend setting guitarist of our time.
With a powerfully charismatic persona reminiscent of Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra, and a simply untouchable musical virtuosity, Tommy draws his listeners into an incredible vortex of happiness from which they are content never to escape."

Trust that your wife will get drawn into this vortex, irregardless of what Tommy actually plays.

Randy
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby cgprnd » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:41 am

Norm, my point is that she already likes what I like! I enjoy skillfully executed solo guitar playing and so does she.
However, I'm her only example and I want for her to witness someone other than myself using techniques that
have inspired me over the years. There's no problem with her "liking what I like". In the case of the PBS special
I also "dislike what she dislikes"! I pray for some impressive guitar playing that night.

Doug, thanks for those links. I'll look for the one you singled out as being a solo performance.

Rande
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby cgprnd » Wed Sep 15, 2010 11:48 am

Thanks for your insightful experience, Randy. I can only hope that I'll be surrounded by others who want to see some good guitar playing. I don't need a lot of electronic effects and feedback to be fulfilled. If I'm surrounded by the "wrong crowd" then they will dictate what kind of "energy" is in the room and, according what you've described, Tommy will "feel" this energy and adjust and cater to it accordingly. My wife is a sophisticated enough listener to know when she is hearing high quality musicianship as distinguished from showmanship. Of course, both are nice in combination but I'll take high quality musicianship any day. The general public can have the rest.

Rande
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby bill_h » Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:49 pm

Randy, you hit the nail right on the head with what you said about Tommy. I've seen him do a full show once as opposed to the one hour set he does at CASS. It's almost like he catches lightning in a bottle every time he steps on stage except with Tommy it's no fluke! He does it every time. ( I wonder if he's ever put on a mediocre show. [ I doubt it!])
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby cgprnd » Wed Sep 15, 2010 1:01 pm

Bill, I know you were talking to Randy Finney but I just wanted to say that it's not Tommy's level of ENERGY that I'm concerned about. He could do an entire show with songs such as his "Initiation" and it would be bursting with energy but for sure he would have 2 very unhappy "audient(s)" sitting out there gritting their teeth.

Rande
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby kentwkistler » Wed Sep 15, 2010 1:50 pm

Stop fretting and worrying, and just GO! If this whole thing is primarily to impress your wife, you are in a 50/50 situation anyway. SHE should not be the reason for your attendance; it is to see and hear Tommy. I would love to have such as "drastic" event in the offing, as I am sure I will never have the chance to see T.E. Good luck. K E N T
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Re: Wanting to impress my wife!

Postby cgprnd » Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:00 pm

Hi Kent,

One big issue is that I'm unemployed and it was a sacrifice to purchase these tickets. She is having to work more hours to keep things going and I don't want her to feel that I spent money trivially. If this goes anything like what I experienced seeing him at CAAS in Nashville, then we'll be fine. However, the PBS special had me concerned. I'm picturing her retribution afterward if she ends up feeling like she did after that.

You and I both want what the other one has. You'd like to be able to see Tommy and I would like to be living in Palm Springs this Winter instead of here in Michigan.......lol.

Rande
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