Les Paul and Leo Fender … pioneers of the electric guitar. Thanks to them and their successors, we are able to enjoy what may be the ultimate musical instrument! A handheld device, that screams, sings, cries, growls, attacks, caresses, soars, thunders, grinds, warbles, echoes, sustains, wah-wahs (just to name a few of its properties).
With his Stratocaster, Jimi Hendrix …. well, what can I say about him! And B.B. King … who isn’t familiar with Lucille! Pete Townshend’s windmill-driven power chords. And Tom Morello, The Edge, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards. All different. All captivating.
Tomorrow night (Friday, October 10) at the Fillmor, three guitarists and their bands take the stage to show what they can do. For starters, a kid 10 weeks shy of his 17th birthday, Ian Neal, flashes his Gibson SG with surprising prowess doing his part for Wausau’s own Freedown. Then Madison’s Aaron Williams leads his band the Hoodoo, playing funky roadhouse blues and rockabilly style on his Telecaster. Then, to cap off the evening, a bona-fide guitar slinger, Scott Holt shows why Buddy Guy chose him to be the lead guitarist for his band. Holt is a master of the Stratocaster … he plays fast, hard, flashy, sweet, complex, and fun … always fun. And he doesn’t want to stop, ever.
So, “thanks” to Leo and Les. And thanks to Scott Holt for carrying the torch forward. And to Ian for adopting the instrument with such conviction. And to Aaron for coming up from Madison to join the party. This is going to be fun!
Cheryl Mathis
2:11 pm on October 9th
I’ll be there with my husband. I’m very much looking forward to Scott Holt and his supposedly big-o-inducing guitar solos.
Tom Neal
2:35 pm on October 9th
Leave your husband home … you’ll have more fun!
Holt is amazing.