Talk Normal Concert Review
Friday 2012-02-10 : Let me give you a little prologue: You know how you go to a concert expecting to sort of sift through the opening bands, saying to yourself, “Oh hurry up, and get off the stage, let me see the headliner.” I found myself leaning over at lunch today, to a stranger sitting diagonal to me in a restaurant saying, "Oh I’m not going to see Zola Jesus (the headlining band), I’m going to see Talk Normal. They will scare you, just wait…”
Talk Normal is one of the opening bands for Zola Jesus tomorrow night at Webster Hall. I went to see the band Weekend at Glasslands Gallery this summer, and found myself stepping back… literally. Two women blasted that space, Andrya Ambro and Sarah Register, one with a chunk of her high hat cymbal broken off and the other with her slide guitar. Jaws dropped, my companion Jen and I ―we found ourselves slightly frightened of this duo that was one of the opening bands. I gleefully described them to people later: “It’s like they are witches with those instruments.” This was Talk Normal. My first time, it was intense.
I prepare myself to once again witness the sacrifice of silence tomorrow night.
Sunday 2012-02-19 : There is something to be said about translations―how do sounds and performance translate from a small neighborhood venue to a very large theater. I was delighted to find the vixens of Talk Normal to exhibit a taste of their ultimate potential as a music force. Previously, it’s as if they were talking to each individual in Glasslands, an intimate conversation. Then above the audience with deep red light above them―they showed themselves and tore into the space of a...
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100 Greatest Guitarists To Promote Sales
So as I was casually browsing Rolling Stone today, I came across what they concider the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Not surprisingly the list is topped by Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix (all of which I admire and listen to). They humourously say of Jimi Hendrix that
"his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil."
The mental image I got from this was definitely the high point of my day. Now for the blasphemy… Although I'm fully on board with this list of 100 guitarist ineed being truly great guitarists, I can't help but be arogant and look at modern bands with twenty-something year olds who play riffs with speed and finesse that would make most of these legends' fingers atrophy and cower in fear. Check out Thomas Erak from Fall Of Troy or Justin Shekoski of Saosin. I'm not simply referencing speed of shredding. I'm talking about speed, style, and creativity.I just disagree with the concept that all the greats are in the past, and the the modern guitarists are simply leaching form them. I acknowledge these "top 100" people as great guitarists… but every time I walk into a mega-chain guitar store and hear a million would-be rockstars shredding up and down their "oh if only I could afford this guitar" fret board, I can't help but feel we have been media-hyped into thinking these repeated lists are truly the "best 100 guitarists" when they are nothing more than "top 100 gutiarists that will sell our product by mentioning their na...
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Roman Holiday Gear Review
