Lindley Anecdotes
Nov. 11th, 2007 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceagleSo we went ahead and saw the David Lindley show last night. It really was a kick! Very musically primal, like the first time I saw him... just Lindley and 7 'guitars' ... all string instruments anyway (since in this regard he is a virtuoso)... One bazouki, one oud, one standard guitar, and three hawaiian slack-key guitars, plus one other of which I didn't catch the name...
It was a real hoot :> For concert 'value' he is tops. Instead of spending $200 to see a band 1/4 mile away at a 40,000 person auditorium, you get an up-close and personal presentation of artistry and comedy for around 20 smackers. *tailwags* He did mostly new stuff because he's got a new album, but it was very consistent in his style.
Some anecdotes from over the years...
- traffic getting to this show was awful. Luckily I'd left about 40 minutes, because it at almost all of it up, and we got there with just 5 minutes to spare.
- seen 'im prolly over a dozen times... about 3 shows where it was just him like this one, then maybe half a dozen with the percussionist, and 2 or so with the full band. Also saw him once with Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon. (there is a Zevon tune on his new CD also.)
- we got the front row (yay!) for the second show, and it was fun talkin' with a guy who has seen him about twice as many times as I have. First show I ever saw was like this (when I was a reporter and sent to cover the story, and got hooked!)... and he used to also have big loud rockin' shows with a band El Rayo-X also... and he's also had many shows that fall somewhere in the middle, with an added percussionist or vocalist. Quite a bit of stuff with him is on YouTube nowadays, so if you aren't familiar with his stuff, you can check it out there.
- Tonight was the first time he has worn glasses, and he was resigned yet playful about it. "It was so sudden! One day I woke up and my arm was just not long enough anymore! (to hold a book)" "It is far better to be able to see the strings on the guitar, so I wears 'em"
- Over the years I've gotten to ask him some questions either backstage or at signings:
1. He started out doing a lot of banjo, but he rarely touches it nowadays, since the strings are very hard on the fingernails, and he's found ways to get all those sounds out of the bazouki anyway.
I also asked him if he ever picks up a ukelele.. and he said Oh! no, alas he hasn't... but that's what he first learned strings on! Encouraging...
2. I asked if I could see his fingers, to find out if they were calloused thick... nope!.. He said you go through a period where you get past the pain, but you don't necessarily get calloused up. Interestingly though, his fret hand has almost no fingernails, but his pick hand has slightly long ones, to get that exquisite sound when he doesn't wear the metal pick attachments.
3. I also asked him once why he never plays one of my favorites "Truly Do" in concert, and he said it's just too hard and there's too much going on in the song. Now I guess I partially believe that, but in hearing him do other songs so intricately, it's sorta hard to believe he couldn't work it out if he wanted to.
Got another clue tonight that might confirm some of my suspicions of additional reasons... when he played "Brothers" by Bruce Springsteen, he said it took him a long time before he could play it, because it would tear him up inside from emotion before the song was over... and I suspect that Truly Do might also have a bit of that effect on him.
They used to say Frankie Laine (before my time) would often cry real tears while singing on stage... so it's not too far from possible..
But a Lindley show is far from tearful really :> It was a fun and terrific show!
It was a real hoot :> For concert 'value' he is tops. Instead of spending $200 to see a band 1/4 mile away at a 40,000 person auditorium, you get an up-close and personal presentation of artistry and comedy for around 20 smackers. *tailwags* He did mostly new stuff because he's got a new album, but it was very consistent in his style.
Some anecdotes from over the years...
- traffic getting to this show was awful. Luckily I'd left about 40 minutes, because it at almost all of it up, and we got there with just 5 minutes to spare.
- seen 'im prolly over a dozen times... about 3 shows where it was just him like this one, then maybe half a dozen with the percussionist, and 2 or so with the full band. Also saw him once with Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon. (there is a Zevon tune on his new CD also.)
- we got the front row (yay!) for the second show, and it was fun talkin' with a guy who has seen him about twice as many times as I have. First show I ever saw was like this (when I was a reporter and sent to cover the story, and got hooked!)... and he used to also have big loud rockin' shows with a band El Rayo-X also... and he's also had many shows that fall somewhere in the middle, with an added percussionist or vocalist. Quite a bit of stuff with him is on YouTube nowadays, so if you aren't familiar with his stuff, you can check it out there.
- Tonight was the first time he has worn glasses, and he was resigned yet playful about it. "It was so sudden! One day I woke up and my arm was just not long enough anymore! (to hold a book)" "It is far better to be able to see the strings on the guitar, so I wears 'em"
- Over the years I've gotten to ask him some questions either backstage or at signings:
1. He started out doing a lot of banjo, but he rarely touches it nowadays, since the strings are very hard on the fingernails, and he's found ways to get all those sounds out of the bazouki anyway.
I also asked him if he ever picks up a ukelele.. and he said Oh! no, alas he hasn't... but that's what he first learned strings on! Encouraging...
2. I asked if I could see his fingers, to find out if they were calloused thick... nope!.. He said you go through a period where you get past the pain, but you don't necessarily get calloused up. Interestingly though, his fret hand has almost no fingernails, but his pick hand has slightly long ones, to get that exquisite sound when he doesn't wear the metal pick attachments.
3. I also asked him once why he never plays one of my favorites "Truly Do" in concert, and he said it's just too hard and there's too much going on in the song. Now I guess I partially believe that, but in hearing him do other songs so intricately, it's sorta hard to believe he couldn't work it out if he wanted to.
Got another clue tonight that might confirm some of my suspicions of additional reasons... when he played "Brothers" by Bruce Springsteen, he said it took him a long time before he could play it, because it would tear him up inside from emotion before the song was over... and I suspect that Truly Do might also have a bit of that effect on him.
They used to say Frankie Laine (before my time) would often cry real tears while singing on stage... so it's not too far from possible..
But a Lindley show is far from tearful really :> It was a fun and terrific show!
