The lovely Lady and I worked our first show at the C2G Music Hall Wednesday evening. We have been there many times (it's where our church meets) and have attended many shows. We were asked to serve as volunteers for this show though, and whether it was working or simply attending, I am glad we did! Eric Gales nearly blew our faces off!!
I had watched a couple Youtube videos of Eric prior to Wednesday, so I knew he was an incredible guitarist in the style of Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, and the likes. I was already excited to see him - as were a couple hundred other rowdy folks who packed the Hall on this night. It turns out he is much more than a master of his Stratocaster though.
Mr. Gales plays guitar left-handed, turning a right-handed guitar upside down ala Hendrix, but he is actually not left-handed himself. Apparently, his brother taught him to play when he was only four years old, and that's how his brother did it. So he kept on playing that way, and it seems to have worked out pretty well. :)
Yes, he was known as a "child prodigy" from a very young age, he has played with the greatest of the greats, and Joe Bonamassa claims he is his favorite guitarist. Yet there is something more to Eric Gales, and he let us know right from the start of the show just what it is.
You don't often see a performer begin a show by sharing their testimony. The band played a brief intro, then Eric shared how his life had taken him down many a wrong road. He didn't go into great detail and said he didn't want to turn it into an AA meeting, but one thing I found particularly interesting: He said, "You might see me moving my lips tonight while I play. Don't think I'm talking to myself, because I am likely talking to someone much Higher than all of us." I believe he said he was two weeks shy of being fifteen months clean and sober, and he wanted everyone to know it!!!
It was a pleasure to watch this entire band play. I thought the bass player was exceptional, the drummer and Eric's wife were both outstanding on percussion, but Eric seemed to play with a freedom and joy that really did appear other-worldly at times. From nuanced riffs and blistering solos to the sheer ease with which he wrapped the audience around his little finger... this is a man, and a band, who seem to love what they do. It was infectious, and I can't imagine anyone left disappointed.
I became a fan of Eric Gales on this night. Not just his music, but the person he is. He inspired me to want to be better. I'd say that's a sign of a good night. It will also be remembered by us as the night we joined the team of volunteers at C2G. We served as Gold Circle Ticket-Takers on this night, and it sounds like we may start working the regular ticket counter now. Tonight will be our second show. I don't really know who it is, but coming up we have the likes of Coco Montoya, Savoy Brown, the Mersey Beatles, Victor Wooten, The Accidentals, Tinsley Ellis, and more. It should be fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment