Carl verheyen and albert lee at c2g

I haven't written about music in awhile, and didn't want to leave this one out. Last Thursday we hosted Carl Verheyen and Albert Lee at C2G Music Hall. I think it's safe to say no one left disappointed. What a fun show!

If you're not familiar with the two, this ditty from Chris Hupe in Whatzup magazine says it way better than I could:

July 25 is going to be a night of legendary music at C2G Music Hall when Carl Verheyen and Albert Lee join forces for a show that is sure to please connoisseurs of the guitar and general music fans alike.

Verheyen, lead guitarist of Supertramp, has been recognized as one of the world’s best guitarists by Guitar magazine and as one of the top guitarists of all time by Classic Rock. In addition to the likelihood that he will break out Supertramp hits like “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” and “Take The Long Way Home,” Verheyen brings a stunning mix of blues, rock, jazz, and even country to the stage whenever he straps on the guitar.

You might also know some of Verheyen’s other work since he is the guitar player behind theme songs for TV shows like Happy Days, Seinfeld, Frazier, and Cheers, as well as themes for movies like Star Trek, The Usual Suspects, Ratatouille, The Negotiator, and hundreds more. He has also performed and recorded with a who’s who of music giants, ranging from greats B.B. King and Joe Bonamassa to Cher, Brad Paisley, Christina Aguilera, and The Bee Gees.

A living legend in his own right, Lee spent the mid-’60s as a highly sought after R&B guitarist and the ’70s as one of the top overall guitarist in the world, playing alongside Eric Clapton, the Everly Brothers, and Joe Cocker. And while he is also now one of the most in-demand session guitarists in the business today, Lee thrives on the live stage.

Couple him with another legend like Verheyen and you are sure to have a show full of mind-boggling guitar showmanship from two of the industry’s all time greats.

Apparently the two were in town teaching this recording master class at Sweetwater Studios. I believe most of the students, as well as a boatload of Sweetwater employees, were in attendance. I actually heard Carl telling someone himself, and later Doc West announced it from the stage, that they originally thought they would just do a little show at The Clyde Club Room. However, someone from there apparently told them they should have it at C2G. I really hope that's true, because it would be nice to know music venues in town are that willing to work together.

At any rate, it was a fantastic show! They played to the 150 or so people for nearly 3 hours with a couple local guys on drums and bass. There were also a few guests who took the stage and it was so cool to see the two superstars just jam along like they were having as much fun as the rest of us! In fact, I'd say that's a pretty good summation of the evening as a whole: a fun time! There was no 'rock star' pretense, and the two of them genuinely looked like they were having a blast. So very refreshing!

Personally, I/we didn't actually see a lot of the show. We were working the ticket counter. At least we got to HEAR the entire show, and also mingle with them before it started. Carl and his wife seemed like super nice people in the brief exchanges I had with them. Later on I helped as bar back and we were able to watch the end. I didn't care that I had to get up at 4 am the next day - it was worth it!

This was actually the first show we'd worked as volunteers in awhile. I work the parking lot for Tincaps games, so we don't do much at the music hall in the summer. I wanted to see this show though, so we were more than happy to volunteer. What a good time, and I hope they come back again!

(Photo stolen from Bob Roets' Facebook page)