by Tony Stec
It’s funny to think that guitar heroes have their own guitar heroes. But for Jeff Beck, this was a throwback show; homage to some of his old favorites. For the days leading up to this concert, I really had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that he’s a legend and I needed to be there to witness it for myself.
Beck’s resume is arguably one of the most impressive in the business. Throughout his illustrious career, he seems to have glided effortlessly from genre to genre — Rock, Jazz, Pop, Virtuoso and many in between. This show was a tribute, of sorts, to Les Paul — one of every guitar hero’s heroes — and consisted mainly of songs from the Rockabilly era of the 40’s and 50’s. It’s not my favorite genre in the world but the band was absolutely great. And Beck got his; including some classic Chuck Berry-esque guitar solos, while he mainly stayed true to the three-to-four minute formats of the originals. Train Kept a Rollin’ was a definite highlight early on. Then, about three-quarters of the way in, Beck came out with his signature white Strat and dazzled the crowd with some virtuoso themed compositions. To this day, no one does the whammy bar quite like Jeff Beck.
I’m sure you can find critics out there who did not approve of the tribute format of the show. What we need to remember, though, is that all great musicians were influenced by those who came before them. This is what has always perpetuated music and kept things fresh. Overall, Beck put together a solid show that offered nostalgia and some incredible guitar licks worthy of inspiring the next guitar hero.
All I want to know is, When’s he coming back?
Tony Stec is a life-long music addict who takes in dozens of shows every year. He also wants to know when Willie Nelson is coming back.
Set List:
1. Baby Let’s Play House
2. Double Talking Baby
3. Cruising
4. Train Kept a Rollin’
5. Poor Boy Blues
6. Cry Me a River
7. My Baby Left Me/That’s Alright
8. How High the Moon
9. Sitting on Top of the World
10. Bye Bye Blues
11. The World is Waiting for the Sunrise
12. Vaya con Dios
13. Mockin’ Bird Hill
14. Tiger Rag
15. Peter Gunn
16. Rocking is Our Business
17. Apache
18. Sleep Walk
19. Please Mr. Jailer
20. Castin’ My Spell (On You)
21. The Girl Can’t Help It
22. Rock Around the Clock
Encore:
23. Remember (Walking in the Sand)
24. Hound Dog
25. Up Above My Head
26. Danny Boy
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction of 2009 is Saturday, April 4. Unfortunately, not everyone can make it out to Cleveland, but you can get interactive with the ceremonies right now, through Rock Immortal. This online exhibit honors this year’s inductees: Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Metallica, Run D.M.C. and Bobby Womack.
Enter the site and you’re presented with swirling guitar picks, along with another larger pick on the left side. There you find the inductees. Click on one and you’ll get more picks, like the ones shown here for Metallica. And this is where it gets cool.
Each pick contains user-submitted content – comments, photos or videos about the artist. Click on one pick and you might get a video of someone playing their favorite Metallica jam. Click on another and you could see a photo from a show, or just some fans showing their love. One of Run D.M.C.’s has a user’s cover of “Tricky” on the drums – and it’s awesome.
You could get lost in this site. In fact, you should. I’ve yet to see something so focused on the fans and their appreciation for their favorite music. It’s fun, entertaining and there’s real talent out there. Most of all, it gives you a sense of how far-reaching music can be, regardless of race, color, creed or any other factor.
Well done, Rock Hall. You’ve truly created something special.
Below is “Tricky” from JoeyJordisonGirl. To get right into it, skip ahead to the 1:20 mark.
