Isci_the_Weatherman's Blog

I know I'm probably one of the few guitar geeks who noticed that David Cook was playing a new guitar when he was jamming with ZZ Top.  I didn't recognize it, so I had to rewind, pause and look really close to see the name "Luna" on the headstock.  A quick search on the 'net and I found out that this company called Luna Guitars has provided guitars for several of the Idol top 10. 

They sell for about $400 to $600, but it looked to me that the one they gave David C on Wednesday night was custom made just for him.  Their website confirmed that too.  I'll take one of them if you all can't think of what to get me for Christmas.

For the first time since 1984, the brothers Van Halen and Diamond Dave are back together and on tour...but this time they are healthy and smiling. 

I enjoyed a two hour assault on my eardrums at the Toyota Center on Monday courtesy of Dave, Alex, Eddie and his son Wolfgang who now plays bass.  Overall, I would give the show an A-/B+.  The boys looked great and played pretty well, but the sound at the Toyota Center was pretty rough at times.  Here's my breakdown of each member's performance:

Diamond Dave - I was impressed.  Yes, his antics were a little quirky as always, but he was in great shape and can still do his karate spin-kicks like it was 1978 all over again.  His voice was just OK...seemed to miss/avoid the high notes, but that's understandable.  Also of note...this guy is 53 years old and he is ripped.  Seriously, he shamed me to get back on a healthy diet and get back into the gym. 

EVH - Eddie was Eddie...Maximum guitar tapping and squealing harmonic mayhem.  He seemed pretty sharp on every song, except for the guitar solo near the end of the show which just was uninspiring in my opinion.  Overall, he looks and plays great after all these years and I feel like even if I practiced 8 hours a day for the rest of my life I would barely approach the ability to do the things that he makes look so easy.  He's the king of rock guitar...I just wish the acoustics at the arena would have allowed us to hear him better.

Wolfgang - Eddie's son is a chip off the old block.  He is a good bass player.

Alex - This guy put on a drum clinic.  Often overshadowed by the guitar heroics of his brother, Alex is a phenomenal drummer and his drum solo was actually entertaining and awe-inspiring.  Just great.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312940,00.html

Sad...I actually met him after a show a few years ago.  He seemed like a very nice guy.  Were you a Quiet Riot fan?

Let's compare lyrics of the top songs of 40 years ago with songs of today. 

1967 The Turtles - Happy Together

Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together

2007 Soulja Boy - Crank Dat

I'm Jocking On Yo B**ch A**
And If We Get The Fightin
Then I'm C**king On Your B**ch
You Catch Me At Yo Local Party
Yes I Crank It Everyday
Haterz Get Mad Cuz
"I Got Me Some Bathin Apes"

Be afraid...be very afraid.

Very few people would notice this, but I want you to watch for it...On the famous opening scene of Monday Night Football with Hank WIlliams Jr., he walks into the nightclub very clearly holding a Fender Telecaster over his shoulder...the music starts and then magically a second later the guitar has turned into a Gibson SG.  This is a continuity "whoops" that most people won't notice...but I did.  What does that say about me?

Let me start saving up for my ticket now...I did see the Page/Plant tour back in the '90s, but this would be pretty cool.

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/led_zeppelin_rep
ortedly_ready_to_fly_again

My name is Mike and I am a Guitar Hero II addict.  If you're not familiar, it's a video game...you use a guitar shaped controller with your Playstation or Xbox to control your character who is a guitar player in a rock band.  This is just the coolest thing ever.  I even got my wife to play and the two of us were playing for about two hours with only brief breaks to attend to our little girls.  Even the babies were enjoying the music and bright colors. 

I think the fact that I play guitar gives me some advantage, but even people who have never played an instrument can do it because you're not really playing "notes" you just have to hit the right buttons on the controller to play along with the song.  This is probably the closest I'll get to actually playing a rock concert, but it's still alot of fun.