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We went down to Summerfest right after supper. Didn't have much trouble getting down there or getting in, and we went right to the Harley stage where Sue DeBaco was finishing up her set. It's good to get there when a band is ending, so you get move in and get some recently vacated seats. We found a spot right next to Cyn's dentist, and they had a good time chatting.
The next band on was Greg Koch (pronounced "cock" or maybe "cauk"). He's a talented guitarist, and a Fender rep who does clinics. He rocks pretty hard, and has a lot of humor in the mix. Bluesy and technical, he was a good opener for Jeff Beck. He played about two hours, which I though seemed a little long, since he can get a little self indulgent. Most of the tunes were his own compositions, but he mixed in some crowd-pleasing Led Zeppelin. I enjoyed his chicken-pickin' country version of the acoustic section of "Stairway to Heaven". As good as Koch is, I kept thinking I just wanted to hear the master. Jeff Beck is, in my opinion, the greatest guitarist ever.
Beck's show was great, if a little short. He and his band played his own, inimitable style of rock. Mostly blues-informed rock, with a touch of the jazz fusion. I didn't actually recognize many songs. Just a couple of his classic blues pieces, like "People Get Ready". And he did some covers, including "I Want to Take you Higher", "A Day in the Life", Jeff Buckley's "Corpus Christi Carol" and an encore version of a Less Paul & Mary Ford tune.
The drummer for this tour was Narada Michael Walden. I was not impressed. His beats just seemed a bit off. Looking him up just now, I discovered he a legendary drummer, singer, songwriter, producer, working since the mid seventies. On keyboards was Jason Rebello, veteran jazz player. The real show stealer was bassist Rhonda Smith, almost hidden behind her Fender. She often played the heavy funk, and sang a bit. When the mood called for it, she played an electric upright bass, for beautiful, smooth tones. (some video from earlier in the tour) She was trained in jazz, and spent ten years with Prince.
Beck is a very versatile musician, but this show was his basic, hard rocking style. I expected it to be a bit bluesier than it was, though last time I saw him it was harder rocking and a little more "experimental". I enjoy watching the different styles of playing, that guitarists have. Beck strums with his thumb a lot, and keeps his other fingers close together, for picking. It looks like he uses a pick, but he doesn't. That's just how he holds his fingers. Personally, he seemed a bit, well, not like a rock star. A bit unsure, while at the mic. Like a regular guy. And it was his 66th birthday the day before.
The next band on was Greg Koch (pronounced "cock" or maybe "cauk"). He's a talented guitarist, and a Fender rep who does clinics. He rocks pretty hard, and has a lot of humor in the mix. Bluesy and technical, he was a good opener for Jeff Beck. He played about two hours, which I though seemed a little long, since he can get a little self indulgent. Most of the tunes were his own compositions, but he mixed in some crowd-pleasing Led Zeppelin. I enjoyed his chicken-pickin' country version of the acoustic section of "Stairway to Heaven". As good as Koch is, I kept thinking I just wanted to hear the master. Jeff Beck is, in my opinion, the greatest guitarist ever.
Beck's show was great, if a little short. He and his band played his own, inimitable style of rock. Mostly blues-informed rock, with a touch of the jazz fusion. I didn't actually recognize many songs. Just a couple of his classic blues pieces, like "People Get Ready". And he did some covers, including "I Want to Take you Higher", "A Day in the Life", Jeff Buckley's "Corpus Christi Carol" and an encore version of a Less Paul & Mary Ford tune.
The drummer for this tour was Narada Michael Walden. I was not impressed. His beats just seemed a bit off. Looking him up just now, I discovered he a legendary drummer, singer, songwriter, producer, working since the mid seventies. On keyboards was Jason Rebello, veteran jazz player. The real show stealer was bassist Rhonda Smith, almost hidden behind her Fender. She often played the heavy funk, and sang a bit. When the mood called for it, she played an electric upright bass, for beautiful, smooth tones. (some video from earlier in the tour) She was trained in jazz, and spent ten years with Prince.
Beck is a very versatile musician, but this show was his basic, hard rocking style. I expected it to be a bit bluesier than it was, though last time I saw him it was harder rocking and a little more "experimental". I enjoy watching the different styles of playing, that guitarists have. Beck strums with his thumb a lot, and keeps his other fingers close together, for picking. It looks like he uses a pick, but he doesn't. That's just how he holds his fingers. Personally, he seemed a bit, well, not like a rock star. A bit unsure, while at the mic. Like a regular guy. And it was his 66th birthday the day before.
