Acoustic Tuesday asks the big questions this week…
- Who is The White Buffalo?
- What should you do after you’ve stuffed yourself on Thanksgiving?
- What’s going on in Las Vegas?!
- Can you win an awesome NV Tone Model Duo for your guitar?
As always, you can catch the show at 10am every Tuesday in these four places:
- Acoustic Life YouTube channel
- We Play Every Day Facebook Community
- Get show notes emailed directly to your inbox.
- Listen to audio-only below or in iTunes
Featured in this episode of Acoustic Tuesday…
#3: Top 4 Music Movies After Thanksgiving Dinner
To kick things off during that delirious state between your 3rd slice of pie and your dreams about turkey leftovers, I’m suggesting a must-see movie.
It’s called “Echo in the Canyon.”
This retrospective looks at the Laurel Canyon music scene in the ’60s and ’70s that hosted a variety of famous musicians.
While I was originally reluctant to feature “Echo in the Canyon,” you’ll see how well it blends nostalgia with the impact those musicians have on the industry today.
- Echo in the Canyon Trailer
- Purchase Echo in the Canyon
- Visit the movie’s website
My next recommendation is a doozy.
It’s called “Charlie Louvin: Still Rattlin’ the Devil’s Cage.”
If you love bluegrass and personal stories of growth, you have to check out this documentary out.
In fact, the story of the Louvin brothers is so good, Ethan Hawke is in a biopic about them.
- Watch the trailer for the Charlie Louvin documentary
- Watch the movie here
While the Charlie Louvin documentary is sure to rattle your spirit, check out this next recommendation if you want something more lively.
It’s called “Fiddlin’.”
And yes, you guessed it…it’s about fiddling.
In addition, “Fiddlin'” is just a great showcase of bluegrass music. If you’re wondering if this American art form is still going to be going strong, watch “Fiddlin’.”
Finally, I have one last pick for your post-Thanksgiving digestion…
It’s called “Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music”
Now, I don’t want to spoil this one for you at all, but “Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music” is a comprehensive history of bluegrass.
Produced by PBS, this documentary features archival footage and interviews with some of the biggest names to grace the bluegrass communities.
If you watch any of these movies, let me know what you think in the comments!
#2: Heartbreaker Guitars Newscast
It’s that time of the month again: Heartbreaker Guitars‘ Brendan Smyth is giving us his industry news rundown.
We’ll be hearing about a variety of topics, including…
- Bourgeois Guitars and Eastman merging
- NAMM 2020…what to expect
- Huss & Dalton Guitars…an electric guitar?
#1: The White Buffalo
If you want to hear a magical voice, you have to check out The White Buffalo.
Like other folk artists, The White Buffalo has a grizzled voice that is reminiscent of Eddie Vedder but with great clarity and depth.
- Visit The White Buffalo on the web
- Buy albums by The White Buffalo
- Listen to the song “I Got You” by The White Buffalo
- “Last Call To Heaven” by The White Buffalo
- Check out “If I Lost My Eyes” by The White Buffalo
# Guitar gratitude my person that inspired me to play the Guitar was a teacher I had Steve Eaton. He taught me mini chords and pushed me to work on my rythem, and then we made a cassette of my songs I wrote. I will forever be grateful. He let me feel like I was good.
# guitar gratitude. Rodney England my cousin that started my Journey.
I say I play guitar or play at it. LOL.
I don’t really play the guitar. I enjoy strumming chords and singing with friends and family.
#GuitarGratitude. Hi Tony, my guitar gratitude goes to an old friend of mine named Gary Eckstein. I met Gary at Honeywell when I worked there in Engineering and Gary was in the Graphics arts department. I used to do projects and I would go to Gary and tell him I need something cool for the cover of a report or presentation or other. Gary was and is a fantastic graphic artist from back when everything was done by hand.
Why is Gary the person for my guitar gratitude. Well Gary and I started playing together and he usually played bass even though he is a fantastic guitarist! But the really good part was that Gary never criticized by guitar playing – he was always encouraging! I am not all that good even though I have played for 55 years. I haven’t seen Gary in about 20 years but still miss him.
Also so how do I answer the question “do you play guitar?” I always say I try to play guitar. I am always afraid of saying yes because I don’t want to set expectations.
Thank you,
john – Colorado Springs. Still trying to play guitar!
Tony I love the show and am also part of the tac community. On the subject of music history, I have been turned onto a poded set it straight. I believe if you look into it you would really enjoy it.
#Guitar gratitude. My gratitude goes out to my brother-in-law Scott Kinsey. A tremendous artist, songwriter and luthier ( worked at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville), Scott has cared for my guitar, been a teacher and mentor and shared his love for the art.
Echo in the Canyon ROCKS!!!
Sorry I didn’t review what I wrote. It is missing half of a sentence the podcast is called set it straight by the country music band Midland.
#guitargratitude Ramblin Jack Elliott
I was 16 years old, recently stolen out of a hospital while I was being treated for pneumonia, and dropped off at Jack’s house to stay warm and recover. Jack was suffering from depression as his wife and baby daughter had just left him. He told me he hated playing Tenessee Stud but did teach me how to fingerpick some Dylan tunes. It was an opening to enjoying playing the guitar and passing that love to my oldest granddaughter, who has WAY surpassed my abilities on the guitar. I am now blessed to watch a budding singer/songwriter/guitar player fall in love with her craft.
# Guitar gratitude
I am 59, I had never played any instrument in my life, on whim a got a guitar about 11 months ago,
at the local shops, I had no idea where to start, sales people didn’t want to spend any time with me
except for Eric Martin, he has real passion for the joy of music, he took the time to show lots, and lots, and lots of guitars to find a good one to start with, I am guitar grateful for Eric (I now take lessons from him)
the second person I am guitar grateful for is you Tony and your show, your practice 10 minutes a day and other practice ideas really help keep me going esp when a rut happens, thanks keep up the good work
Regarding how I describe myself as a guitar player…. I am an AMAZING guitar player in my own mind.
A resounding YES!
I want to thanks my Dad, who will always be my hero. He passed away two years ago from a battle with Cancer. I still dream about him and think of him in my waking hours as well. He took a piece of my heart when he passed. I was in the hospital when he died, battling an illness that was posiening my brain. Thus, I was not able to go to his funeral. He was buried with his Military Navy uniform on, with a 16 Gun Salute and American Flag.
He is the one who inspired me to get into playing guitar. In his last days he was not able to make some of the chords because of a problem with his hands. Yes, he still tried to play to the best of his ability.
Dad, you are forever my inspiration! Miss you so much!
Jeff Osborne
TAC Member
Yeah, I saw that Echo Canyon movie and it was great! Brought back a lot of memories.
#guitar gratitude
I’m forever grateful to all the amazing individuals who passed along their guitar understanding to me. There are literally hundreds, too many to name, but all who furthered my love of the instrument. My Mom and Dad who instilled music ever since I was little and my sister Katie who always turned me on to something new and different. I have tremendous respect for everyone who added to my music experience.
Bradford M
Arlington, Texas
Tony,
I was primarily a trumpet play, way back in the day, and recently retired and found your wonderful show last year and did the fretboard challenge and immediately started taking lessons. I am so impressed with you and Noah and the Acoustic Show that I have to name you as my inspiration. Also, my Guitar teacher Mark inspires me every Tuesday. I rush home to watch your show.
Bless
Howard
#GuitarGratitude: I am grateful to Derek DeMuth, a much younger person, very fine musician who was/is a teacher that brought me back to playing by lessons and ideas. He helped reawaken a 35 year dormancy, and now, as a result, here I am.
We saw “Echo in the Canyon” at a theater when it just came out: we really liked it (being of the older generation …… these are “our people!!”) We’ve also seen at least parts of “Big Family”: not sure if we saw the whole thing, though . We will probably watch the Charlie Louvin film over the weekend.
Incidentally, Staunton, VA is pronounced “Stanton.” I grew up not far from there and went to family reunions with my grandfather’s family there. (It’s also home of the Statler Brothers.)
Great show today, as always ……
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Hugs all around,
Jo and Don
My answer when someone as me if I play guitar is “I play with a Guitar”
I am thankful for Griff Hamlin from Blues guitar unleashed, because he got me interested in picking up the guitar again after 20 years of collecting dust. I just wish this level on instruction would have been available before I had a traumatic head injury and lost a lot of my memory and fine motor skills.
I really enjoy your show every Tuesday and I promise i will eventually join Acoustic life
Peace
Kent
The person I most most grateful to for introducing me to guitar is Darcy Wickam, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I first met Darcy in 1969 at the University of Windsor at the Sunday Coffee House. I knew nothing about guitar and felt it was way too complicated for me. I was amazed at how well and precise Darcy played; fingerstyle, flat picking and strumming. As well, he seemed to be able to sit down with any other guitar player and just play along with them. I was blown away. We became friends and reconnected in Toronto after University and he helped me buy my first guitar, a Yamaha FG 180 which cost $129. I still have the price tag dated May 12, 1972. Darcy gave me my very first lessons on simple chords, strumming and some finger picking. I still have pages of those first hand written lessons. Darcy has several albums and still runs a guitar school in Toronto (https://darcywickham.com). As well, he gave me some songs to learn. We moved from Toronto and the guitar simply moved with me, just being picked up occasionally and my skills left me until I met the next person I want thank, Tony Polecastro, my second real teacher. Finally after years of retirement, I am playing more regularly and fully enjoying it.
Allan Morris
#guitargratitude I owe my guitar playing and my first guitar to my wife. She moved from Denver to Annapolis to be near me at the Naval Academy in 1972. She went through major hardships with job, living place, and not seeing me but a few hours on the weekend. On a secretary’s meager salary, she saved enough to buy me a brand new Yamaha FG-200 for Christmas 1973.
I serenaded her and my roommates (much to their chagrin) with mostly John Denver songs, apropo, since I was from Denver. My longest roommate was a J. Geils fan, so JD was not up there. I used song books and cassette audio tapes to learn the songs (no Youtube or TAC!). I played for my kids as they grew up, and other family, including, lately, my only grandson who I wrote the song for in Fretboard Wizard final project, “His Hands.” While in the Navy 27 years as a physician, I had little time for practice, but my wife always complimented my playing. I finally retired the Yamaha in 2014, having played it for 41 years. My oldest daughter called dibs on it. Even now when I play “Sunshine” by JD she cries.
During writing of this, I got the guitar out of the basement and got the serial number, made in Taiwan, July 21, 1973 and strummed it–very old strings, so pretty bad. I think I’ll replace the strings and see how it does. The neck looks straight.
I now have a Gibson J-45 and Martin D-18e and, my wife is still supporting me buying other guitars, which I may one day send photos on the Guitarsenal. My wife and I started dating in 1970 and celebrated 43 years of marriage last June. She’s my biggest fan even if I flub up open mics!
Thanks, Tony for the Guitars for Vets and raising so much money. As a former Navy doctor, then VA doctor, I can tell you music is the greatest to help some of these veterans over major problems. I recently published a fiction book with a Navy doctor who uses music therapy to help him heal from bad injuries in Iraq.
I love the TAC course, stage 2, but really learned the most from the Fretboard Wizard course. Thanks, again.
Milt M.
I AM THANKFUL TO ALL THE TEACHERS ON THE WEB THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO TEACH MYSELF TO PLAY AND LEARN MUSIC. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, NOW 73, I UNDERSTAND HOW ANYBODY WHO REACHES OUT TO HELP OTHERS.
Tony, I loved the show but I miss Sir Noah. Maybe he can make some guest appearances in the future?
The White Buffalo has long been a favourite of mine, along with some others since I found him. Matt Anderson, Tyler Childers, Shakey Graves, John Moreland and Darius Rucker even though I did like Hootie and the blow fish. Anyway Guitar geeks unite. and keep on TAC’ing
#guitargratitude – My Dad introduced me to many various music genres and he had a guitar when I was younger. He gave me an appreciation for music that helps me along the way. He introduced my young ears to amazing artists like Paul Simon, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Barbara Streisand, The Carpenters, and Johnny Cash. He took us kids to concerts and shows when we were just children. My Dad is amazing. So thankful for his love, influence, and guidance. HE is the type of person one aspires to be.
Second is an old friend….Cortland. I bought a guitar in 1989 when I moved away and he showed me some chords and allowed me to play at his band practices. He always encouraged me to grow and gave me a new appreciation for The Beatles and Stones.
There are others, but these are the biggies. Haven’t seen Cortland in 20 years. I’m gonna look him up.
#guitar gratitude – I am so grateful for my wonderful wife of 36 years. Whenever I get down on myself for not being the guitar player I want to be and want to just sell them all, she reminds me of how much I love the guitar and that the guitar is a journey and probably I wont ever, “be there”. Music has been a really big part of my life beginning when I was a young pup being taught piano by my grandma. When asked if I play guitar I usually answer that I work at it and that there just isn’t much of a demand for an intermediate guitar player. I am already missing the banter of yourself and Noah. Please keep Acoustic Tuesday going. I love the show! Happy Thanksgiving to yourself, Whitney, Eli, Noah, et. al.
Tony from Walnut Grove Missouri
Just saw #117.thank you.love your artist,”white buffalo.” To answer your question,I am a guitar lover,but do I play,I would say not yet.but I love all instruments.they are all fun,and beautiful to learn.do you miss sr.noah Hackman he.? Can you answer us next week.thanks.happy Thanksgiving,to you and your wife.see you at #118.
Just saw#118 not #117.see you at #119.thank you.
When someone says “ oh, do you play guitar?” I say : “ Yes. And I am still learning and that playing is a joy in my life. And as for that one inspiration that got me started playing – that wasn’t just one person, but a whole decade of amazing musicians/singer songwriters such as Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, Buffy St. Marie, Arlo Guthrie, Dylan, and the many talented musician /performers who brought in the era of protest and change needed in The 60’s and 70’s and even now – as social and political rights are still at the forefront of our society today.
Yes, I play………….do you?
Hey ho what a show. Thanks showing me The White Buffalo. Now I’m really hooked on his music. By the way, here in Sweden we have two girls who calls them self for Good Harvest. They play so good and sings so good too. You should listen to a couple of songs they have made. Think you can find them on Youtube and I know that you can find them on Spotify. Thanks for a great show. Guitar greetings from Alf in Halmstad.
# Guitar gratitude, My dad and his brothers for showing me the encouragement and giving up the Hi 5 for even the most minor of effort.
#GuitarGratitude goes to my sweet wife, Rose, who bought me my first guitar, the EIR Babicz Identity cutaway that I play every day and that I’ve used to record most of what I have posted on TAC. With that gesture, she launched me on a guitar an music journey that is a major thing defining who I am in retirement. She continues to support, or at least abide in, my several hour a day guitar habit. She goes to open mics and occasionally to TAC jams with me and always makes me feel good about my playing. She is a very active listener and avidly supports live music and local artists. Even on those rare occasions when I am unavailable to a concert with her, she does not let that deter her from getting out there and supporting artists we like. Much of what drew us together over 40 years ago was our similarity in musical tastes, from bebop to bluegrass, classical to celtic, folk to funk, concert band to classic rock, even to prog and prog metal. Even though Rose doesn’t play or sing, she recognizes what music does for me and is a big enabler on my guitar journey. ❤️
Last Tuesday you asked how we would respond to the query, “are you a guitar player”? Saying yes is easy enough, though
that may lead to more specific questions , making it harder to be honest while the self-doubt hovers. I know my musicianship has evolved over time, but with nothing to show for it, as in album sales, concerts or steady gigs, i may be perceived as “interested and knowledgeable”, yet not serious enough to belong to the Musicians’ Guild and pay my dues to play the blues.
I’m always self-conscious and say I don’t play guitar, I just fool around with it
#guitar gratitude I am forever grateful to my older brother, Paul, who passed a few years ago. He never played guitar or any other instrument, but he introduced me folk music. I fell in love with it. We would sing harmonies and emulate our favorite artists, and I was inspired to try the guitar. More than 50 years later, I still play and still sing some of the songs we learned together.
The bird skeleton at you left elbow reminds me of movie, “Heavy Metal.”
…Coincidence?
#Guitar gratitude? My present journey is because a friend (he played on the SRV circuit) convinced me to start playing again. It’s been ten years since he convinced me to buy a guitar (Epiphone) … Your lessons got me in gear. Thanks
Hey Tony, at the end of that Johnny Cash video, he’s shaking hands with an inmate. The story on Ken Burns’ “Country Music” was that Cash had received a song written by that same inmate, the day before that concert. Cash not only learned the song, he ended the concert with it! Check it out on the episode about Johnny Cash. I learned a lot about him that I never knew.