Angela wrote:Hey Gary,
I can't tell you how many times I've analyzed Joe vs. the Black Keys/White Stripes musical connection similar taste etc. relative to drawing in younger fans. (like amazon does, if you like this, you may like this) I will say, I get the Black Keys, I never got 100% the White Stripes, some of Jack's stuff was too raw, too avant-garde artsy; I felt like I could have put little kids in my garage to bang around and make similar garage band noise...I especially like the Raconteurs and I think Jack White is gifted and a fantastic guitarist. My 23 year is really rigid, not as open as the middle kid musically. He thinks Jimmy Page is god and Jack White is absolutely brilliant! I remember not getting that either, when Page and White paired up, a big cover story on one of the guitar magazines, I'm still missing something...I've even thought it has to be an age thing, my foundation is too grounded in the late 60's-early 70's.
Probably something to do with the documentary It Might Get Loud with Jimmy, Jack, and The Edge of U2 a couple years ago. EXCELLENT film, some kick-A playing too. Jimmy and Jack really got along excellently, while Edge seemed a bit offput. There's a great scene where Jimmy starts ripping out Whole Lotta Love and you can see Jack White's eyes go huge (mine would too haha)
I do like some White Stripes, not too much of the Raconteurs, and haven't sat down and listened to Black Keys yet but I plan to at some point. IMO White Stripes is very much a continuation of what the blues might have become had mainstream rock not shoved it aside as the main outlet for guitar talent in the 50's.
Regarding teenagers and the blues, my dad was very much classic rock oriented when I was growing up, but I mostly listened to country and contemporary Christian until I was about 18. My freshman year of college, I started exploring rock a little more, and looked at Rolling Stone's top 500 songs list. Along with my discovery of Zeppelin and Hendrix, that really got me into classic rock about when I turned 19. I began listening to classic rock radio all the time at work and home, looking at band histories on wikipedia, and downloading music by the metaphorical gallon. I heard a radio ad in Dec. 2010 (20 at the time) on one of my local classic rock stations for this weird named guy named Joe something who had won some guitar magazine's player of the year or whatnot, and he was going to be coming in February. I was really intrigued for some reason, but I couldn't remember the name. Heard the ad again the next week, Bona-something was enough to find him on google. Got the RAH DVD, went to the show here in Tulsa, and was opened to the blues. Since then I have become hooked on Kenny Wayne Shepherd (since have seen live), Rory Gallagher big time, Howlin' Wolf, and learned tons about the history and intimacy of music. I am almost 22 now, and will always regard the last 4 years as some of the most life-changing I will ever experience.
Thank you Joe for expanding my world, you'll always be my guitar hero.
My name is Red. I like the Blues.
2009 Squier J-Bass, 2010 Fender CD-60, 2010 Ibanez Artcore AS-73, 2011 Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar SS Bass, 2011 Dillion Phoenix
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