Cape Cod Acoustics
  • Home
  • Your Lessons
  • Performance services offered
  • About Gene
  • Contact
  • Guitars, Ukes & Accessories
  • Acoustic Guitar Blog
  • Tips for guitarists
  • Guitar Gallery
  • More...

Gigs I have played. The good, the bad, the bizarre, Part 2

1/25/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Yes, that is me. The year was (I believe) 1968. The place was Ram Island, off the mouth of the Mystic River. My favorite place in the whole world at the time. The guitar belonged to a friend of mine, Beth Rathbun, who also provided the PB&J sandwich, if memory serves. Great times, long long ago in a galaxy far, far away as the movie says.

Rewind a couple years. Not long after I refused to pick up the drum sticks any more I happened to be visiting my grandfather and one of the coolest places in his small home in Groton was his attic. Up there you could find various instruments lying around, a big wooden steamer trunk that held his WWI uniform, various other cool things. But what caught my eye was a dusty little Stella guitar in the corner. A few weeks before I had put down $10 of my paper route money on a no-name guitar at the local music store, with the hopes of paying it off soon (it cost about $40 I think). That was becoming increasingly unlikely though as I was in junior high school and buying cool clothes to impress the girls - a failed mission - was taking all my spare cash.

So I asked my grandfather if I could "borrow" the guitar. I had been introduced to folk music by a wonderful couple, Wes and Dori Rooker. Wes was the choir director at our church. He went on to become the purser of the Newport Folk Festival - more on that later. I really, really wanted to learn how to play the guitar, not only to play the Peter, Paul and Mary songs I was listening to, but also to prove to my dad that I was NOT a musical failure or a quitter.

My grandfather said sure, take the guitar. I was thrilled.

Now, I often tell parents of prospective students that the single most discouraging aspect of learning to play for a youngster is trying to make music with a bad guitar. And that Stella was the poster child of bad guitars. Rusty strings, and having spent many years up in that attic the neck was warped and the action so high that it was all but unplayable. However, I was determined and after putting on a new set of strings I dove into the struggle.

Fortunately, I had a couple friends who were also taking up the guitar and they and I supported each others' efforts (with of course the natural competitiveness of 13 year old boys!). I'm pretty sure the first song I could play beginning to end was "Five Hundred Miles" as played by my heros, Peter, Paul and Mary. I have no doubt that my family got really, really tired of hearing "Five Hundred Miles" for the 500th time!

That summer I had my first "gig." Well, it wasn't exactly a gig, but a performance. I was made to attend a summer camp (Episcopal of course!) which I HATED but my camp counselor saw that guitar and decided I was to represent our cabin in the talent show.

Terror. Pure Terror. "Five Hundred Miles" wouldn't do for some reason, so with another boy singing we decided to tackle the second song I knew, "Stewball." The problem was, I couldn't change chords. So on the evening of the performance, it went something like this. "Oh Stewball was a race horse," (stop, long pause while I changed chords) "and I wish he was..." (another long pause...damn that D minor!) "...mine, "He never drank..." (stop. Change to G7) "...water, he always drank...." (stop. back to C), "...wi..." (stop), "...iiiii..." (stop) "...ine!..." And then another FOUR painful verses. oh...my...god.

But when we finished, an amazing thing happened. The other kids and the councelors clapped! They actually clapped!. What the heck?! I think that was the moment that I knew I was going to be a guitarist.

We came in third, out of five acts. The winner was a kid who played trombone and could play a high note, slide down to a low note, then back up to the high note, which the assembled masses thought was hilarious. I have hated trombones ever since.

More tomorrow!

Peace & good music,
Gene
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Gene Bourque

    Archives

    November 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2022
    May 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed