Joe Walsh is excellent in concert. A James Gang reunion would be fabulous to see. With the Eagles I found that Walsh stayed rather reserved. He can really kick it out though. Truly great guitar player, very good singer, and quite talented writer. Wish I could make it. Those who do should have a ball.
I had a rare opportunity to see Walsh come up on stage for a couple of guitar duos with Steven Stills at a Stills concert in a smallish club in LA back in the 70's. Those two did serious harm to their guitar strings that night. Wow!
I became a James Gang fan back in the 70's when they were regularly playing the club scene at Kent State (J.B.s and Water Street Saloon), Cleveland (The Agora), and in Youngstown (at a club on the southside). Back then, before the disaster at Kent State, there was something called the Northeast Ohio band contest. J.G. took first place two years in a row right near the time they released their first lp.
I had more than one drink with Walsh during breaks and after the J.G. performances. Sat with him backstage and played harp along with some acoustic guitar playing he was doing to entertain a couple of the girls that he invited backstage that particular night. Walsh was always focused, truly serious about the quality of the performance, generous, a genuinely good person, and liked having lots of fun (lots of fun!).
I remember him showing me that device he supposedly created which was connected to the guitar but "operated" with one's mouth. I still am not sure what its called or if Joe Walsh was really the inventor. Lots of guitarists have used it since such as Frampton (especially on the "Comes Alive" recordings) among others.
The quality of the talent in NE Ohio at the time is still mind-boggling for me to ponder even today. I have since lived in larger cities such as LA, NYC, Phil, + Balt. but have never seen such talent jammed in one place.
James Gang, Glass Harp with Phil Keaggy, Raspberies, Lemon Pipers, Rick Derringer, Michael Stanley Band, to name but a few of the "better knowns". Todd Rundgren was also playing this tight circuit between Detroit and Youngstown at the time. He was quite a hit in Cleveland and Akron.
Keep on playing Joe!
I had a rare opportunity to see Walsh come up on stage for a couple of guitar duos with Steven Stills at a Stills concert in a smallish club in LA back in the 70's. Those two did serious harm to their guitar strings that night. Wow!
I became a James Gang fan back in the 70's when they were regularly playing the club scene at Kent State (J.B.s and Water Street Saloon), Cleveland (The Agora), and in Youngstown (at a club on the southside). Back then, before the disaster at Kent State, there was something called the Northeast Ohio band contest. J.G. took first place two years in a row right near the time they released their first lp.
I had more than one drink with Walsh during breaks and after the J.G. performances. Sat with him backstage and played harp along with some acoustic guitar playing he was doing to entertain a couple of the girls that he invited backstage that particular night. Walsh was always focused, truly serious about the quality of the performance, generous, a genuinely good person, and liked having lots of fun (lots of fun!).
I remember him showing me that device he supposedly created which was connected to the guitar but "operated" with one's mouth. I still am not sure what its called or if Joe Walsh was really the inventor. Lots of guitarists have used it since such as Frampton (especially on the "Comes Alive" recordings) among others.
The quality of the talent in NE Ohio at the time is still mind-boggling for me to ponder even today. I have since lived in larger cities such as LA, NYC, Phil, + Balt. but have never seen such talent jammed in one place.
James Gang, Glass Harp with Phil Keaggy, Raspberies, Lemon Pipers, Rick Derringer, Michael Stanley Band, to name but a few of the "better knowns". Todd Rundgren was also playing this tight circuit between Detroit and Youngstown at the time. He was quite a hit in Cleveland and Akron.
Keep on playing Joe!