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I can still hear my parents talking to my grandparents and aunts and uncles about going to see Dave play. This of course was a long time ago mind you. Way before I even considered playing guitar. I don’t recall if it was a weekly event or not, but it obviously happened enough that I could remember this many years later. Of course I was always too young to go with them so I never did see my uncle play.

When I became interested in learning guitar I remember me and my Dad talking to uncle Dave about what I should get and what the difference was between a cheap no-name guitar and a Gibson or Fender. I remember my uncle explaining that with cheap guitars 1 out of 10 would play well as compared to a name brand where 9 out of 10 would. Yes, even a name brand guitar can be a piece of junk sometimes. Bottom line, you need to play them to find a good one. That was most important.

My hobby eventually turned into a short lived career. I considered myself lucky to have the opportunity to try making a living as a musician without having to commit to that lifestyle for the rest of my life. It was a great experience for me. It definitely allowed me find out that even though I loved being a musician I didn’t like the constant on the road part of it and the uncertainty that came along with it. So eventually I returned back to normal life and satisfied my need to play being involved in weekend bands. Through it all I still never actually saw my Uncle Dave play.

For some reason that opportunity never came up until last summer. Thanks to my girlfriend, Lori, she found out where he was playing and on one Sunday evening we made it a point to go see him perform. Now bear in mind that neither Lori or I are big fans of older country. And of course the crowds Dave plays for are a bit older than we are. But for the first time in my life I finally got a chance to see and hear for myself this local country legend that I heard so much about.

Of course I was impressed at how well he played, but what surprised me even more was his technical knowledge in regards to his equipment. On breaks he was tweaking his amp or effects settings or completely rewiring his setup. He was always toying with something striving for something better. Geez, does that sounds at all like me? haha

Lori and I went to see him again last night at the Maple Leaf Inn. We were of course excited to hear some of his steel playing again, which left a lasting impression on both of us. But on this particular evening he was without his steel. Technical difficulties forced him to stick to his electric guitar instead. Actually, it was a great opportunity to see more of his actual lead playing. Once again I was very impressed. Knowing that he normally plays a lot of steel guitar I asked him if he had to rehearse for this particular evening because of the change in gear. He said no. He just wings it. Very cool and something I can definitely relate to.

Throughout the evening my uncle and I had a number of conversations about playing and equipment and life. Two people from different worlds in different times talking the same language. And by the way. He was playing a no-name electric. Hand picked because of the way it played… of course.