“Is this heaven?” “No, it’s a Tommy Emmanuel concert.”
Tommy Emmanuel at the Bing in Spokane, WA
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of seeing Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel in concert at the Bing Crosby Theater here in Spokane, and it was a true “Life-Is-Beautiful” moment. Not only was I jaw-dropped by his finger-contorting playing, but I was happy to see a similar reaction on the face of my teenage son. Though Joseph and I don’t share the exact same tastes in music, we both admire talented guitar work, and it doesn’t get much better than Tommy Emmanuel.
T-Shirt from the Concert
According to his web site, Emmanuel has been playing since the age of 4, and has worked with likes of Chet Atkins, Men at Work, and Air Supply. He has won numerous awards and was honored by Chet Atkins with the title of Certified Guitar Player, an honor bestowed on only four other individuals: Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner, John Knowles and Paul Yandell).
He certainly lived up to his reputation last night. From a blistering Beatles medley to a haunting Navaho-inspired epic, the three hour concert was a foot-stomping cornucopia of gorgeous melodies and thunderous riffs. As one concert goer said, “After listening to Tommy Emmanuel play, a guitarist just wants to go home and burn his guitar, knowing he will never be that good.”
As a special unannounced bonus, halfway through his show Emmanuel brought out renowned guitarist Martin Taylor for a special set in the middle of the show. Emmanuel and Taylor are soon to begin work on a collaborative album and they wanted some time to “jam together” before they start recording. The highlight of their set was a rousing version of Taylor’s “Down at Cocomo’s.”
The entire show was fantastic, and if you ever get the chance to see Tommy Emmanuel in concert, follow the advice of reviewer Richard McFalls: “…run, do not walk, to a Tommy Emmanuel concert near you. True happiness is in tragically short supply right now, all over the world, but you will definitely find it there.”
Here is an incomplete set list, since I am relying on my memory, and since I am not so familiar with Tommy Emmanuel’s songs as to recognize them all:
- Several songs I couldn’t name
- Sixteen Tons/Nine Pound Hammer medley
- Beatles medley, including Here Comes the Sun, Day Tripper, Lady Madonna and While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Secret Love
- Digger’s Waltz
- The Trail
Intermission
- Classical Gas
- Blue Moon
- Several songs with Martin Taylor
- Martin Taylor solo set
- Tommy and Martin: Down at Cocomo’s
- I Just Can’t Say Goodbye
- Doc’s Guitar
- Guitar Boogie
- Encore
If you’re unfamiliar with Tommy Emmanuel’s work, here’s his performance of Mason Williams’ Classical Gas:
