A funny thing happened to me on the way to see guitar virtuoso Tony MacAlpine… nothing funny happened to me. That is a first. I didn’t see any unintentionally hilarious behavior. In fact, the people-watching was perfunctory at best and yielded no bon mots for this review. So, it may be a short one.
I did manage to drag my much better half along for our first concert together in the twelve years of our bliss. Perhaps her calming and very conservative presence discouraged the lunacy my openness usually invites. So, in the absence of madness, all I did was say hello to a couple of acquaintances who happened to be there and hoist a few hundred Guinness Draughts to ease the pain. When life gives you lemons…
A distinct pleasure of the night was encountering one David Gallegos, nuevo flamenco guitarist extraordinaire, who was geekin’ for real at the prospect of watching TMac (sadly, sans the 80s afro) shred. I’ve often wondered if the afro was the source of Tony’s power; I digress.
David Gallegos is a truly inspiring and accomplished guitarist in his own right. So, it was really something to spy him watching Tony MacAlpine so intently. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was borrowing ideas or lost in fanboy ecstasy; perhaps both. Do yourself a favor, Dear Reader, check out David and his band at Mercy Wine Bar in Addison the next time they play. You might even catch one of the band’s inspired covers of classics like Hendrix’s “Little Wing” or RUSH’s “LaVilla Strangiato.” It is a transcendent experience. Go see this band!