Up close with Billy McLaughlin
I’m 32 today. Since turning 30 I’ve regained most of that weight, become a bit more cynical, and I’ve picked up my guitar fewer times than I’ve taken business trips. But Friday night I was part of a really special concert, and today I’m feeling less cynical. Tomorrow I’m going to play my guitar.
I’ve mentioned Billy on this site one other time. I’ve been listening to his music for about 6 years now, and revere him as one of the pioneers of the two-handed tapping style of acoustic guitar.
Before I discovered Billy, he was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder that made it impossible for him to play his own songs. He dropped off the scene for several years. But now he’s making an incredible comeback:
What I didn’t realize until last week is that Billy is from Minneapolis. By a stroke of Google-based luck, I happened upon a concert Billy was playing at the tiny 318 Cafe in Excelsior, MN. For some reason it wasn’t listed on his site. Chelsey and I already had a sitter lined up that night so we could go celebrate my birthday.
I had high expectations for the evening, and they were exceeded. The place was almost empty before the show, and Chelsey and I took the little table right up front. Billy was joined by mandolinist/violinist Nathan Wilson. When the show started, there were less than 20 people there. I thought Billy would be discouraged or upset, until I heard how sincerely thankful he was to be playing back in his “favorite favorite favorite place, to such a manageable crowd.” You could tell he was really enjoying it.
When they took a break, Billy pulled a chair up to our table. We chatted about music, his condition, Chicago and Utah, his kids and ours. I tried to explain to him what a somewhat-surreal privilege it was to be there. I can tell you that this guy is the real deal; he loves the music, and he loves the connection it gives him to his fans. Being right there, watching him play those songs, and getting to meet him has really sparked my desire to get back to the guitar.
You can follow the links on Billy’s site to download his music, check tour dates, and learn more about focal dystonia.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Happy Birthday again, Jeddy. I’m glad to hear you will be picking up the guitar more often in the coming year. It was so good to see you and the Chels over Labor Day. Now that we’ve made the 7-hr trek, I have hope that we will be making the trip with greater frequency. Although maybe not until winter releases MN from its icy death grip– I guess that means you guys are on your own until probably June.