Dick Dale for President
Last Wednesday we went out to Element Niteclub to see 60's surf-rock legend Dick Dale perform. Our expectations were low, as Mr. Dale turned 70 earlier this year and our knowledge of him comes mainly from an ancient greatest hits album. Our expectations were exceded pretty much from the first riff of the night.
Dick had more energy than just about any other performer we've ever seen in a bar environment. The first twenty minutes or so was just Dick and his band hammering out some of rock's all-time greatest licks, fast and hard. Cam's parents provided us with the tickets (they were a birthday present to Cam) and here's what he had to say in an email to them immediately after the show:
He must've played about fifty of the greatest rock riffs of all time, putting his own touch on all of them. Whether it was an old surf relic, Deep Purple, Bo Diddley, Sarah Vaughan or Stevie Ray, he was bang on. At one point he transitioned from some old 60's dance craze song, into some wild blues-harmonica, then grabbed a couple of drumsticks and played a drum 'duet' with his drummer (who was pretty good in his own right). After emerging from behind the kit, his bass player held up his bass which Dick proceeded to play WITH THE DRUMSTICKS. He threw some trumpet solos in at the end for good measure, then closed with about six minutes of Amazing Grace the likes of which I had never heard before.
None of the pictures we took could do the show justice, but we do have a clip of the bass drumming.
Dick's guitar.
The girls in the front definitely enjoyed Dick.
Dick Dale on the bass guitar.
Dick had more energy than just about any other performer we've ever seen in a bar environment. The first twenty minutes or so was just Dick and his band hammering out some of rock's all-time greatest licks, fast and hard. Cam's parents provided us with the tickets (they were a birthday present to Cam) and here's what he had to say in an email to them immediately after the show:
He must've played about fifty of the greatest rock riffs of all time, putting his own touch on all of them. Whether it was an old surf relic, Deep Purple, Bo Diddley, Sarah Vaughan or Stevie Ray, he was bang on. At one point he transitioned from some old 60's dance craze song, into some wild blues-harmonica, then grabbed a couple of drumsticks and played a drum 'duet' with his drummer (who was pretty good in his own right). After emerging from behind the kit, his bass player held up his bass which Dick proceeded to play WITH THE DRUMSTICKS. He threw some trumpet solos in at the end for good measure, then closed with about six minutes of Amazing Grace the likes of which I had never heard before.
None of the pictures we took could do the show justice, but we do have a clip of the bass drumming.
Dick's guitar.
The girls in the front definitely enjoyed Dick.Dick Dale on the bass guitar.
posted by Cam at
11:50 AM
1 Comments:
Enjoyed your recount of the evening with Dick Dale. The drumming of the bass was unique. I'd like to forward that to a friend.
By
barrigrl, at 3:53 PM
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