Saturday the 4th Leo Kottke played at The Sheldon in Red Wing, MN. My wife and I went, it was a really nice time!
First, we tried a restaurant we'd not been to before, Fiesta Mexicana, and let me tell you, it was fabulous!
Then, with nice full bellies we settled into the performance. I'm a newb to the acoustic guitar world so I only learned of Kottke a few months ago and have only seen a few Youtube videos, so it was a pretty new experience, seeing a solo guitar performance.
I really like his verbal delivery/banter, seemed a bit Garrison Keillor-esque. (Although, Garrison is a jerk and Kottke seemed genuinely nice.)
The technique, both left and right hands, was pretty incredible, seemed effortless. He didn't stick to a set list, and made a point of mentioning this, and you could tell he was having fun working out little runs and riffs, a few times he even stopped, said, "Huh!" and tried the same thing a few more times, was pretty fun and laid-back.
He played two Taylors, a 6 and a 12 string. I was 14 rows back so I couldn't see exactly what they were, but looked like GA or GS bodies, the 6 string looked like it may be a mahogany back with either a cedar or a well aged englemann top, with an edgeburst. I don't think it was a stock 7xx because it had presentation paua binding all around.
He told a couple stories, one about Chet Atkins, I forget the detail, but it was entertaining.
Style-wise, I felt it a bit too staccato, but that's purely subjective and more a comment on my taste as opposed to remark on his performance.
The theater was really nice too, looked like a grand ol' theater from the Golden Age of movies, before talkies.
Mr. Kottke played for about an hour and forty, I thought it was just right.
Was a really nice way to spend the evening with my honey,
-Kris
