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Tommy @The Ryman

 In this episode – Tommy at The Ryman . . .

"Shit happens! This is real life; just give me a minute to retune this guitar."

Tommy Emmanuel pounds the driving cord to his live performance during a pulse-pounding rendering of "Fuel" from his album Tommy Songs.

Red strobe lights flash, a loud pop, darkness, then silence reverberated throughout the auditorium, and a little laughter from the stage - one of his guitar pickup amplifiers has blown completely out.

It was Saturday-evening, September 25th, 2021, seated in the balcony 4th, row center stage left, in the Pews at Nashville's most famous concert venue, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. You may know it as the original Grand Ole' Opry.

There was no doubt; this is what we came to experience! It was clear that Tommy Emmanuel was keyed-up for tonight's show. Was it the historic venue, the fact that live stage performances had not been played since the start of this COVID pandemic, or was it the pure joy of having a live audience? This was Tommy Emmanuel at his best!

My dear listeners, you say you've never seen Tommy in concert. I promise - you will never look at a guitar the same way again! And believe what you are seeing and hearing is possible. Every square inch of his guitar gets plucked or pounded to propel the beat, scratched to imitate symbols, driven with a rhythmic thump, thump, thump, to lead with the bass and magic fingers that tickle the strings to drive pure harmonic tones.

Lori, James, Merrill, and I marvel at the masterful way his fingers dance (flew really) over the fretboard. The pure melodies from the acoustics – we were there enjoying every minute of his commanding performance.

Tonight's set included classic Tommy renditions of The Beatles Medley ending with an unapologetic version of Classical Gas! Wow!

He highlighted new music from his latest album, Tommy Songs, to name a few: A Rainy Morning, Timberlake Road, Lewis, and Clark, (The Man with the) Green Thumb, and one of my favorites, Fuel. It was a night to remember! Close your eyes, listen . . . and you feel the power of the music.

As a bonus, he performed Chet Atkins and Jerry Reeds' tunes with virtuoso Richard Smith. They played one of Chet and Jerrys' most famous tunes, Twitchy.

If you are a guitar player who appreciates the sound of a fine acoustic-electric guitar? You must see, or should I say, hear Tommy Emmanuel live. He is unquestionably one of the finest guitar players of this generation. I've read the comments on YouTube and, after seeing Tommy Emmanuel live, "I'm giving my guitar away; there is no way I'll ever play like that!"

But folks - you will be inspired . . . you will realize just what's possible or, should I say, impossible for budding or seasoned guitar players.

Go to YouTube, look up Tommy Emmanuel, take a listen, then check your schedule against Tommy's performance schedule and go!

Oh, one more thing, "I'd better return this shirt to Walmart before it changes color."

So, won't you be my virtual neighbor? If you enjoy our weekly visits, please share them with a friend.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

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