Nels Cline and G.E. Stinson - Guelph Jazzfest

[phishtaper]

Last night I saw one of the most unique shows Ive ever seen. Nels Cline, lead guitarist of Wilco played with longtime friend G. E. Stinson at a small, late-night show in a church gymnasium as part of the Guelph Jazz Festival. I don’t know whether they actually played a 60 minute song, followed by a 20 minute encore, or whether they were simply experimenting with sounds. A little bit of both perhaps. But it was excruciatingly brilliant, and something I venture I will never see again.

The Guelph Jazzfest is becoming known as one of the most avante garde festivals in the world, and this show will simply add to that mystique. I don’t even know how to describe the performance other than to say it was the two of them, standing at the front of the stage, making sounds come out of their guitars. It didn’t help that the show began close to midnight after a long full day of music, and many in the audience had a hard time staying awake, let alone getting into the performance. Both guitarists came equipped with a caseload of pedals, capos and strange and wonderful devices that either clamped onto the strings or were used to blow onto them. Dissonant more than melodic, yet never too loud, the sonic landscape was rugged, warm, jarring and surreal. We were treated to witness a process of creation, not to enjoy a finished product.

I know a couple of other skanks were there, so hopefully they can do a better job at describing the show, but here is the pre-show link from the jazzfest about the show, and where I lifted the pic.

[Groove Fetish]

allthough I thought it took awhile to get into the groove for me- this was a great show. Both guitarists playing off eaach other in an awesome way.

Love the Nils- The lulliby was sweet at the encore too.

Best part of the night- when I got him to autograph some picutures for me as well as the action figure we have of him. He was a very approachable and gracious guy.

Can't wait to see this guy again.

He blows me away.