John Doe – A Man and a Guitar

I almost didn’t go to the show, reasoning I’d seen John Doe plenty of times as the lead man of the LA punk band X. I like is solo work, but I just wasn’t that motivated to drag my butt out to see a guy I’d seen so many times before. However, the show was close to home at a small venue I like, so I went. Man-o-man was I glad I did.

I’ve really been on an acoustic kick lately. My affinity for bluegrass and folk music is probably the culprit, but the fact that I am also learning to play the guitar gives me a real appreciation for what a person can do with just a guitar, no embellishments. I didn’t really think John Doe fit the bill as an extraordinary guitarist. (All these years I’ve been giving Billy Zoom the credit for being the man with the skills in X.)

I stand corrected. While I expected a burnt out punk rocker, capitalizing on past deeds, I was humbled to see a man that has honed his skills over decades. He blew my mind. Not only did John Doe produce complex multilayered sounds out of an acoustic guitar, factor in that he is one of my very favorite male vocalists of all time. He. killed. it.

John Doe played a nice mix that included some old X songs, and some of his solo stuff too, all the while speaking to the audience between songs with and affable, warm, charismatic personality. Not only did I get the feeling he is the kind of man I could talk to, I did feel like I was hanging out with him, due to the small size of the show.

This post is to say, “Thank you John Doe for years of excellent song writing, singing, playing guitar, and performing live music that was well worth the small price I paid.” I’d definitely do it again.