Guitar Center is holding another one of their awesome, amazing contests. This time, the prize is one a kind. There has never been another contest of this caliber that offers this type of prize. You may ask, how good can it be? Well it is just that damn good.. Check out the press release from Guitar Center:

Guitar Center’s Blues Masters, through its unique partnership with Joe Bonamassa, will not only offer ten musicians the chance to perform in Los Angeles backed by Bonamassa’s band, but will also provide one undiscovered blues guitarist with career-altering opportunities for development and exposure under the mentorship of one of the biggest names in blues rock. The grand prize includes an opening slot at Joe Bonamassa’s headlining show in Los Angeles this fall, $10,000 cash, gear from Gibson, Ernie Ball , Marshall Amplification and Dunlop as well as a mentor session in studio with Joe Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley , who has worked with the likes of Journey, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and more.

“I am proud to be part of a program created to help foster the careers of emerging musicians who are so passionate about the blues,” said Joe Bonamassa. “It’s exciting to use my experience to help up-and-coming artists finesse their skills, all while connecting a new generation of fans and musicians with the wonder that is The Blues.”
-Joe Bonamassa

To enter Guitar Center’s Blues Masters Featuring Joe Bonamassa visit: www.guitarcenter.com/bluesmasters

How to Enter: Beginning in February through April 30th aspiring blues guitarists from across the United States are invited to submit their best lead guitar performance to one of the ten official Joe Bonamassa tracks supplied at www.guitarcenter.com/bluesmasters.

Submissions will be ranked through Guitar Center’s technology partner Yoov.io, a leading social television platform that syndicates and measures content engagement throughout web.

All artists who enter will be ranked based on their online fan growth during the first round. In the second round, the top-ranked artists will be reviewed personally by Joe Bonamassa who will handpick 10 finalists to perform live with Joe’s band in Los Angeles. Based on these live performances, one winner will be chosen to open for Joe Bonamassa himself in Los Angeles. Additionally, the grand prize winner will receive cash, gear, studio time and a mentor session with Joe Bonamassa. All entrants to Guitar Center’s Blues Masters must be 18 years of age or older. For official rules please visit: www.guitarcenter.com/bluesmasters.

Guitar Center’s Blues Masters Winner Will Receive:

• Opening performance at Joe Bonamassa’s Los Angeles Headlining date
• $10,000 cash
• Gear from top music manufactures including Gibson, Ernie Ball , Marshall and Dunlop
• A 4 song EP produced by Joe Bonamassa and Kevin Shirley
• A career consultation and mentor session with Joe Bonamassa
• Feature in Guitar Player magazine

“We’re excited to launch a new Guitar Center program that puts the necessary tools and opportunities into the hands of musicians to help them attain recognition for their skills,” said Maria Brown , Manager of Music and Entertainment Marketing for Guitar Center. “Guitar Center and Joe Bonamassa have an incredible relationship, partnering on many projects thanks to his extraordinary talent, collaborative spirit and commitment to blues music education, we are confident that this program will once again shed light on the multitude of undiscovered talent that exists within the thriving Blues music community.” As the world’s largest retailer of musical instruments, Guitar Center is dedicated to supporting the global music community and providing musicians with opportunities to get their music heard. Guitar Center’s commitment to unsigned artists runs deep with a full calendar year of diverse programs aimed to enable musicians by providing the opportunity and exposure they need to be successful. No other retailer is developing platforms for their customers like Guitar Center.

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THE PHOTO:

 
THE VIDEO:

 

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By now you’ve probably heard what Billie Joe Armstrong did in Las Vegas…brutally smashing his Les Paul Junior after dropping thirty or so F-Bombs and dissing Justin Bieber on stage.

Forget the fact that the “one minute warning” to end the Green Day set was what ignited this outburst.

Forget the fact that many of the F-Laced comments were true… possibly even the ones about JB.

Forget the fact that the band has been playing for almost 20 years and has earned a significant right of entitlement.

I’m not here to judge whether or not Billy Joe’s outburst was warranted. I’m just saying this:

SMASHING A GUITAR IS SACRILEGIOUS.

“Sacrilegious” is defined as “grossly irreverant toward what is held to be sacred“.

And around my house, and around this blog, guitars are sacred.

I mean, come on. I come from a family where we reuse empty water bottles. We closely monitor the temperature setting of our thermostat. We hand down clothing to those less fortunate (like our younger children!) and every other day the dinner menu includes a few leftovers. Smashing a guitar? Destroying something sacred? Never in a million years.

I realize it makes for great stage presence. I realize it will brand that moment into your mind for a long time. I realize it’s what punk bands have been doing for decades. And I realize that the cost of that guitar to Billy Joe Armstrong was about the same as a box of generic brand Kleenex to me.

I’m not going to link the video to this post. Doing so would cause my blog to become R-rated. It’s pretty easy to find though…just click over to YouTube and search “Billy Joe Smashes” and you’ll find about dozen renditions.

Truth be known, I’ve wanted to smash my Gibson a few times too. But not for the reasons Billy Joe had. Mine are more related to having difficulty playing the F-Chord.

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UPDATE… just a few short hours after posting this, the following news hits the wire:

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong is seeking treatment for substance abuse,” their rep said in a statement Sunday. “Green Day would like everyone to know that their set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those they offended at the iHeart Radio Festival in Las Vegas.”

GuitarDaddy wishes Billie Joe the best.

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Breaking News! This just in from artist Tom Noll:

“The Tom Waits painting is done and I think I selected the perfect title.”

“Thanks to everyone that has taken part in this naming experience, and once again, the more names that came in, the tougher the selection process got. But, if Tom Waits were to give me a hand with this, I’m sure he’d agree that a fitting title to his painting would be ”Sweet Syncopation”!

Thank you to Kool Breeze for this great title. She submitted this to the Buzz…and it said it all.

In music, Syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected, and which makes an off-beat tune or piece of music. More simply, syncopation is a general term for a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm: a placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn’t normally occur.

I felt that this describes a lot of what attracts me to Tom’s music, his personality, and its the same feeling that I carried through to the painting.

As it turns out, Kool Breeze is the Ambassador to the Blues for the State of Missouri ( http://www.facebook.com/koolbreeez) and hosts an awesome weekly blues show…so who better to have her finger on the pulse of Tom’s syncopation. Kool will be receiving the complimentary print #1 from the limited-edition run as promised.

I plan to have prints in hand in a couple weeks to start delivering. For those wanting in on these 19” x 27” art prints, pre-orders are encouraged to secure your low numbers of the limited run of 250.

Send an email to me at Tom@TomNoll.com and I will hook you up at the introductory price of $229 and $8 to ship ($12.50 international). I’m honoring this price until Sept 15th. All preorders received will also get an inkjet print of the original sketch that I worked up early to guide me through the painting.

Thanks again… Tom.”

Put on some Tom Waits, and enjoy some of that ”Sweet Syncopation”!

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Following the May 21st release of Joe Bonamassa’s critically acclaimed 13th solo album Driving Towards The Daylight, which is currently #2 in the UK’s official album chart, the renowned guitarist will perform a series of four significant London concerts that chronicles his rise from playing the intimate Borderline to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

Blues rock fans will be able to purchase tickets to see Joe perform at four different London venues including The Borderline (March 26), Shepherd’s Bush Empire (March 27), HMV Hammersmith Apollo (March 28) and the Royal Albert Hall (March 30).

For those fans that purchase a special VIP ticket, this will enable them to attend all four concerts including admission to see Bonamassa perform an intimate concert at the Borderline in London on Tuesday 26th March 2013.

The rare Borderline concert is restricted to a limited run of 200 tickets, and will showcase Joe’s atmospheric rise to the top of the guitar world, in an intimate and a reduced capacity setting of this famous London West End venue where it all began for the critically acclaimed blues rock guitarist.

Now’s your chance to get up close and personal in London with Joe Bonamassa at what is being hailed as “The Guitar Event of the Year.”

Joe will perform all four of his London concerts with his touring band that features the talents of Carmine Rojas (bass), Rick Melick (keyboards) and Tal Bergman (drums).

Read the entire press release by CLICKING HERE.

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Sammy Hagar reunites original Montrose band plus Joe Satriani to perform landmark 1st Montrose album!

SAN FRANCISCO, CA MARCH 29, 2012 – The Bay Area music community is coming together to produce “A Concert for Ronnie Montrose – A Celebration of His Life In Music” for the legendary San Francisco guitarist, who passed away recently from complications of prostate cancer. It will be held at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Friday, April 27. Tickets go on sale on March 30 at 10:00 am.

“A Concert For Ronnie Montrose – A Celebration of His Life In Music” will feature the original Montrose lineup (Sammy Hagar, vocals; Bill Church, bass; and Denny Carmassi, drums), performing the landmark first Montrose album, with special guest Joe Satriani on lead guitar. The original Gamma lineup (Davey Pattison, vocals; Glenn Letsch, bass; Denny Carmassi, drums) will also be on hand, with special guest Marc Bonilla on lead guitar. There will also be an All-Star band, comprised of many of the great musicians that Ronnie played with over the years. Some of the confirmed artists include: Neal Schon from Journey, Steve Smith formerly from Journey, members of Tesla, Eric Martin from Mr. Big, Rickie Philips from Styx, Eric Singer from KISS, Tommy Thayer of KISS and Jimmy DeGrasso from Y & T and Alice Cooper.

Ronnie Montrose was born in San Francisco and moved with his family to Colorado when he was two, returning back to his native home when he was 19 years old. In 1969, he started a band with Bill Church called Sawbuck, but that project got sidetracked when Ronnie was hired to do studio work with Van Morrison (Tupelo Honey), Boz Scaggs, Edgar Winter, Herbie Hancock, and others. In 1973, he formed his own band, Montrose, who recorded two albums together. The debut Montrose album went platinum and has been called the “first American heavy metal album.” In 1979, Ronnie formed Gamma, who recorded four albums. Ronnie continued to record through the 1980s and 1990s, and Gamma put out their fifth album in 2005.

“Ronnie was the kindest man I had ever met. I am honored that he was my husband and best friend as well. We slept together, we woke each morning together and we shared every meal together. We savored every moment that we had together. I am so proud of him for the man he was, which extended far beyond his musical abilities. I am full of joy to have been a part of his life, and I’m so happy that he was a part of mine. I dearly thank all of you for your friendship and love you shared with him. I know it meant everything to him.
All love,
Mrs. Leighsa Montrose”

Sammy Hagar stated, “One of my top priorities this year was a Montrose reunion. Ronnie and I planned to do it in Cabo in October. I am so sad it won’t happen, but on April 27th, Joe Satriani, Denny Carmassi, Bill Church and I are going to play the hell out of some Montrose!!!”

Tickets to “A Concert For Ronnie Montrose – A Celebration of His Life In Music” will go on sale on March 30 at 10am. General admission tickets are $55.00 and VIP Reserved tickets are $175.00. AXS.com and goldenvoice.com

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will benefit the Ronnie Montrose Fund for San Francisco Bay Area Musicians through SweetRelief.org.

Guitar Player magazine will be providing a special limited edition, eight page program for the evening’s events.

BamMagazine.com is a media sponsor for the “A Concert For Ronnie Montrose – A Celebration of His Life In Music” benefit concert.

Here is a link to Sammy Hagar’s Rolling Stone remarks on Ronnie Montrose:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sammy-hagar-remembers-ronnie-montrose-20120306

For more information, contact: Josh Vittek 760-683-5100 josh@vittekpr.com

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Look what popped up on Facebook…

Eric Johnson, the celebrated American electric guitarist, hailed by Joe Bonamassa as “one of the greatest guitar players of all time,” will embark on his first UK tour at the ‘Holmfirth Picturedrome’ on Friday 5th July.

The 5-date mini tour will showcase material from his current album “Up Close”, as well as from his rich back catalogue.

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Awarded by Billboard Magazine as the #1 Blues Artist of 2010, watch blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa perform Live at The Beacon Theatre with special guest appearances by Paul Rodgers, John Hiatt and Beth Hart.

His 2011 release Dust Bowl debuted at #1, the 3rd consecutive album by Bonamassa to debut #1 on Billboards Blues Albums, and #37 on Billboard’s Top 200, making it his highest-selling and chart-ranking U.S. debut to date.

The DVD and Blu-Ray will be available on March 26, 2012.

Are you ready to kick off the West Coast 2011 Rockin’ Holiday Tour?

It all begins TONIGHT, December 12th.

Gary says: “Hope to see you on the road!”

12/12/11 – Monday – Bakersfield, CA – Fishlips – 7:00pm
12/13/11 – Tuesday – Exeter, CA – Orange Blossom Junction – 7:00pm
12/15/11 – Thursday – Corona, CA – Marquee 15 – 6:00pm
12/16/11 – Friday – San Juan Capistrano, CA – The Coach House – 8:00pm
12/17/11 – Saturday – San Diego, CA – House of Blues – 8:00pm
12/18/11 – Sunday – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues – 7:00pm

Here’s a clip from earlier this month of Gary Hoey playing “The Little Drummer Boy”

I recently wrote about attending the first stop on Eric Johnson’s Up Close Tour 2011 in Phoenix.

Yesterday a video update with tour highlights popped up on YouTube. You don’t want to miss this!

From YouTube: “Guitarist Eric Johnson hits the road to promote his new album “Up Close”. Joining Eric are Chis Maresh on bass and Wayne Salzmann on drums. Eric will be performing songs from his latest album along with some old favorites plus new material. Check the tour schedule at the end of the video and be sure to see them when they come to your town”.