|
By TROY MITCHELL Copyright 2005 The News-Gazette The first time I saw guitarist Lou DiBello play was in 1991 when his former band Blanche Talley opened for Shotgun Messiah at Mabel’s. I went there to see Shotgun Messiah, which was one of my favorite groups at the time. They had a blistering guitar player by the name of Harry K. Cody. Much to my surprise, Lou DiBello held his own in the guitar-playing skills as the popular local band tore up the stage. More then a decade later, I saw DiBello again when his current band, ESP, was playing a 9/11 benefit show at the Canopy Club. Again, his guitar was amazing, making everyone take notice. Now, DiBello has released his sophomore full-length instrumental album, “The Axeman Cometh.” The album has eight hard-hitting guitar tracks akin to Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen. In a time when music genres are evolving, DiBello has stayed true to his roots of guitar-driven rock, regardless of whether or not it is in “fashion.” “The guitar has always felt very natural to me, and I have been able to develop my playing to the point that if I really want to play something, in almost any style, I am able to,” DiBello told me. “I have music in my head that I would like for other people to be able to hear, and the guitar is the instrument that generates and expresses those sounds. To me, the sounds are already there, it is just a matter of bringing them out of the air, so to speak.” “The Axeman Cometh” comes more than a decade after DiBello’s first release. Since “Pile-Up,” his 1994 solo debut, DiBello has done several projects. During the ‘90s, he averaged 100 shows a year, taught guitar lessons full time and did demo and studio work. “Since Gary (Strater, bassist for ESP and a close friend) died last year, after being sick with cancer for the previous year, I had eased off the live playing a bit,” DiBello says. “There is a resurgence of interest in really good guitar playing, the kind where you must practice hours a day, for years, to be able to play it, and it rekindled a fire in me that is burning stronger than ever.” The resurgence, as DiBello put it, is a look back into the 1980s when guitars ruled popular music in every aspect. But when the “Seattle Sound” broke, it nearly put the nail in the coffin for high velocity guitar playing. Now those guitar players are coming back with a lot of hardcore metal indie bands paying tribute to this style. However, not a lot of the indie kids around town know who Lou DiBello is despite his being one of the best guitarists around. “There are certainly some good guitarists in town, so I don’t know if I am the best É but I’d like to think I’m right up there, at least! But does it bother me that some of the younger guys playing around don’t know me? No, because if they were really interested in advanced guitar playing, as opposed to your basic bar chord rock ‘n’ roll or blues/blues-based rock (which is totally cool, and I am all about that stuff, too), they would seek out someone like me, perhaps for lessons, or listen to music by guitarists that are playing at a higher level. There is currently a lot of interest in shred, or virtuoso rock and neo-classical guitar, more so than in many years, so I am hoping that the time is right for people to appreciate this kind of playing, and that definitely includes the local scene. “That being said, I am probably better known in town by parents of high school-age kids as a guitar teacher, than by many people in the local scene.” Shows of note – Tonight: Make Believe, Valina, Hello. I’m Victor and A Light Sleeper will be playing at the Courtyard Cafe in Urbana. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and is $3 for students and $5 for the general public. Make Believe features former members of the great indie band Joan of Arc. Valina has just released their latest album on 54-40 Or Fight! Records. It is a nice collection of post-rock music. – Also tonight: Kill Rock Stars Records’ The Makers will be playing the Cowboy Monkey with The Octopus Project. The show starts at 10 p.m. and is $7. – Sunday: Numbers, Limited Express, Trin Tran and JigGsaw will play at the Canopy Club in Urbana.. The show starts at 9 p.m. and is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m. for this show. Numbers just released its fourth album, “We’re Animals,” on Kill Rock Stars Records. |
|
|