"Scary" Barry Rodriguez Productions (BRP): GOOD KARMA JOHNNY MARR ROCKS SF !

Monday, November 4, 2013

GOOD KARMA JOHNNY MARR ROCKS SF !

By Scary Barry Rodriguez November 2, 2013

Last night at the Fillmore Scary Barry caught a show by Johnny Marr , the understated rock guitar icon formerly of the Smiths. Coming up in the sixties I was an avid fan of guitar gods such as Eric Clapton , Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck , Jimi Hendrix and the long blues influenced guitar solos they played.


Jeff Beck

Jimi Hendrix

Then late to the show, I discovered the music of the Smiths. I thought who is that clean riffing guitar player ? So it was with great anticipation me and my main bud Magic Merlin Paul went to see Johnny Marr. I had purchased his new album " The Messenger " and wore out " The Sounds of The Smiths " CD. In person guitar Johnny and his group just put out straight forward good rock. No gimmicks , no five thousand dancers , no elaborate set, only music.

Because Johnny Marr fans come to listen not riot , its all good vibes. It was mostly an older crowd. The Scary one remembers seeing Muddy Waters and The Quicksilver Messenger Service playing on the same bill in 1967 at the same Fillmore. Looking at the pictures on the walls brought back memories of good times gone by.

The Quicksilver Messenger Service

Johnny Marr unlike Lady Gaga doesn't need a circus going on behind him because he is a real entertainer with talent. He doesn't need to pose likes he good ! He is good ! His music does his talking for him. The Fillmore is a small venue that gets real hot and sweaty inside. Johnny and his crew were on stage with sweat rolling off their faces , pounding out melodic rock and roll ! The years have been kind to Johnny . He isn't a fading rock icon trying to trade on his past glories for a buck !

The Fillmore, San Francisco

I had heard good things about Johnny Marr being a cool guy in person. I found out that it is all true. He didn't ego trip during the show and he didn't ego trip afterward. Scary Barry wanted a photo with Johnny Marr. So me and Magic Merlin Paul waited outside alongside a modest blue tour van. Somebody had placed a sign near the van door saying " Happy Birthday Johnny Marr ". Marr recently turned fifty years old.

Meredith Sheldon

After a wait of less then an hour Johnny Marr came out the side door where his fans waited. Johnny is a quiet and cool man. He patiently signed autographs , posed for pictures and was his humble self. He displayed no arrogance or over the top ego. There wasn't a posse around him or ten heavy handed bodyguards. It was just Johnny and the few fans that made the wait.

The experience left me wondering about today's rock fans. Maybe everyone has forgotten rock and roll amid the hoopla surrounding the new sounds that depend on expensive over the top stage sets and a cast including hundreds of dancers. Yes its all part of providing an entertaining show I suppose. I really suspect the elaborate stage sets and dancers are just to obscure the meager talents of artists such as Lady Gaga , Madonna , Miley Cyrus , Katy Perry , Justin Bieber and all the others posing as entertainers !

The Scary one has been playing electric guitar for over thirty years. Then came Rap ! No need to know how to handle an axe ! No need to write music or sing ! No need for your own material , just sample or use other peoples musical chops ! I thought rock was dead. Eventually the text messaging , computer crunching , blue tooth wearing generation will rediscover rock and

Note : This article is dedicated to Lou Reed who recently passed away. He was the rock poet of reality. He didn't write about puppy love or yuppie capitalism. When you walk down a dark alley you think of Lou Reed's lyrics. When the clouds are dark , despair sits on your shoulders like a worn overcoat and you can't catch a break from mainstream madness, you can always listen to Lou's words. Sometimes real life is a bitch but dying comes in at a very "distant" second place ! Later children of the night !