14 Years Old
Matt & I went to play at open mic at The Guitar Bar last night to start a little bit of buzz for our band. It’s a modest little bar on water street. A place I wasn’t exactly expecting a whole lot of musicianship.
We get in, and a guy is playing a decent tune. Perfect for an open mic audience of 10 guys and 2 girls (which got better once our friends showed up). We sign up on the list. Dead last. The good news was that we were 6th in the lineup, so it coulnd’t be that bad.
As we’re sitting there watching some the musicians play (of which I was completely blown away at this point)… hold on a second I need to give due credit to the two artists that went before who I’m writing this about.
Alex Wilson gets on the stage and immediately starts playing this beat thumping blues riff, just tearing it up. I was impressed. He also sang a few tunes, his voice perfect for this stuff. Things are looking good! Even though there was a small crowd, everyone there was fully appreciateing the musicianship.
Next a cute gal name Julie Moffitt takes the stage and starts busting out vocals from beyond. Her singing was absolutely pristine and powerful! Her original music (some great acoustic chick rock) was fantastic.
I’m still trying to figure out how a Wednesday night could attract this kind of talent.
Back to Matt and me. While sitting there watching the shows and we noticed a small boy also watching. We started making small chat with him to figure out how he got into this bar and what was he doing there? Turns out he’s a child prodigy on guitar. One of the most modest, and easily one of the most talented guitarists I have ever seen. His name is Joel and he’s from New Zealand. He and his parents have been travelling all over the U.S. playing music. He even played with the big boys at the House of Blues in NYC!
As soon as he gets up there, his hands are flying, and he’s ripping up some of the best funk/blues/rock solos I’ve ever seen on an acoustic! I coudln’t believe that this kid of 14 years old from New Zealand was showing up every musician I’ve ever seen play. I’m sure he’ll have a nice healthy musical career ahead of him. Kudos to his parents for encouraging him and even flying him around the world to realize his dream. Wow!
So… Matt & I had to follow this kid’s act. It was tough, but luckily our styles are so different it wasn’t bad. The set went well and Joel even liked our originals. Great kid, I wonder if we’ll ever see him again.
Two things can happen when you see that amount of talent (and especially from a youthful kid). Either you can become incredibly inspired to continue to play, or you have to retire your instruments and accept the fact that you will never be that good. Ever. Luckily, it’s leaning on the inspirational side! 
Thanks Joel! Keep playing, and hopefully we’ll see you again!