Well, just like with cars or most anything else your first always holds a special place in your heart and mine was in 1968 when Vanilla Fudge opened for Cream. Ok, yea..I said 1968! Moving on…let’s see…let’s add the time I saw Hendrix play Voodoo Child, Slight Return in Dallas. Then there was 6^th row center for Zappa. That Clapton concert my son Jon and I saw in 2001 definitely gets in the top 5 on a lotta different levels. Malcomb Holcomb makes it as a total wild card without a doubt. Mike Farris here in Conroe last year undeniably makes the list and I’m adding this Tommy Emmanuel show to the all time list and squeezing it way up the ladder.

Tommy Emmanuel C.G.P.* has risen to be one of Australia’s most respected musicians over the almost 5 decade course of his career. Taught by his mother to play guitar at age 4 he’s never read music, has no formal instruction and by age 6 was already working as a pro musician with brothers Phil and Chris and sister Virginia in the Emmanuel Quartet. He and his older brother Phil were considered child prodigies and in a rare concert series, the brothers totally rocked DoseyDoe for two Sunday shows leading the Australian All-Star Band.

A lot of Tommy fans were expecting his usual acoustic guitar, so he started off with a monster set of solo acoustic work including awe-inspiring renditions of “Michele” and “Guitar Boogie”. Having blown us all away Tommy introduced Phil, but … no Phil! It so happens Phil had parked at my table as did a couple other members of the band, so I was able to tell those in hot pursuit that he went thataway. Everyone was glad Phil made it and the brothers set about burning the house down with acoustic duos. Mr. Bojangles featured Tommy & Phil each taking turns melting down with some of the best acoustic guitar work I’ve ever heard. This wasn’t your father’s Mr. Bojangles .. no way.

Tommy stepped off the stage and Phil stepped up saying he’d heard Texas likes to rock…then soared into Off The Hook with the full 4 piece backup band. All we could do was watch while our jaws dropped. It was his all-out version of Bach’s Joy (Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring) that brought the crowd to its feet.

Tommy came back and it was Phil’s turn to break. Now I love to see a band be able to reconfigure itself and let the players trade instruments for different songs because that’s a show of talent…right? When’s the last time you saw the sound man come to the stage? Drummer Kevin Murphy got up and sang with Tommy on Willie’s Shades while soundman Brad Benge sat in on drums. Unbelievable…as was backup guitarist Simon Hosford on slide guitar, bassist Rob Little and Ashley Crick on keyboards and musical direction.

Phil came back and the rest of the night was incredible and it seemed like mayhem just broke out on stage with Tommy taking over on drums for a short while, then leaning over the Rob’s back and playing a duet with Rob on Rob’s bass! The encore was Elvis’ That’s Alright Mama which tore the last erg of energy from our limbs. This wasn’t just a show, this was an event and I think Tommy puts it best when he says “I get paid to travel and I play for free”. Ken at DD says he’ll be traveling this way again, there’s no schedule but keep an eye out. Another great DoseyDoe show.

*Certified Guitar Player – Chet Atkins gave himself, Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, Steve Wariner and Jerry Reed this honorary degree.