| Bill
Dutcher & Jim Volk Knock 'em Dead at 2Co's
5/9/02
Recently I discovered the perfect place in Columbus,
Ohio to host "up close and personal" guitar concerts: 2Co's,
790 North High Street. It has a quaint dinner theater like
atmosphere with seating for no more than 100, yet ample staff providing
light food and beverages - and, best of all - NO SMOKING.
It's Lilliputian size, and absence of a bar, "flies" and ash
trays promotes the "listening" to the artists that
perform. Absent also were those night owls that are out to just
show off their latest outfit, brag (lie) about their latest stock
transaction, or just simply trying to get laid with their deep resonate
voices - all at the expense of my listening pleasure. An extremely
pleasant venue.
Last night it was utilized to it's max as Bill Dutcher
and Jim Volk took to the stage and entertained the near capacity crowd
with their energetic, yet differing styles of modern acoustic guitar -
and, songs - and, personalities. Both are accomplished guitarists
that play in non-standard tunings and heavily incorporate "effect
processors" in their performances - particularly digital delays
that they use to record and playback rhythm and accompaniment tracks to
jam along with later on in their tunes. Yet, they have completely
different personalities and on stage demeanors that break up the evening
quite nicely - and, actually provides the fire for the culmination of
their talents when they join up and jam together at the end.
Bill Dutcher is a stand up, classy, well dressed, well
spoken, coke drinking, straight forward performer that looks like the
"boy next door" that all dads would have loved to have had
their daughters bring home to introduce them to. He basically play
originals influenced by his modern acoustic heroes with some very nice
residuals from his classical/rock background - and, a little country
from Jerry Reed (which pleases this writer to no end.) He has a
lot of talent and likes to utilize a wide array of acoustic guitars in
his act: a standard 6 string, a 12 string, a vintage Hawaiian lap
(top), and his proud new possession - a harp guitar. Not usually
being a "big fan" of 12 string guitars, I was amazed at how
proficient he was at running single note lines off up and down the neck,
and the great sound he got out of that instrument.
Jim Volk is another story, folks. He is a
complex combination of extreme talent, showmanship, and a
"sometimes" repressive mental state. He comes up on
stage (beer in hand) dressed and quaffed somewhere between a heavy metal
lead guitarist and a punk rocker (black clad muscle shirt and spiked
hair.) His mike presence consists of nervous semi-coherent
ramblings of very funny pre-tune stories (between sips on his
ever present beer) and slams against a society that doesn't pay lowly
guitar players particularly well - "portraying" an image
(mostly "act" - I'm sure) that is definitely not a candidate
for me to take home to meet my daughter. However, my
friends, when he does decide to stifle the chatter and pay attention to
his most "jubilant" guitar (it is a beauty) - he methodically
and most purposefully becomes one of the best entertainers in Columbus,
today.
Every tune he plays is a wild roller coaster ride for
the listener as he initially "educates" his effects "ensemble"
("rack" would have been a major understatement) with mild
chops and rhythms, then adding more and more excitement and jamming
licks each pass - until he crescendos the endings at a fever
pitch. The audience "grows" (goes) wild with each
tune.... (And, underneath all the effects and whoopla - he's a
brilliant guitarist, too.)
Anybody that left early (which weren't many) missed the best part
when Bill and Bill jammed one together. Bill surprised Jim by
asking him to play a tune Jim had worked up while he was living in Texas
called ""That Train Thang." Because it was Jim's tune and he usually
plays it all alone - he was initially a "little" worried where Bill was gonna fit in. But, after the first couple of passes at it - he
realized that not only was Bill gonna be all over it - he was bringing a
whole new dimension to it - and, they then fed off each other bringing
themselves and the audience to a fever pitch and to their feet in wild applause...
Absolutely wild, and wonderful.
A great evening of guitar music. You other folks
can go to the Ohio Theater and watch "past their prime"
national stars perform overly amplified 150 yards away. I'll be in
that little room at 2Co's waiting for these two guys to come back...
Palmer Moore - Organizer
Ohio Fingerstyle Guitar Club |
