Ottmar Plays Then Talks About Cool Stuff

IMG_8977.JPG copy
Originally uploaded by o2ma.

Just got back from the Ottmar Liebert concert + talk at the Triple Door here in Seattle. First let me give the venue some props.

It was my first time at the Triple Door. At first I thought it was just a regular concert bar-like venue. I didn't bother to check beforehand because all I cared about was the music. So when I got there I was like: Whoah! They've got valet parking? Rats! And I forgot to bring my Canon Rebel too! Good thing I came from the office so I was wearing decent shirt with my favorite torn jeans. I was impressed with the place. Let me just say that if you want to get laid, bring your date there. I'm sooo gonna take ~myDakini there when she visits. Ahem. Where was I? Oh, the venue and concert!

Well, Triple Door is a classy place so I had to act classy too. The last thing I expected was drinking Martini and eating calamari while watching Ottmar play Nouveau Flamenco. But everything was a pleasant surprise. It was a massive assault on the senses: classy atmosphere, delicious calamari, love the Martini, and of course, Ottmar's music.

As usual Ottmar played excellent (nouveau)Flamenco rhythm and lead while barefoot. This time he played solo (sans Luna Negra). And yes, he gave a talk while on stage. First let me say that Ottmar has the gift of eloquence and storytelling. Good thing he decided not to keep it to himself in the backstage. He's a natural comedian too. But what I really admired during his talk was that he managed to squeeze in fluffy things (even dropped the f@%k-bomb) without being preachy. That sneaky dude even sneaked in some Big Mind during his talk without mentioning Buddhism, Zen, or even Big Mind. That sneaky devil! Now that is skillful means!

I love the topics he covered. In Hybrid and Tradition, Ottmar talked about the history of the guitar and Flamenco, and how music evolves within cultures. He also subtly promoted mashups and Creative Commons without mentioning mashups and Creative Commons. Like I said, sneaky devil.

In Flow: Gazing vs. Staring, he shared his insights on performance and practice, and how to go with the flow during performance. I think he articulated very well what I recently blogged about: Flowing Parallel Processing Practices. Very neat.

In Playing vs. Editing, Ottmar subtly talked about Big Mind stuff, wherein why the Editor should be turned off during performance so one can just play (and flow) without being too critical of one's performance.

And of course, on top of those, Ottmar brought the house down with his masterful solos. We gave him a standing ovation. He deserved it. I think Ottmar should do this intimate tour more often. I suggest even including his talks on his next CD and do a podcast like what Joe Satriani did with Super Colossal. Cool, eh?

Ottmar, sir, you rock! For lack of a better word, all I can say is, Sapo!

After the concert I walked to the parking lot still very much inspired by Ottmar's talk and performance. Will I be able to play close to that level of prowess? Or better yet, will I be able to discover and play my own style someday?

I drove home listening to Joe Satriani's Super Colossal. A while ago at Triple Door I was exposed to stripped down down-to-earth Flamenco music, and then during the drive home, I was listening to rock guitar melodies by a surfing bald alien from another planet. Ahhh, this is what I call, one night of cool sh*t....