Dick Dale is the King of the Surf Guitar. Actually, the Boston kid turned OC beach bum pretty much invented the guitar sound associated with everyone from Brian Wilson to Wavves.
So it makes sense that Phoenix's Musical Instrument Museum is super stoked about his January 29 show, an acoustic/electric affair also featuring his son Jimmy, a teenager who bills himself as "The Prince of Surf Guitar." (Tickets are $30-35 here.)
In fact, the folks at MIM are so excited that they're repeating the man's dubious claim to being the "Father of Heavy Metal" (a title bestowed upon him by the exceedingly myopic Guitar Player magazine because he jacked-up primitive amplifiers before anyone else) and calling the Grammy award nominee "the man behind the Pulp Fiction soundtrack" (Tarantino and a couple buddies put the soundtrack together; Dale had one song on it) and "the living influence behind... Nirvana and the Black Eyed Peas."
Yes, the Black Eyed Peas and Nirvana.
It gets better. Dale is also doing a "Master Class" for guitar players the on January 28, the day before the show.
The class is at 7 p.m. and costs $125 for a group lesson.
From a press release:
"Be on stage to jam with the Guitar Legend himself! Bring your guitar and experience a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn directly from the King of Surf Guitar. The class will take place on the MIM Music Theater stage, so spots are very limited for this exclusive opportunity.One of the world's most influential guitarists, Dick Dale single-handedly created the legendary "surf rock" sound. His aggressive playing style drove innovation in the world of early amplification and inspired a signature Fender Stratocaster. Dale has played with everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan to the Black Eyed Peas and has performed everywhere from the Ed Sullivan Show to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.
The January 28 master class at MIM will give participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring their guitars and learn directly from Dale. "He doesn't teach very often--you'll never get another chance like this," says Sunni Fass, artistic and managing director of the MIM Music Theater. "The class size is extremely limited so participants can make the most of their time with Mr. Dale."
You can sign up for the event on a Facebook page.
I don't play guitar, but that price seems pretty steep to me. Any thoughts?
