thursday, april 6, 1978
page 2
ad lib
Kottke defines classification it doesn't matter
By Casey McCabe
Leo Kottke has been a unique force in
the music world in the decade or so since
he subtly glided onto the scene.
He defies a concrete classification, and
we journalists tend to get into the habit of
lumping musicians into a specific category
for easy labeling.
His style is generally in the folk tradi
tion, but folks and music are different
throughout the eight states, from Virginia
to Minnesota, that Kottke moved through
during his youth. In his vast repertoire one
might find a little Bach, Beethoven, or Burl
Ives, maybe some of his own distinctive
sound forged in his home base of Minne
apolis, a Dutch folk tune, or hints of
Spanish flamenco through a particular riff.
But nevertheless some feel he deserves
his own category. A few suggestions have
been "American classical guitarist", "Pop
virtuoso", "fingerstylist", and the rather
ambiguous title; "commercially tangent,
self-taught guitarist". Maybe it would be
best to call Kottke's style "eclectic
acoustic" and leave it at that.
Kottke brought this all to Lincoln April
1 for his first performance in the city since
1969 when he played opening act to Paul
Revere arid the Raiders, in what must
have been, one of Pershing's more mis
matched shows.
But this time it was for a full, apprecia
tive crowd at O'Donnell Auditorium, who
had come with the express purpose of
seeing Kottke and possibly with the desire
to observe one of the few traveling guitar
virtuosos around.
He has in fact, developed a definitive
sound of his own, the result of a combina
tion of four-finger picking and the use of
a guitar slide on his little finger. He demon
strated this in his opening song, a Kottke
ish version of "America the Beautiful."
Then in a bit of parody on his varied
influence, he performed "Stealin"', con
sisting of various licks he borrowed from
other artists. Surrounding himself with two
twelve-string guitars and a six-string Kono
Spanish guitar, Kottke warmed up to the
task of conversing with the audience. His
on-stsge personality is unassuming to the
points of appearing shy. But a glib sense
of humor shows through, and though he
needs nothing to carry his guitar work, the
casual humor helps create the character we
like to expect from an "eclectic acoustic"
performer.
For all his 31 years, which have
included acid trips in the mid-sixties
to extensive touring in recent years, Kottke
could still pass as a clean-cut representative
of college campuses. He has in the past,
remained uninvolved in his own career,
choosing to avoid the music business
battlefield.
But more and more people have become
interested in Leo Kottke. He fills concert
halls and college auditqriums nearly 100
nights a year. Readers of Guitar Player
magazine have voted him Best Folk Guitar
ist for the past three years, and he was even
featured in People magazine, which as a
rule covers things nothing short of being
trendy.
A brief history of Kottke's life may re
veal the reason for his diversity and the
elusiveness of a more tangible image.
Born in Athens, Georgia, his early life
was spent moving through several states.
He played violin in grade school, but gave
it up "because they make you play crud."
As a tuba player he won state competi
tions, but was soon to discover banjo and
ft
lip'
Photo by Ted Kirk
Leo Kottke not only plays a great guitar but does terrific faces too.
guitar as a teenager.
After three years at St. Cloud State Uni
versity in Minnesota, he finally sent off
some of his demo tapes to another folk
guitar virtuoso, John Fahey, who he has
sinced often collaborated with. Besides
nine albums to his credit since then, his
music has been found in such unlikely
places as TV Sermonettes, weather and
traffic reports, the Newlywed Game, and
as the suspenseful music filler used on the
Dating Game when the girl chose her date.
The praise of fellow guitarists has had
much to do with Kottke's respect in the
music world. Anyone who plays the guitar
or even attempted to, has to be struck by
the ease and quickness with which he
manipulates the strings. He never attacks
the guitar as some do, rather he commands
it, with a total understanding of the instru
ment's dynamic capabilities.
The audience for his Lincoln show
seemed aware of this too. Thoroughly at
tentive through the songs, an occasional
gasp of disbelief could be heard now and
then from someone impressed by the
agility of his fingers. One wonders what the
main attraction is, what he plays, or how
he plays it.
What he played was a variety of both
moods and music. Even the staunchest
Kottke fans will admit that he tends to
play much on the variation of a theme, and
the result can be similar sounding tunes.
But in the course of the evening, . he
changes enough to keep the audiences
attention from wavering.
By describing what some songs
reminded him of before performing it, he
had the advantage of being able to share
the intended imagery with the crowd. One
was written with'the feeling of being out in
the middle of nQwhere, another reminded
him of a little Dutch boy running around
the Holland countryside. And indeed the
analysis seemed to hit home with the
audience.
One element of Kottke's performance
that has often been maligned has been his
voice, termed as bland, or unfitting. It is
an invalid claim, unless you feel his guitar
should be given one-hundred percent at
tention. The deep resonant voice of Kottke
is, if nothing else, a show case for some of
his thoughtful lyrics. The ironic words of
"Pamela Brown", and his remake of the
Byrds "Eight Miles High" were two of the
highlights in the Lincoln show.
But Kottke doesn't seem like a person
bothered by criticism. He has no need to
be, while the crowds are still responsive,
the fans dedicated, and he has the respect
of his peers. It may be hard to classify Leo
Kottke, but it's easy to admire him. A man
who does the work of two guitarists with
his two hands has got to be admired.
((daytime))-
MORNING
6:00 0 BOZO
O NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY
fJPTL PROGRAM
0 VARIOUS PROGRAMMING
0 FARM REPORT FRI.) Answer
Is Love (WED.)
CD CBS NEWS
8:05 O FARM AND RANCH REPORT
:10(JNEWS
6:19 fl UNO SCENE (WED.)
6:30 f l ROMPER ROOM
fl COUNTRY DAY
fl SUNRISE SEMESTER
fl VARIOUS PROGRAMMING
f 1 BUNKY'S FUN CLUB
70 f ARCHIES
QQ TODAY
fl CBS NEWS
fj GOOD MORNING AMERICA
THURS THRU WED
O I DREAM OF JEANNIE
0 MORNING SHOW
SESAME STREET
7:30 O FLINTSTONES
O MCHALE'S NAVY
8:00 O POPEYE
Q GOOD MORNING AMERICA
f CD CAPTAIN KANGAROO
0 FUNTSTONES
IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
(UNTIL 3:30)
8:30 0 LITTLE RASCALS
O CARTOONS
8:00 0 700 CLUB
fl O SANFORD AND SON
O ALL MY CHILDREN
fj APRIL MAGAZINE (THUR.)
Pass The Buck (EXC.THUR.)
O PHIL DONAHUE SHOW
f 1 NEW ZOO REVUE
0 APRIL MAGAZINE (THUR.)
30 11 0 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
O CD PRICE IS RIGHT (EX
C.THUR.)
O BEWITCHED
10:00 O 0 WHEEL OF FORTUNE
O HAPPY DAYS
0 CD PRICE IS RIGHT (THUR.)
0 HAPPY DAYS (EXC.FRI.)
Martha's Kitchen (FRI.)
0 NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY
0 IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
(UNTIL 3:30)
10:30 0 RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING
00 KNOCKOUT
00 FAMILY FEUD
0 LOVE OF LIFE
0 FATHER KNOWS BEST
11:00 0 NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY
O0 TO SAY THE LEAST
0 0 820,000 PYRAMID
0 CD YOUNG AND THE
RE8TLESS
0 MAYBERRY fl.F.D.
11:30 0O GONG SHOW
O CONVERSATIONS
00 RYAN'S HOPE
0 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
O HIGH HOPES
0 IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
(UNTIL o:30)
AFTERNOON
12:00 O FOR RICHER. FOR POORER
Entertainment Editor: Pete Mason. Cover Design: Liz Beard. Layout:
Kitty Policky.
Ad lib it an entertainment supplement published by the Daily Nebras
kan. Editor in Chief: Ron Ruggless. Advertising Manager: Gregg
Wurdeman. Production Manager: Kitty Policky. Business Manager: Jerri
Haussler.
Unless covered by another copyright, material may be reprinted
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the Daily Nebraskan.
Ad lib is distributed Thursdays with the Daily Nebraskan.
OOOGDNEWS
0 NOON SHOW
0 ALL MY CHILDREN
QJIM NABORSSHOW
SESAME STREET
12:13 0 FARM ACTION
12:30 0 DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
0 O DAYS OF OUR LIVES
0 CROSS WITS
0 CD AS THE WORLD TURNS
1:00 0 LUCY SHOW
OO ONE LIFE TO LIVE
O MOVIE "Swing Shift Malsle"
(THUR.), Treasure Of Ruby Hills"
(FRI.), "Oramatic School (MON ),
'Sword Of Venus" (TUE), "Judge
Hardy And Son' (WED.)
IB IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
(UNTIL 3:30)
1:30 O BEVERLY HILLBILLIES
00DOCTOR8
00 GUIDING LIGHT
2:00 0 PLEASE DON'T EAT THE
DAISIES
0 0 ANOTHER WORLD
O 0 GENERAL HOSPITAL
2:30 0 GOMER PYLE
0 0 ALL IN THE FAMILY
O DENVER NOW
3:00 0 MICKEY MOUSE CLUB
O O FOR RICHER. FOR
POORER
OO EDGE OF NIGHT
0 0 MATCH GAME
0 FLINTSTONES
3:30 0 TOM AND JERRY
0 O GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
O PASS THE BUCK
0 PHIL DONAHUE SHOW
01 LOVE LUCY
0 MERV GRIFFIN
0 KALAMITY KATE'S CAR
TOONS 0 ELECTRIC COMPANY
4 00 0 GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
0 MY THREE SONS
0 1 DREAM OF JEANNIE
0 DINAH
fl SUPERMAN
0 MIKE DOUGLAS
0 MISTER ROGERS
4:30 0 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER
0 BEWITCHED
0 BRADY BUNCH
ft 8KJ VALLEY
0 FAMILY AFFAIR
m SESAME STREET
8:00 0 ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
f ODD COUPLE
0 O ABC NEWS
f I LOVE LUCY
8:30 0 ROOKIES
00 NBC NEWS
0 BEWITCHED
0 0 CBS NEWS
II NEWS
f 1 ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
0 OVER EASY
'4 V
-,WBI .. MM
..... -
.... i W "fSe -
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. ..... ..
High in South America's Andes mountains, eerie light
plays on a camp pitched by students of the Outward
Bound school in the 'National Geographic' special
'JOURNEY TO THE OUTER LIMITS,' airing Tuesday.
April 11, on PBS.