Don Alder is the 2010 winner of the competition, beating out nine other guitar finalists. Selected from thousands of entries, Don was the only contestant to play an acoustic guitar in the finals, and also the only contestant to receive a standing ovation.
Don's style of guitar playing ("percussive acoustic") made him an unusual entry in this otherwise electric, solo-noodle-driven contest. His unique style incorporates fingerpicking with simultaneous percussion on the soundboard to create a wall of sound. In the recent past, Don was the winner of the 2007 International Fingerstyle Champion competition in Winfield, Kansas. Don also has a long list of other awards under his belt. Here's his website: www.donalder.com
After the competition, Don met with us to check out the Voyage-Air Guitar, and he was clearly impressed with the guitar’s playability and tone. It's a short clip, but you can see his playing style and hear some brief comments in this video:
It took pure talent to land Mike Bub where he is today: bass player for the last 13 years with Del McCroury, and now part of the super group 18 South. Several Grammy awards, Bass Player of the Year 5 times over, 9 Entertainer of the Year awards, and countless other awards couldn’t have prepared him for the surprise win of a Voyage-Air Guitar!
As his name was announced at the Cannery Ballroom, he was shocked when his friends said, "They are calling your name, Mike!" He didn’t even hear it... and certainly wasn’t expecting to win out of the countless entries to chose from. Coming up on stage to accept his win, Mike unfolded the guitar, gave it a few strums and announced to the cheering crowd “it’s even in tune!”
Guitar Player LIVE! is rolling into downtown Livermore this Friday night, September 17th with legendary guitarists Ronnie Montrose & Gary Hoey at the Bankhead Theater.
Opening the show is Steve Senes, who won "Player of the Year" award for 2009, and is a big enthusiast of Voyage-Air Guitar. And there's an after-party at the Sapphire Lounge. Or stay up late, and catch the crazy rockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," screening at the Vine Cinema.
Saturday will be filled with virtuoso guitarists on multiple stages. Blacksmith Square hosts James Nash from the Waybacks, Katy & Dell with acoustic from Bach to Rock, James Robinson with a mix of Latin/Funk/Middle Eastern/Jazz, where you can relax at the acoustic stage and enjoy a glass of local wine from Ocassio Winery, John Christopher Cellars or Thomas Coyne Winery. Rockin' the outdoor stage at the Bankhead are Doug Johns - super funky bass player, Danny Jones and Eric Barnett - past Guitar Superstar finalists, Steve Senes - 2009 Guitar Superstar Winner, Luvplanet and more.
This will be a super-fun, all music music music weekend in Livermore. Kick off your shoes, and kick back at the outdoor amphitheater. All the music at the outdoor stages are free FREE.
More reporting from Voyage-Air Guitar Artist Relations Director, Virginia Cannon:
Saturday, September 11, 2010 - "Another busy day at the Americana Music Conference yesterday, among the talented artists visiting our booth were Dave Gibson, John Oates, Jim Lauderdale, Mark Dreyer, Tori Sparks, John Brannen and Webb Wilder. Here's a pic of Dave Gibson and John Oates at the Voyage-Air booth. Yeah!
"Wrapping things up, we tore down the booth and went to grab a quick bite to eat before heading down to The Cannery for another night of music.
"The secret surprise guest was Nashville megastar, Dierks Bentley. Sharing the stage with Jon Randall and Sam Bush amongst others, we watched from side stage. In a chance meeting, I got to tell Robert Plant how much I’d enjoyed his show the night before. He was gracious but seemed weary of hearing that, as I’m sure he had the whole night.
"The night concluded during a chat with Mike Ferris, who happily agreed to call the winner of our guitar raffle tonight after his performance at The Cannery. Tune in soon for news about the winner!"
Continuing the report from the Americana Music Festival is Voyage-Air Guitar Artist Relations Director, Virginia Cannon:
"Friday, September 10, 2010 - Working in the Artist Relations position definitely has its ups and downs but yesterday was most certainly an UP! In our booth at the Americana Music Festival were The Mulch Brothers, playing guitar, meeting and greeting the registrants from the AMA. Think about infusing charisma to an otherwise mundane setting of working the booth... these guys created an air of stardom! They were engaging and kind to everyone who came to the booth. The true sign of gracious entertainers.
"I went from there to the world famous Ryman Auditorium for the Americana Music Awards where we sat in the 8th row on the floor to witness amazing talent like Roseanne Cash, Wanda Jackson, Sam Bush, Avett Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Emmylou Harris. Presenters included Jack White, John Oates and Robert Plant.
"We went from there to the Station Inn, to see John Oates perform. I thought that I liked John before, but now I am completely head over heels. John is an amazing musician and vocalist. He commanded the stage in a way that was both demanding and kind to his fellow musicians. He was surrounded by the best of the best, Jon Randall, Guthrie Trapp, Sam Bush and singing background by his side was the amazing Jessi Alexander. The vibe was nothing I ever expected, and completely sealed my faith in his ability to carry on well after Hall & Oates. His vocals were clear and strong and his sense of himself, the other musicians and the way he carried it off, speaks to his true talen. He pleased the crowd with a few Hall & Oates tunes such as “You Make My Dreams Come True” and “She’s Gone.”
"Today will be another big day at the AMA Conference, with John Oates doing a "Meet and Greet" in the Voyage-Air Guitar Booth at 2pm. His appearance will certainly be a highlight of the conference. He’ll be signing autographs and posing for pictures, as is typical of this humble superstar.
"Listen to what John has to say about Voyage-Air Guitar in the video link below:
"Appearing at 3pm today is the unstoppable Dave Gibson. Best known for his days with the Gibson/Miller Band, Dave has penned hits for Steve Wariner, Joe Diffie, Confederate Railroad, Tanya Tucker, Alabama, Pam Tillis, and Montgomery Gentry. Dave Gibson earned six number ones, and Alabama's "Juke Box in My Mind" stayed at number one for an impressive four weeks. An Academy of Country Music award winner, Dave is sure to draw a crowd. Hear Dave Gibson’s new single recently released as a music video.
This just in from Voyage-Air Guitar Artist Relations Director, Virginia Cannon:
"Thursday, September 9, 2010 – What an amazing week! Yesterday started early and with a bang! I picked up the legendary John Oates, of Hall and Oates at his hotel to take him to be interviewed for a program called Music Business Radio (MBR), at WRLT, Lightning 100, in Nashville. WRLT is one the oldest independently owned stations in the country. With its inception in 2005, MBR has hosted notable music industry giants such as Kris Kristofferson, Alanis Morrisette, Rodney Crowell, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) Brent Mayer (Elvis Presley's producer), and most recently Rusty Anderson, who also plays a Voyage-Air Guitar on stage with Paul McCartney. Check out Music Business Radio at www.musicbusinessradio.com and also on youtube.
"John Oates will be performing in Nashville tonight as part of the Americana Music Festival, at The Station Inn. The show is at midnight, a coveted spot in the AMA line up, and he will be hosting an all star cast of AAA players including Jon Randall, Guthrie Trapp and Jessi Alexander; certainly a show not to be missed but sadly only for AMA registrants, and not open to the public.
"I ended up my day with Jim Mayer, the bass player for Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, who also has a side project of writing, singing and producing cd’s for kids. Check out: www.unclejimrocks.com. He is our most recent Voyage-Air Guitar endorser, and he LOVES our guitar. Stay tuned for more information on Jim, coming up.
"Looking forward to a busy day at the Americana Music Conference where The Mulch Brothers will make a special appearance in our booth today to meet and greet the fans and sign some cds. www.mulchbrothers.com
"Check back in tomorrow for the latest news from the Americana Music Festival. See ya then!"
Whoa! Quick: mark you calender if you're near Nashville! The 11th Annual Americana Music Festival is coming to town: a four-day event with music music and more music featuring some of the brightest stars in the biz.
Making special appearances at the Voyage-Air booth will be The Mulch Brothers on Thursday, Sept 9, from 3-4pm. Meet these guys in person, and get a taste of their new style of music.
John Oates, of Hall & Oates, appears at the Voyage-Air booth on Friday, Sept 10, from 2-3pm.
And finally Dave Gibson (who has a new hit: "King Me") will be at the booth on Friday, Sept 10 from 3-4pm.
If you're in Nashville and you love music, this is a must-attend event. See you there!
Veteran Rocker Greg Kihn recently passed along this note:"My son Ry grew up listening to the Greg Kihn Band and when he stepped into the lead guitarist role it was no sweat. He had some pretty big shoes to fill (Joe Satriani, Jimmy Lyon, Gregg Douglass, Dave Carpenter) but he never blinked. The boy can flat out play! I can't tell you how proud I was of him out there, on stage at the recent Kihncert."
The second generation of Kihns are making their mark in the Bay Area music scene. Ry Kihn, whose father is Greg Kihn of the Greg Kihn Band, is an accomplished professional guitar player. Playing guitar since he was 12 years old, he's now lead guitar for the Greg Kihn Band, and also the front man for Big Fun USA, a local San Francisco Bay area band.
A classically-trained Jazz guitarist, Ry has over 20 years of performing and teaching experience on the guitar.While still in high school, Ry studied privately with Joe Satriani, and went on to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, eventually graduating from California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Jazz Guitar Studies. He has grown to adopt a wide range of styles including rock, blues, jazz, classical, country, and metal.
Ry has performed with major artists including Eddie Money, Joe Satriani, Billy Idol, Greg Kihn, Mike Reno, Jimi Jameson, and Bobby Kimball. He is also a regular guest on his dad’s KFOX morning radio show, where he often jams with other musical guests.
Official blog for news, events and happenings for the world's first full-size, full-scale, folding acoustic guitars. Supplied with a specially-designed insulated backpack case, all Voyage-Air guitars qualify as carry-on luggage for commercial airliners. Never again wait in line to baggage-check your delicate acoustic guitar!
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Don Alder is the 2010 winner of the competition, beating out nine other guitar finalists. Selected from thousands of entries, Don was the only contestant to play an acoustic guitar in the finals, and also the only contestant to receive a standing ovation.
