Vancouver slide-guitar freaks rejoice: Sonny Landreth's coming to town

Vancouver fans of bluesy slide-guitar should be psyched to hear that Louisiana bottleneck ace Sonny Landreth is heading to Vancouver. It was announced today that he'll play the Electric Owl on Wednesday, January 30, as part of the Black Hen Music series, which means he'll be trading licks with local six-string ace Steve Dawson.

Can I get a "yeehaw!"?

Landreth discovered his love of slide as a teen and over the years developed a Chet Atkins–inspired fingerstyle technique that allows him to seamlessly fuse the bluesy spirit of the Delta with the Cajun stylings of his home state. As a youngster honing his craft, Landreth used metal slides before switching to the glass ones synonymous with his liquid, otherworldly tone. 

“I had a friend with a motorcycle shop,” he explained to me a few years back, “so I went over and got a pair of handlebars, got a hacksaw out, and started making a lifetime supply of slides. Then a coupla years later I started using glass, and just kinda fell in love with that.”

According to Eric Clapton, Landreth is "probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also is probably one of the most advanced." Anyone who saw him play the Yale in the winter of 2009 would likely agree.

 Here's a little taste of what he's all about.