Singers Playing Acoustic Guitar that Act Like They're Playing Lead Guitar

[rodeo_joel]

I was watching some CMT awards show last night and as always, it never ceases to crack me up. The performers that sing and play acoustic guitar, but act like their playing lead guitar (i.e. by strumming harder, lol).

The guy I saw on this show was Kristian Bush of Sugarland. During the first part of the song (and usually during the instrumental break) he's running around the stage just sawing on the acoustic, leaning over the stage to the audience like he's tearing up a solo like Brad Paisley. Hilarious! I half expected him to start playing under his leg or behind his back or something! I'm sure he's a talented fellow, but I can't take somebody seriously when they wear a hat like that...

sugarland12_e.jpg

...she's very attractive though, but I can't stand listening to her sing. Her vocal mannerisms just make my skin crawl!

Cheers,
Joel

[andy__woods]

well man, I'm with you on all those points. I have a hard time not strumming harder at times, just to give the band cues to build. I lead a praise band at church, and sometimes they need a little extra "guidance" on how to play the song. Sometimes the only thing I can do is strum harder so that they play louder.

Also, I can't stand her vocal mannerisms either, they hardly even sound real! But alas, they are

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by andy__woods

well man, I'm with you on all those points. I have a hard time not strumming harder at times, just to give the band cues to build. I lead a praise band at church, and sometimes they need a little extra "guidance" on how to play the song. Sometimes the only thing I can do is strum harder so that they play louder

AH! You lead praise in a church band! ME TOO! Cheers!

I've been in the band for about 3 years. I'll admit we're a little short on musical talent mostly cuz we're just a smalltown church (on a good day we might get 75 people). But we do our best.

Yes, it is hard to try and restrain your inner desires to start pickin' lead tele when you're the only guitar player (and you're playing a tele..). What we mostly need is rhythm guitar. And yes, sometimes the band needs guidance but most of the time it's the pianist that guides us. Not me. But I enjoy it. It might not be a "real" band, but it's helped me grow as a musician.

Also, I can't stand her vocal mannerisms either, they hardly even sound real! But alas, they are

Agreed. She was also on CMT last night, HOLY MAN I can't believe how much she drags those notes out. I don't know what gives her the idea that it makes her a good singer. It's unique, yes... but not cool! LOL!

Cheers Man! Keep on Pickin' (for the Lord!)
Joel

[Derwood]

That Toby Keith Ford commercial comes to mind....

[jjh37854]

that guy is a wanker

[Filthy McNasty]

I took my mother to see Brooks and Dunn back in september and Sugarland was one of the other acts on the bill, they were so over the top it was hilarious. Instead of talking between songs she was screaming in to her mic and the dude was running around like he was David Lee Roth. In january I took her to see Toby Keith (Christmas present), Miranda Lambert actually used the Ronnie James Dio devil horns hand jesture. It was even better than Sugarland.

[woodman]

with many a mass-market act, razzle-dazzle will take you further than actual artistry.

[magicguitar]

Most of the time when one wank's an acoustic like it's an electric, they just end up looking like a dork!

[buddywayne]

Most of the time when one wank's an acoustic like it's an electric, they just end up looking like a dork![quote]

I totally agree with everthing on this thread; especially the above by
MagicGuitar. bw

[WickedGTR]

There is a proximity effect with microphones.

If you have them in proximity to your head for an extended period of time it makes your head go soft.

[J. Hayes]

with Sugarland? On their first CD and couple of videos there was a heavy set girl playing acoustic guitar who was part of Sugarland along with Kristian and the girl lead singer (Jennifer Nettles). I agree with the comments about him looking like a "dork" running around the stage with the acoustic guitar (and mandolin). He plays mandolin a lot but I've never seen him take a solo so I don't know how well he plays that either.

On another vein, someone mentioned Brooks & Dunn, IMHO that's a great group and Ronnie Dunn is one fine singer (Kix is good also) but Kix Brooks usually runs around the stage with various Les Pauls beating on them till they're about to break and never takes one lead either. He does though, add a little life to the group as Ronnie just stands there and sings. Although maybe that's all he needs to do. Just check out their recording of "I Believe"....... He's one of the finest vocalists in any type of music to come down the pike in a long time. I also like their version of the old B.W.Stevenson tune "My Maria"........They nailed that.....JH in Va.

[Filthy McNasty]

That Brooks & Dunn show wasn't bad. The only time I would go a show like that is for my mother and other than Sugarland it was one of the better ones that I have taken her to,Toby Keith on the other hand (and that was the second time I have seen him, painful) Jack Ingram went on first and was really good. I was digging his guitar player alot. And I was VERY impressed with Ronnie Dunn, he is a terriffic singer. It was a pleasant surprise, I was not expecting that.

[Dep]

Kristen Hall left Sugarland to go back to her song writing. If I remember correctly, she wrote or co-wrote most of their early hits.

She never looked really comfortable on stage. But she is one heck of a writer.

Dep

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by Filthy McNasty

I took my mother to see Brooks and Dunn back in september and Sugarland was one of the other acts on the bill, they were so over the top it was hilarious. Instead of talking between songs she was screaming in to her mic and the dude was running around like he was David Lee Roth

I know! When I saw them on the program the other night he was doing the same thing. In fact, I can't recall that I even saw him sing. He just ran around the stage (in that stupid hat...) and just hammered on that acoustic. I thought the strings were going to break! Cracks me up even more when I see him play the mandolin. Like others have said, I also have never seen him break into a lead on that thing. All i've seen him do is strum on it, and it just makes him look like a dork even more, LOL (again, that hat...)

But during the instrumental break Jennifer (Nettles) jumped into the audience and went crowd surfing. It was actually a neat gimmick, cuz it worked, LOL.

In january I took her to see Toby Keith (Christmas present), Miranda Lambert actually used the Ronnie James Dio devil horns hand jesture. It was even better than Sugarland.

Her attention grabbing antics are so desperate it's almost not funny. She opened for George Strait back in the summer of 2006. The sound was so loud I couldn't understand a word she said, at all! The only song she sang that I recognized was Kerosene.

The biggest joke came when she put down her little "Yamaha" acoustic and strapped on this enormous pink Gibson (it looked big when she held it...). It was probably 40% as big as she was. She could have hid behind it if she wanted to, LOL.

Same thing when she performed at the CMA's (song called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend i believe..). WOW. It was horrible. Worst song I've ever heard, and worst singing/performance i've ever seen also (again, playing on a huge Gibson)! In all honesty, I think she was drunk, LOL. The icing on the cake was when she finished the song, grabbed the micstand and threw it down on the stage, then grabbed her Gibson (sitting on the stand since middle of the song) and smashed it on the stage!

Dumbest thing i've ever seen. For one thing, you should never smash a guitar period. Waste of a good instrument. And if sounded that bad that you want to smash it, you shouldn't be playing it live anyways. Secondly, it was poorly executed. When she smashed it, a pillar of smoke shot up from the stage (lol, about a foot away from where the guitar hit). MOF, nothing happened to the guitar at all. It didn't even break. I'm positive it wasn't real. It wasn't even plugged in during her song.

Some people...
Cheers,
Joel

[Fatmanstratman]

Originally Posted by rodeo_joel

...we're just a smalltown church (on a good day we might get 75 people).

You get SEVENTY FIVE people in your church?????....

Where I live, there would have to be someone turning water into beer to get that many folks in the church....

[andy__woods]

Originally Posted by Fatmanstratman

You get SEVENTY FIVE people in your church?????....

Where I live, there would have to be someone turning water into beer to get that many folks in the church....

wow, haha. The college/young adults group I lead is about 100 people, the whole church is about 3000

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by Fatmanstratman

You get SEVENTY FIVE people in your church?????....

Where I live, there would have to be someone turning water into beer to get that many folks in the church....

LOL, maybe that number is a little exaggerated. The norm seems to be about 30 people, even on a good day. We might get upwards of 75 people on "special" occasions, like Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday.

Originally Posted by andy__woods

wow, haha. The college/young adults group I lead is about 100 people, the whole church is about 3000

Yeah, that seems to be normal for city churches.

I actually like the small-town church atmosphere better. You know EVERYBODY in the church.

Cheers,
Joel

[Jorge]

Originally Posted by WickedGTR

There is a proximity effect with microphones.

If you have them in proximity to your head for an extended period of time it makes your head go soft.

You gotta love the producer/technician joke, I laughed one of my customers in the face at the guitarstore I work in right now when I read it.. Just couldn help it. He got mad:(

[tdu]

I thought the thread might have been about those guys that play that over top goofy type of 'percussive' playing where they tap all up and down the neck and stuff that seems trendy in the folk/singer songwriter genres right now. I don't know if anyone knows what I am talking about, but man is that annoying as well.

[electricbody]

Originally Posted by J. Hayes

with Sugarland? On their first CD and couple of videos there was a heavy set girl playing acoustic guitar who was part of

While she left to write, the "heavy set" part was probably a contributing factor. I'm sure some producer or manager or some record company flack gave her a hard time about working out, sliming down, etc. and she said, I'd rather write...

[63dot]

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[lunchbox]

And I thought you good church folks were nice...ragging on peoples hat's and stage show. Hmmm...Makes me wonder.

[Hippie]

Originally Posted by 63dot

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He's doing that on purpose though. Its his shtick. Tongue in cheek

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by Hippie

He's doing that on purpose though. Its his shtick. Tongue in cheek

Very True. He NEVER tries to be something he's not. He doesn't worry about being "cool", just acts goofy all the time.

Even though I don't much care for his movies (too immature...), I think Jack Black is actually a funny guy. Also kinda liked his "Tenacious D" thing. They don't pretend to be anything, they just wanna rock!

And I thought you good church folks were nice...ragging on peoples hat's and stage show. Hmmm...Makes me wonder

...it's just constructive criticism...

Cheers,
Joel

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by Filthy McNasty

I took my mother to see Brooks and Dunn back in september and Sugarland was one of the other acts on the bill, they were so over the top it was hilarious. Instead of talking between songs she was screaming in to her mic and the dude was running around like he was David Lee Roth. In january I took her to see Toby Keith (Christmas present), Miranda Lambert actually used the Ronnie James Dio devil horns hand jesture. It was even better than Sugarland.

I love it when I see the country guys do the "devil horns". Even the most contemporary or "alternative" dressed C&W acts are still pretty conservative - they kinda look like they're getting ready to do a Jetta or i-pod commercial. Watching them do "devil horns" is like watching my dad do it.

[Filthy McNasty]

The thing about Miranda Lambert using the RJD hand jesture that I found funny was it is one thing to ROCK AND ROLL and it is another thing to play boring country pop. It was the lack of self awareness that she was not rocking out but playing a bland version of something passed off as country. Definately not my thing and I wasn't buying any of it. Am I being too hard on her? Possibly. It is just my opinion and we all know what those are like.