GUITAR + fire + 4 Local Legends + Ginormous Guitar = Amazingness!!!
This past Saturday night, John and I did something really, really crazy... It's so crazy, we haven't done it in years. It involved loud music, lasers, fire, broken guitars, Vitamin L and tiny brownies. Any guesses??
We went to a loud concert and then watched a psychedelic laser show, and, here's the kicker, we stayed out past midnight!! Oh, I feel so naughty! I know, it may not seem wild and crazy to you, but then again, you may not have two kids under the age of three who like to wake up around 6:30 am - 7:00 am if you are lucky! So with the kids home with awesome Aunt Lauren, this mom and dad went out on the town! And did we have a heck of a time?!? Yes, yes, we did.
We headed to the GUITAR Opening Night: All-Star Acoustic Jam at the Carnegie Science Center, featuring four local legends, Joe Grushecky of The Houserockers, Rick Witkowski of BE Taylor Group, Rob James of The Clarks, and Billy Price of The Billy Price Band. The Acoustic Jam was to celebrate the opening of their newest exhibit, GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World. It was the first time that the CSC had done such a kickoff event, and let me tell you, it was super fun, and I really hope they do it again!
I must confess that of the four local legends and their bands, I had only heard of The Clarks. But that didn't really damper my enthusiasm, as they were slated to play classic rock hits, and well, I'm a fan of classic rock. We arrived early enough not to miss much of the live music, but we certainly missed our opportunity for seating in front of the stage. The stage was set up on the far end of the lower level where the cafeteria is, so it didn't make for a ton of prime seating, but you could hear the music in the atrium, throughout the exhibit and even outside on the patio, so we really didn't miss out.
They played a few songs we recognized, a little Allman Brothers, which John enjoyed, and a few hits that were their own. One that caught the crowd and had them singing and making hand motions was "Vitamin L". I had never heard of it before, and so I pulled out the trusty smartphone and looked it up on Wikipedia. Turns out it was a hit by the BE Taylor Group, reaching 66 on the Billboard 100 chart in 1984. At that time I was three, which would likely explain why I hadn't heard it, but the crowd really enjoyed it! Rob James of The Clarks was really a phenomenal guitarist with a few solos that left us in awe! He even busted out the harmonica and rocked it out! It was a great concert that we thoroughly enjoyed!
While the group was playing, we were able to walk around and view the GUITAR exhibit, watch the band, eat hors d'oeuvres and mini desserts, and enjoy the riverside scenery on the CSC's patio. We checked out the world's largest playable guitar, certified by the Guiness Book of World Records in 2001, as well as a bunch of other guitars from history, even one made with an armadillo!! John and I thought that one was pretty wild! There were so many exhibits showing everything from how a guitar is made, to
the different types of wood used and how they affect the sound (tonewoods), to a guitar that has eight necks (yes, it's true!), to an exhibit with fire giving a visualization of the sound waves from an electric guitar and amplifier! WOW! I cannot wait to bring my very musical two year old to see this exhibit!! He is going to be enthralled with every piece of the show!
After the band wrapped up and the crowd dissipated, there was talk of Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd laser light shows that night. Since John and I usually wouldn't be at the Carnegie Science Center at 11:00 at night, we decided to stay and see the show. What rebels are we!?! I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a laser light show, but I am a fan of Led Zepplin. The show took me back to my youth, because my dad had all their records and a record player that we listened to as kids! It was an interesting experience, not one I'd make a special trip to the CSC to see, but if you are out and really enjoy Zepplin or Floyd, it may be up your alley. John and I talked and giggled through the show and had a fun time being silly and staying out too late! It was a fun first night to kick of my summer blogging about the Carnegie Science Center!
The GUITAR exhibit, which is the traveling exhibition of The National GUITAR Museum, is available daily from now until September 30. So mark your calendars, and get to the Carnegie Science Center and soon! Kids of all ages will enjoy this exhibit, from young music lovers who don't know a thing about music to those who are experts on the guitar, and everyone in between! Follow me on Twitter (@alaynaruth) and you can get up to the minute tweets about my trips to the Carnegie Science Center as a CSC Insider!!
We went to a loud concert and then watched a psychedelic laser show, and, here's the kicker, we stayed out past midnight!! Oh, I feel so naughty! I know, it may not seem wild and crazy to you, but then again, you may not have two kids under the age of three who like to wake up around 6:30 am - 7:00 am if you are lucky! So with the kids home with awesome Aunt Lauren, this mom and dad went out on the town! And did we have a heck of a time?!? Yes, yes, we did.
We headed to the GUITAR Opening Night: All-Star Acoustic Jam at the Carnegie Science Center, featuring four local legends, Joe Grushecky of The Houserockers, Rick Witkowski of BE Taylor Group, Rob James of The Clarks, and Billy Price of The Billy Price Band. The Acoustic Jam was to celebrate the opening of their newest exhibit, GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World. It was the first time that the CSC had done such a kickoff event, and let me tell you, it was super fun, and I really hope they do it again!
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| Billy Price, Joe Grushecky and Rob James |
I must confess that of the four local legends and their bands, I had only heard of The Clarks. But that didn't really damper my enthusiasm, as they were slated to play classic rock hits, and well, I'm a fan of classic rock. We arrived early enough not to miss much of the live music, but we certainly missed our opportunity for seating in front of the stage. The stage was set up on the far end of the lower level where the cafeteria is, so it didn't make for a ton of prime seating, but you could hear the music in the atrium, throughout the exhibit and even outside on the patio, so we really didn't miss out.
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| Billy Price and Rick Witkowski |
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| Is that an armadillo? Wha?? |
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| World's Largest Playable Guitar! |
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| Guitar + FIRE = Awesomeness! |
After the band wrapped up and the crowd dissipated, there was talk of Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd laser light shows that night. Since John and I usually wouldn't be at the Carnegie Science Center at 11:00 at night, we decided to stay and see the show. What rebels are we!?! I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a laser light show, but I am a fan of Led Zepplin. The show took me back to my youth, because my dad had all their records and a record player that we listened to as kids! It was an interesting experience, not one I'd make a special trip to the CSC to see, but if you are out and really enjoy Zepplin or Floyd, it may be up your alley. John and I talked and giggled through the show and had a fun time being silly and staying out too late! It was a fun first night to kick of my summer blogging about the Carnegie Science Center!
The GUITAR exhibit, which is the traveling exhibition of The National GUITAR Museum, is available daily from now until September 30. So mark your calendars, and get to the Carnegie Science Center and soon! Kids of all ages will enjoy this exhibit, from young music lovers who don't know a thing about music to those who are experts on the guitar, and everyone in between! Follow me on Twitter (@alaynaruth) and you can get up to the minute tweets about my trips to the Carnegie Science Center as a CSC Insider!!
Enjoying your post and looking forward to reading during the summer. My wife and I love it also, we didn't make it to the laser show had to get back for the babysitter.
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