Hawaii and New Orleans Recap!

Hey everyone!

As usual, I want to start with saying thank you so much for being a part of this newsletter blog. We always have a blast doing them. This is just a little highlight collage from Hawaii and New Orleans.

First off…Hawaii. I was super proud and excited to be invited by the Reverend Billy F Gibbons to come be a special guest for his three night stand at the famed Blue Note Jazz Club in Honolulu. I always wanted to check out Hawaii and this was a fantastic way to do so. After this trip, I can now say that I’ve visited and performed in all 50 states! Just a fun fact!

It’s always a pleasure hanging out with Billy Gibbons and I value that time so much. It’s also always fun sharing the stage with Mike Flanigin and it was great to get to know Chris Layton of legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan fame as well. He’s the type of guy that as soon as you meet him, you immediately like him and feel like you’ve known each other forever. What a cool cat!

Also notice the iPad guitar and bass that Billy and Mike are playing in the photo above. The screens played a loop of surfing images and pipeline waves. Only BFG would think of that!

These are surreal moments for me to say the least and living the dream has become a reality that would have probably never happened if I didn’t make the move to Nashville. I also had the pleasure of making some new friends that came over from some of the other islands for the shows. One of which took me on a surfing lesson on Waikiki Beach where Elvis Presley and so many others learned how to surf. The water was absolutely perfect and it was awesome just to get a taste of the surfing culture in Hawaii. What an experience!

A hell of a run as the adventure continues in a big way. Thanks so much!

“Crescent City” Recap!

No rest for the wicked around here! I had two days back in Nashville to chill a bit after Hawaii, repack for cooler weather and then head to New Orleans for my buddy’s 50th birthday party.

My good friend rented out the famous Maple Leaf Bar in uptown New Orleans for the big celebration and we were all excited to play a full set on that iconic stage. I flew down there a day early with Jack Ruch and Adam Wakefield, had a great dinner and just settled in nicely to the Big Easy. I was also excited to reconnect with my brother from another mother Doug Belote, one of the finest drummers in the world who is also a New Orleans native. We’ve done a million gigs together and also toured with Jerry Douglas for 6 years or so. He’s a total character and always a blast to hang and play with. Look out for him playing with Marcus King on his upcoming tour!

My parents came over from the Gulf Coast for the party as well, which was an added bonus and a very nice visit of course. It was also really surreal seeing snow on the ground that far south…that was a real trip indeed. We descended on the Maple Leaf that evening, did a little sound check and proceeded to rock into the night. The icing on the cake was that the legendary restaurant next door named Jacques-Imo’s catered the party…so the food was off the charts! If you find yourself down there, they are famous for their alligator cheesecake!

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know what a unique part of the world it is. If you haven’t been, it’s very hard to describe with words. It’s the dirty south soaked in undeniable rich music history and an amazingly colorful creative culture. I think the first drum was actually hit in Congo Square many, many years ago. You just can’t be there without feeling the funk and grit of that city.

I hope you enjoy these images of random scenes I captured while roaming the streets. Anytime you take a black and white photo it sort of makes it look like you know what you’re doing! Ha!

Thanks again everybody,

Guthrie Trapp