The celebrated guitarist is currently on tour
Tommy Emmanuel wowed with two sets at Lincoln Theater in DC on Tuesday (Oct 21st). He opened with three numbers he wrote himself, joking that he’s his own “opening act.”
Throughout the night, he showcased his virtuosic skills on the guitar. Emmanuel seems to make strings fly, doing things with the acoustic guitar that appear superhuman. At one point, he even turned the whole body of the guitar into a full percussion set.
Emmanuel is also a great singer with a strong voice. But even that is in service of the star of the show: his inimitable guitar stylings. Three guitars hung on a triangular stand, ready for the grabbing. Each with its own purpose, Emmanuel switched deftly between them throughout the night.
The show’s most poignant moment came when he told the story of a song inspired by a rainy Italian night. Emmanuel had just flown back to Italy to resume touring after losing both a brother and a sister in 2018. He wrote in one setting, on the edge of his bed, for all those dealing with loss.
Emmanuel is one of the greatest classical-style guitarists. His love for the seminal guitar pieces is evident (He keeps “Classical Gas” relevant by fusing it with some soft pop covers) and clearly inspires everything he does.
A light show of epic proportions accompanied Emmanuel’s solo set. It pulled the audience even deeper into the emotion behind every pluck and strum. Take a look at the spectacle in the Instagram carousel below from our ace photog, James Todd Miller, who attended in my stead and is responsible for the thoughts behind this summary.
View this post on Instagram
