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knoxbronson | Great Love Songs From The 60s/70s + Originals
knoxbronson
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United States of America
Berkeley, CA
United States of America
Genres
  • Alternative
  • House Concert
 
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Number of shows: 3
Total viewers: 27
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More About knoxbronson

I first picked up a guitar when I was 14. My parents had given one to my sister for Christmas. I knew instantly, as I strummed the open strings, that I was supposed to play guitar.
I knew how to read music from school, so I taught myself chords and chord structure using Beatle songbooks—They used all kinds of weird chords, so it was perfect. A couple friends taught me some fingerpicking patterns.
I was obsessed with The Beatles through most of the sixties. And then Pink Floyd. And then David Bowie from 1972 until now.
When I was a kid I would practice guitar eight hours a day. Music was everything, but then I discovered partying, booze, and drugs in the seventies and pretty much quit playing for almost 20 years.
Then I got sober and filled up a room with synthesizers and started making electronic music. A few years later, I decided I wanted to sing and write songs again, so I got a guitar. A fifty year round-trip back to where I began!
Fun Stuff about the Artist

Life on the Street

I have never busked, to tell the truth. It's hard to find places where it's legal locally.
I once did a fun street performance, a very long time ago.
I had seen Robert Shields doing mime at Union Square in San Francisco. He was amazing and had gathered a huge crowd. At some point he went out in the middle of the intersection and started directing traffic. It was hilarious.
I was talking about it later and a friend dared me to do it myself. He said he would give me $25 if I did it for 15 minutes.
I had some red satin pants, some knee-high canvas lace-up boots, and a purple velour top. One sunny Saturday afternoon, I put on white face mime makeup and my costume (very Ziggy Stardust, but I'd never heard of David Bowie. But great minds and all that ...) and ran into the intersection of College and Ashby in Berkeley. I had a whistle. I started directing traffic. Drivers obeyed me. Crowds gathered. It was great fun. I did my 15 minutes and took off. The cops showed up; I was gone.

Embarrassing Moment

The last time I played the DNA Lounge in San Francisco was the absolute worst performing experience of my life and it was all my fault.
I made three FATAL ERRORS, all of my own volition. I had no one else to blame.
Anyway, the house was full. I was up on the stage by myself, guitar and backing tracks.
The first thing I did wrong was to try to do a James Brown song, "It's A Man's World." Ridiculous. I knew I was bombing, but you have to keep going. I dying inside but kept singing.
Then I played an electronic dance track of mine with no vocals, pushed play, left the stage. You don't leave the stage when you're performing. I mean, you can, but usually it's part of the act and there's a reason for it.
I can't remember the third thing (a good thing!), but I will tell you this: I wanted to quit playing live forever after that. My voice coach helped me recover that self-inflicted wound.
I learned a very important lesson from that nightmare: WHEN YOU BOMB ONSTAGE, YOU BOMB ALONE!

My Instrument

I have a banged up 1969 Kohno No. 5 classical nylon-string guitar. I LOVE it. I went into The Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange store one afternoon, and asked him if he had any nice vintage classical guitars. He said, "I have this Kohno, would you like to try it?" I said yes.
He took it down and handed it to me and it was almost like the guitar said, "You belong to me!"
I asked him how much it was. He told me. I asked if he did layaway. "Yes." I asked him how much I would have to put down. "$600." I said ok and left. I went back a few days later and when I walked in, he said, "I still have it."
I told him I could have the $600 in two weeks, would he hold it. He said yes. I came back in two weeks and gave him the $600. I was able to pay it off within a month or so.
I'm really lucky—there was some other guy who really wanted the guitar.
It sounds incredible and I love how it feels—the neck is perfect for my left hand—when I play.
It rings like the ocean.

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