Blue Guitar Highway

Concert Appearances, Authors, Images

  CONCERT APPEARANCES Over the years I have had the great opportunity to appear in concert with the following musicians and performers: Alberta Adams Billy Alcorn Rashied Ali Mose Allison Bucky Baxter BeauSoleil Carey Bell The Big Wu Mary Black Bobby “Blue” Bland Blind Boys of Alabama Blood on the Tracks Band Billy Bragg Doyle Bramhall Sr. Billy Branch Lonnie Brooks Nappy Brown Savoy Brown Michael Burks J. J. Cale Chubby Carrier Roseanne Cash Bruce Cockburn Commander Cody Joanna Connor Ry Cooder Robert Cray Debbie Davies The Dead Milkmen The Detroit Rhythm and Blues Kings Ani DiFranco Dr. John Steve Earle David “Honeyboy” Edwards Joe Ely Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Alejandro Escovedo Terry Evans Jimmie Dale Gilmore Greg Ginn Tony Glover Nanci Griffith Guitar Shorty Arlo Guthrie Buddy Guy Phil Guy Hacienda Brothers with Chris Gaffney Ron Hacker John Hammond John Wesley Harding Cornbread Harris Grant Hart John Hartford John Hiatt Sara Hickman Peter Himmelman   CONCERT APPEARANCES Bill Hinckley and Judy Larson Peter Holsapple Hot Tuna Dakota Dave Hull and Sean Blackburn Long John Hunter Robert Hunter Indigo Girls Ipso Facto David Johansen Evan Johns Jorma Kaukonen Garrison Keillor Willie Kent Steve Kilbride Kingfish Eddie Kirkland “Spider” John Koerner Papa John Kolstad Leo Kottke Bill Kreutzman Jimmy LaFave Jonny Lang Peter Lang Bettye LaVette Adrian Legg Tom Lieberman Gordon Lightfoot Lil’ Charlie and the Nightcats Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials Sherwin Linton Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez Los Lobos Louisiana Red Lyle Lovett Magic Slim and the Teardrops Doug Maynard Country Joe McDonald Ellen McIlwaine Big Jay McNeely Big Bill Morganfield Dave Morton Maria Muldaur Willie Murphy Charlie Musselwhite Willie Nelson The Aaron Neville Quintet The Neville Brothers The Nighthawks Willie Nile Mojo Nixon Pinetop Perkins Dave Pirner Ana Popovic John Primer Flora Purim and Airto Moreira The Radiators Dave “Snaker” Ray Sir Mack Rice Riders in the Sky Rio Nido Steve Raitt Scarlet Rivera Jimmie Lee Robinson Peter Rowan Dan Rumsey Leon Russell Doug Sahm and the Texas Tornadoes Merle Saunders The Saw Doctors Melvin Seals Son Seals Pete Seeger Dave Sharp Jane Siberry Soul Asylum Bruce Springsteen Percy Strother The Subdudes Hubert Sumlin Taj Mahal .38 Special Tex Thomas Richard Thompson Ron Thompson Timbuk 3 John Trudell Willie Walker Eric Weisberg Willie West White Iron Band Jody Williams Edgar Winter Johnny Winter Warren Zevon CONCERT APPEARANCES   Paul Metsa is a legendary musician and songwriter from Minnesota. Born on the Iron Range, he has been based in Minneapolis since 1978. He has received seven Minnesota Music Awards and has played more than five thousand gigs, including forays to Iceland and Siberia. He lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his faithful dog, Blackie; a dozen or so guitars; twenty-five orange crates of LPs; hundreds of books, compact discs, magazines, and vintage postcards; and several kitchen cupboards full of old cassettes. David Carr grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota, and is a former writer and editor for the Twin Cities Reader. He now lives in New Jersey and writes a business column and is a culture reporter for the New York Times. He is author of The Night of the Gun. Ready to take on the world from Virginia, Minnesota. My grandpa Emil bought me the Gibson amp and made the microphone stand. Photograph by Bess Metsa, circa 1967. To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, “What can a young boy do but play in a rock and roll band?” The Positive Reaction at Carol Flaim’s thirteenth birthday party at the Gun Club on Silver Lake in Virginia. Left to right: Chuck Christianson, Gary Pagliaccetti, Mike Weiss, and me. Photograph by Linda O’Leary, circa 1968. Paul and Christian, the Iron Range’s answer to Simon and Garfunkel, at Goodman Auditorium, ready to play at a junior high assembly, circa 1968. Damn Everything but the Circus performing at the Virginia Armory, 1974. Brian Vitali on bass. Photograph by Chris Canelake. My grandfather Emil Arvid Metsa and me in 1976. The best friend I’ve ever had, he told me, “It is either right, or it’s bullshit,” and later, “Kill ’em with kindness.” Photograph by McKenna Studio. Ready to strike out into the world of show biz with the 1955 Martin D-28, which I still have, and in boots that I don’t. Digging deep at the 400 Bar on the West Bank in Minneapolis with...