[Harp-L] Hardest working man in show biz?

[Steve Shriver <steveshriver@xxxxxxx>]

Caught the Hammer Smith band at Killian¹s last night. It was a true
(California) blues experience; playing to a small, mostly indifferent crowd
at a suburban sports bar, for minimal wage and paltry tips, this hard
working road band put out the same energy as they would have to a crowded
festival. Chris ³Hammer² Smith is a true one of a kind, a hyper kinetic
front man who plays guitar, sings, dances, hoots, and blows a very mean harp
at the same time, often picking up two or three different harps in a single
song. A typical run through has Hammer opening with a funky diatonic harp
riff blown on the rack, accompanying himself on guitar, singing a measure,
picking up the chromatic and a bullet, pushing the rack  aside, blowing some
very informed chromatic progressions, picking up another diatonic for a
measure, blowing through the bullet and the vocal mic, then going back to
guitar for an energetic shred before finishing up with guitar and harp
combination leads. He told me he¹s thinking about adding another guitarist
(currently it¹s just a trio with tight bass and drums.) Sounded like a good
idea to me- I¹d be dead in a week if I attempted to keep up his level of
energy on stage. 
All in all, a very entertaining night- and this was after my own band had
done a 3 hour workout! Check out Chris¹ webpage at
http://www.myspace.com/chrishammersmith and support this hard working blues
band.
-- Steve