Mike McCready gave me his guitar pedal tonight

Crazy Marcus · November 2012

I just got home from the Experience Music Project here in Seattle where tonight there was a show put on to promote and celebrate Jimi Hendrix and a new exhibit called "Hear My Train A Comin' ". The concert featured Jimi's bandmate and friend Billy Cox with special performances by guitarists Ian Moore, Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers), Eric Gales (Lauryn Hill), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam),Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Duff McKagan (Loaded), Brandi Carlisle, Audley Freed (Sheryl Crow), Jeff Fielder (Sera Cahoone, Mark Lanegan), Barrett Martin (Walking Papers, Screaming Trees, Mad Season), and drummer Mike Musburger (Fastbacks, Posies).

I was positioned immeadiately in front of where Mike's board was set up so I knew it was going to be an absolutely amazing show. Ernie Isley gave me his pick that he used to play the entire show and that was pretty awesome but I had no idea what was coming. Billy Cox played with various guests for the first half of the show. Jeff Fielder and drummer Mike Musburger pretty much played that entire first half with each artist doing 2-3 Hendrix songs. Then Mike and the Walking Papers came out and played.

They started out with Little Wing which was stellar. I noticed right away that Mike was having issues with his pedal though. His guitar tech was was checking it and trying to get it to work right. I'm not sure if he ever got it working. Then Mike performed Voodoo Child (Slight Return) and actually sang the lyrics which I was very impressed with. He sounded really good. He then did a song with Brandie Carlisle which I didn't really recognize. He actually broke the whammy bar off his guitar during this song and handed to the guy standing immeadiately to my left. I was a little bummed at first to have not gotten such a cool souvenier. Then Mike plays the Star Spangled Banner ala Jimi style. Unbelievable. At the end he shoves his guitar into the Marshall amp and leaves it hanging there and then walks over towards me. I'm just hoping for his pick at this point. He reaches out his hand and hands me the pick and then reaches down to the problematic pedal and unhooks it and pulls it off his board. . . . and then hands it to me. :shock: I'm pretty sure at this point I held it the air like I'd just been handed the Stanley Cup. Un-friggin-believable. Wow. I didn't stop shaking until I got into my car.

Pretty surreal night for me at this point. I'm not sure what I'll do with it at this point but will figure out a way to display it. Does anyone know if he's ever done anything like that before? I met Lisa (RKCNDY) and her husband afterwards and you'll have to ask her what my state of mind might have been. Blathering idiot would probably be a close description. Wow. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151940787356777.434355.526841776&type=1&l=7fec644018