GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE GUITAR HERO COMPETITION 2006

GP Guitar Hero 2006
Guitar Player Magazine, one of the oldest and most venerable guitar magazines in the world put on a fantastic guitar competition event. Held in San Francisco at the ornate Great American Music Hall on Sept. 23, 06, this was a near sold out evening. Billed as "Guitar Hero 2006" 10 guitar finalists, chosen out of thousands of submissions took the stage and shredded the audience and us judges into a blissful guitar heavenly state.

10 guitar slingers successively took the stage, backed up by the more than competent house band and showed their guitar prowess. Styles ranged from heavy metal shredding to tasteful fusion to acoustic slap/popping guitar. Mr. Ed DeGenaro played a fretless guitar which we all admitted, was the most difficult instrument to master. The youngest contestant was 15 years old!! Joshua Karickhoff from Pennsylvania. He was strutting his stuff like a young rock god, shredded like hell and was oh so cute. The Shredmistress immediately adopted him. 2 contestants came all the way from Russia, one with an interpreter. They played well, even if not as flashy as some of the others.

Trey Alexander from Pennsylvania got most of the judges votes in all categories. He delivered a fantastic performance that had style, tone, musicality, showmanship and a sincerity that just came thru.