National Steel at the Silver Dollar

Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett onstage at The Silver Dollar

Last night, the National Steel Blues Tour rolled into Toronto. I’d caught wind of this inventive grassroots tour a month or so ago, and was intrigued, so I made my way down to The Silver Dollar Room to take in the show. The National Steel Blues Tour pairs up two accomplished local blues players, Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett, both of whom use National Steel resonator guitars prominently onstage. The duo are making their way across Canada with this tour, performing 75 shows in 70 days, and have been keeping a lively journal of their travels online (visit the nationalsteelblues.blogspot.com). Their shows have ranged from standard club dates to festival appearances to intimate house concerts. The ambitious DIY grassroots nature of the tour really appeals to me. These guys are out there taking their music on the road, taking chances, living the life of touring musicians, and making it happen. The Toronto stop was at a conventional venue, The Silver Dollar Room, one of the city’s few clubs actively supporting the blues, and an appropriate hometown stop for this tour.

As a music lover, my interest in this show was sparked by a couple of things. First off, the opportunity to see a live show by two established musicians with whom I was not that familiar. My awareness of blues music and musicians has grown over the years, but I’d only recently heard of Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett, despite the fact that both artists have careers stretching back over three decades. In fact, I only happened upon MacLean by chance. I’d seen him busking with his National Steel guitar in the subway station at Queen St. and University Ave. a few times, and purchased a CD from him (Narrow House). I was impressed by the album’s haunting and dark acoustic blues songs, as well as his collaborators on the disc (including Tom Waits/Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor), so I wanted to see MacLean perform in a proper club setting. This tour fit the bill, and introduced me to Michael Pickett, who I didn’t really know of before. Pickett’s been an active musician since the ‘60s (including time with Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band), and is well respected in the Canadian blues community.

Doc MacLean on the National Steel guitar

Besides the opportunity to see two veteran musicians play for the first time, I was also captivated by the National Steel resonator guitar angle of the tour. I don’t know a huge amount about these guitars, but I’m very fascinated by them. They have a history dating back to the ‘20s, and are closely associated with acoustic blues. These guitars are made out of metal, as opposed to wood, and have a very unique sound, partially due to a built-in acoustic amplification system. They are called “resonator” guitars for a reason – they ring out loud and clear, conveying the bluesman’s song in no uncertain terms. Nationals were designed to amplify the sound of the guitar through natural acoustic methods (inspired by early phonograph technology), in the days before electric amplification was available, so a performer could be heard and compete with other instruments and loud audiences. The National Steel guitar carries alot of history, so it’s a real treat to get to see someone playing one in this day and age (see the National website for a detailed history of the guitar). Earlier this year, I witnessed both John Hammond and Paul James put their Nationals to use, and this night was another enticing showcase for the power of the vintage instrument to be brought to life.

The National Steel guitar

Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett shared the stage for the entire show, both playing seated, and trading songs back and forth. Both musicians had well-worn Nationals onstage – MacLean’s from 1929, and Pickett’s from 1931, I believe they said – although they also used more traditional acoustic guitars throughout the set. I’d never heard Pickett’s material before, although I was familiar with some of MacLean’s offerings. His renditions of songs from his Narrow House CD were more intimate than the recorded arrangements, stripped of drums and overdubs, and his easy manner onstage allowed the songs to come to life. The mood ranged from dark and harrowing to more laidback and mellow. A few songs that I recognized were “Bone Train”, “Narrow House”, “Angola Prison Rodeo”, and “Johnson Terraplane”. Good to see MacLean perform somewhere more upscale than the subway station! Pickett’s work was new to me, so I just tried to get a feel for his sound. Like MacLean, he’s right at home in Delta blues territory, with elements of roots and folk music somewhere in the mix, and very adept at the guitar and harmonica. In fact, both musicians offered up some serious harp playing, which played off the sound of the Nationals. These guys compliment each other quite well, and have a comfortable stage banter going on throughout the evening.

Michael Pickett onstage at The Silver Dollar

After a generous two sets, the show came to a close. A special, intimate performance of acoustic blues, National Steel guitars, and original music on a nice autumn evening. The National Steel Blues Tour continues on for another month, heading west all the way to Saltspring Island. I wish them well. They’ve got to keep moving, with that hellhound on their trail!