Grammy Winner Roger McGuinn Coming to Poway OnStage This Fall

GRAMMY winner, singer, songwriter, guitarist Roger McGuinn will perform, one-night-only at Poway OnStage Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 8:00pm.

He'll share an evening of songs and stories from his career including the pioneering folk/rock sounds of the Byrds as heard on "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Eight Miles High" and "My Back Pages" - songs that combine vocal harmonies and the signature "jingle-jangle" sound he created playing his 12-string Rickenbacker guitar.

"When Roger McGuinn comes to San Diego he plays Poway OnStage" says Michael Rennie, President and CEO Poway OnStage. "This is McGuinn's fourth appearance on our stage, and we take it as a great compliment to our audiences as well as validation of the intimate environment and great acoustics here at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. McGuinn is an artist who has influenced generations of musicians and music fans. We are honored to welcome him back to Poway."

During his time with The Byrds, McGuinn developed two innovative and very influential styles of electric guitar playing. The first was "jingle-jangle" - ringing arpeggios based on banjo finger picking styles he learned while at the Old Town School of Folk. The second style was a merging of saxophonist John Coltrane's free-jazz atonalities, which hinted at the droning of the sitar - a style of playing, first heard on The Byrds' 1966 single "Eight Miles High," a major influence on '60s psychedelic rock

"I practiced eight hours a day on that 'Rickenbacker (12-string guitar),'" says McGuinn, "I really worked it. In those days, acoustic 12-strings guitars had wide necks and thick strings that were spaced pretty far apart, so they were hard to play. But the Rick's slim neck and low action let me explore jazz and blues scales up and down the fretboard and incorporate more hammer-ons and pull-offs into my solos. I also translated some of my banjo picking techniques to the 12-string. By combining a flat pick with metal finger picks on my middle and ring fingers, I discovered I could instantly switch from fast single-note runs to banjo rolls and get the best of both worlds." Able to play the banjo, guitar, 12-string guitar and even a custom seven string guitar, McGuinn is a versatile performer on stringed instruments.

IF YOU GO:

Roger McGuinn
Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 8:00pm
At The Poway Center for The Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Rd., Poway, CA. 92064 (corner of Titan Way)
Tickets: 858-748-0505 | powayonstage.org/372/Roger-McGuinn
Prices: $23 - $70
Prices subject to change.

Poway OnStage, (a dba of The Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation), is a 27-year-old non-profit organization that offers a professional performing arts series, including music, dance, theater, comedy and more by nationally and internationally-renowned performers. Poway OnStage also hosts an Arts in Education Initiative that serves more than 4,300 students in the Poway Unified School District. Its Arts in Education Initiative programs include a free, one-week musical theater camp; Introduction to Instruments assemblies; partners with the nonprofit Natural High hosting assemblies for teens encouraging them to find their natural alternative to drugs and alcohol; Master Classes with visiting artists; and reduced price youth theater tickets, made possible by GEICO. Visit www.powayonstage.org.

Poway OnStage was named a California Nonprofit of the Year for 2017.

Photo courtesy Roger McGuinn