"Walk This Way"

Last night, while Sarah saw her Owl City concert at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, I had a chance to see some live music myself. First I saw a few songs by a country band in front of Phillips Crab House, then a good classic rock cover band in front of the Hard Rock Cafe.

I was particularly interested when the cover band launched into one of my all-time favorite songs, "Walk This Way." This is not a song I've seen very many bands attempt - for the reason that it's really damn hard to make sound right. And the band last night didn't really do it either. They were good, and got a nice groove going, but they didn't capture it.

It's not that the chords are hard. A and C. And the opening riff isn't hard either, though it does required a fast picking hand. But the verse is tricky, and I've never seen a cover band get it right.

I finally stumbled on a YouTube lesson that shows how to do it. Justin Sandercoe, who has some great lessons and song covers, nails it. As he says in the video, this is an easy song to play badly, and a really difficult song to play well.  All hail Brad Whitford, who plays it every night without a second thought.