Tallan Noble Latz Backstage, an Interview with Catfish Butler

We were done. He said we were done. We, Frank “Catfish” Butler and I had run around all day from shoot to shoot, interview to interview, new toy to new toy. Saturday at NAMM had, to this point, pretty much worn us out. The 30-pound backpack with all the cameras and mics, the steady-tracker and a tripod was digging in to my shoulders.

We were hanging around the PRS (Paul Reed Smith) booth, having missed the Brothers Sass show by minutes. We met them earlier at Mark Goffeney’s show where they knocked us out. They are a couple of teenagers that play amazing guitar; the curly-haired kid sounded like George Benson. Here is a ToeNailVideo from Mark’s set. As it turned out, Mr. Benson himself was there, a few booths over. I had a feeling our kids were in the throng to talk with him and hear him play, so we were finished.

Up to this point, all of our guitar playing had been on camera. Little clips of this and that guitar: plunk, strum, talk, plunk, plunk, strum, talk; pack it all up and move down the line. While downstairs, we had passed booth after booth of guitars not on our shot list. Cool guitars. One in particular, a 12-string, a beautiful 12-string; I had passed by it several times that weekend. Finally, I had an hour left before they threw us out. It would take at least 10 to get downstairs and talk my way into the booth. I had the time. He said, “We’re done; let’s go play.” I whined, “It’s all about me now, me, me, me. I wanna go downstairs!

I turned and started to head for the door. I took no more than two steps when some yahoo is pulling on my backpack, stopping me in my tracks. I won’t say who.

I turn and see Tallan Noble Latz, and Butler is practically dragging me backwards his way. “All right, but just one more,” I said and, as it turned out, it was one of the most entertaining interviews we had the entire trip.

Somehow we found ourselves past the crowd of well-wishers and autograph hounds and rows of cool amps, and sitting in relative quiet were Tallan and his Mom. Dad was talking to the fans, proud as can be. Mom very nearly took Frank out.  He had a green light from Dad and moved in with the mic. Whoosh! There she was with a very “Can I help you?” look on her face, having never met him. Since Frank isn’t a terrorist and Dad said it was OK, she let him pass.

It was so great to see this side of Tallan. Backstage, relaxed, he was enjoying a family moment while we set up the gear, then he would need to be “T-Man” again for our cameras. Frank and he are old friends from a podcast they did a while back and both love and play the blues.  I had to gush a little and tell him how cool he was and, I admit, I whispered to Mom some parent-to-parent “He’s just darling” kind of things. He probably didn’t want to hear those anyway, but I’m sorry, he just is!

Then they throw a wrench in the works. For some reason they decide to switch seats and Tallan interviews Catfish. There, sitting on amps, we get to meet a different Tallan.  You hear him play and you forget he is a kid. Watch this and you’ll find he’s a kid all right. A really talented, bright and happy 10-yr-old child, having the time of his life playing guitar and singing songs for the grownups, from the Main Stage at NAMM 2010.

UPDATE: Unfortunately we had a glitch with the posted video. We are recutting, reuploading and we will post it in this space and create a new post so you don’t miss it. We apologize but these things happen and we push on. In this space for now we put the performance video linked below. Enjoy, we’ll have the interview ASAP.

UPDATE: here it is, finally the Interview with Catfish Butler and Tallan Noble Latz

Guitar dudes are a strange group. Fiercely loyal to their genre, most can appreciate talent when they see it, no matter what. I think there is a reason why guitar players who see a Tallan Noble Latz performance are so struck by him. It is not just the level of his play which, for some who have been playing waaay longer than him, must be a little frustrating, if we’re honest. No, it is the character of his performance. All of it, his style, his “cuteness,” the entertaining way he naturally engages the crowd, the band and the cameras. What it is, I think, is that we see in him a little bit of ourselves. The childlike glee with which he plays makes you smile and want to put a frog in your pocket and go jump in puddles.

Not until you’ve practiced for an hour, young man!

Check out the whole story, read Catfish Butler’s version from behind the mic here.

StayTuned!
There’s more.

DanG

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