It was a busy weekend for our artist relations staff: From the halls of Comic-Con to the shores of San Diego Bay, Taylor artists were high on the bill to perform at a variety of events. Among them was Claudio Sanchez, the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist of the band Coheed and Cambria, who was in town to check out Comic-Con and to promote the band’s new album, Year of the Black Rainbow. While here, Claudio dropped by San Diego’s local alternative rock station, 91X, for an on-air chat and performed an acoustic version of “Here We Are Juggernaut” on a 616ce. Coheed and Cambria recently added dates to the band’s first run of 27 cities. The new shows, which run through the end of August, include stops with Circa Survive, The Dear Hunter and Porcupine Tree in Hollywood, Las Vegas, San Diego, Nashville, Columbus, Ohio and more. Check out Claudio on the 91X Morning Show:
On Saturday, we caught up with two Taylor-strumming acts: Kris Allen of American Idol fame and longtime Taylor players Barenaked Ladies. Kris, who plays a 716ce and keeps a Baby Taylor on his tour bus, has been opening for BNL to promote his self-titled debut album, led by his hit single, “Live Like We’re Dying,” and was in town for back-to-back, sold-out shows at the San Diego venue Anthology. While we didn’t make it to Comic-Con, Barenaked Ladies did. The group was on hand to perform their theme song for the TV show The Big Bang Theory on Friday.
The next day, we caught up with band members Ed Robertson (lead vocals, guitar), Jim Creeggan (vocals, bass), Kevin Hearn (vocals, keyboard, mandolin, guitar, accordion) and Tyler Stewart (drums) at sound check before their concert at Humphreys, an outdoor music venue that overlooks San Diego Bay. While there, the foursome, along with their guitar tech, Keith, and drum tech, Tiny, had the chance to check out the new GS Mini and were immediately taken with it. So much so, in fact, that we lent them a prototype model to take on the road with them. During the show later that evening, Ed Robertson played several songs, including the fan favorite “One Week,” on his main Taylor, a beautiful all-walnut dreadnought W10 made of striking walnut. Kevin Hern also strummed a Taylor, a maple 12-string 656ce, on a couple of tunes. The group’s tour, in support of their latest release, All In Good Time, lasts through August, when they’ll take a break before heading across the pond for a string of gigs in the UK and Ireland. To see Barenaked Ladies in a city near you, please visit http://barenakedladies.com/shows
