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Community Corner

Eddie Owen presents The Lefty Williams Band + ZANGARO - feat. dangfly! & Little Boxes

Live at Red Clay Theatre in downtown Duluth
ABOUT LEFTY...

Not just a great one-armed guitar player, a great guitar player.

A skilled guitarist with over two decades of experience, Lefty Williams holds songcraft and musicianship at a premium. By emphasizing each equally on his ironically titled sophomore album Snake Oil, he engages and enlightens the listener. In turn, we fall for Williams’ powerful guitar licks and candid songs, often long before the origin of his nickname—he was born without a right hand—is clear. And by then, it’s just another dimension to his talent. 

"I definitely don’t wanna shy away from my arm," says the Atlanta born-and-bred songwriter/musician, who’s been playing guitar since age 4. He started out strumming with the end of his "nubb," and fashioned his first prosthetic pick at 6. "I was just using the skin on my arm—the same way a fingerstyle player would use his thumb. Then I wanted to play faster." On his grandfather’s hunch, Lefty approached his prosthetician who devised a sock-like leather wrap. "It didn’t work at all," he laughs, saying he finally "tore apart my prosthetic arm," using the strap and part of the harness to fashion something that worked. 

Henceforth a self-taught musician, Lefty refined his skills by listening. "After my dad taught me basic chords, he showed me how to figure it out on my own. I remember we were listening to the guitar solo part of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and my dad pointing out all the guitar parts that were going on in the background and saying, ‘That’s the kinda stuff you gotta listen for. If you can figure all those out and how to play ‘em at the same time, you can make it sound like the record.’"

Soon Lefty was transcribing songs by Steppenwolf, Led Zeppelin and Yes before moving on to more difficult material. By 11, he was playing in bands. "Death metal!" he laughs. While playing upright bass in the school orchestra he learned how to read music, and in 1998 he made his way to the Atlanta Institute of Music to hone his guitar skills. There he found that his condition put him on equal—if not higher—footing than his peers and instructors at the Atlanta Institute of Music, who envied his "perfect" picking technique. After graduating with honors, Lefty was offered a teaching position at AIM. During that time, he gravitated from metal to grunge bands learning valuable lessons from each. 

This knowledge served him well as he grew into the bluesy, jazzy style he plays today, which nods to Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughn and early Led Zeppelin—all artists that understand the importance of a great song. Lefty also heeded their performances, and worked to construct a combustible live show with the Lefty Williams Band, which quickly became a big draw at local and regional clubs like Smith’s Olde Bar (Atlanta), Murphy’s (Boone, North Carolina) and The Dunedin Brewery (Dunedin, Florida). The LWB has also opened for the likes of Gov’t Mule, Tim Reynolds, Little Feat, Jimbo Mathus, Col. Bruce and the Quark Alliance and the Chris Duarte Group.

ABOUT ZANGARO...

Atlanta musician Vince Zangaro is a man with a musical mission. After his dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers, Zangaro left his corporate job to care for his ailing parent. The lessons within this dynamic have re-inspired Zangaro's love for music and his natural songwriting abilities have blossomed. Zangaro pens story-songs about his struggle to understand his father's Alzheimers and the challenges they face together. Life themes of addiction, illness and survival surface in Zangaro's songwriting. Joined by some of Atlanta's top musicians Matthew Trautwein of Bill Gentry Band, Karma Lingo 2.0 and The Lost Boys, Anne Marie Perry & Doug Myers of Green Bracelet, Jason Blaauw ,CJ Duane, Bradd Poole and Justin Powell. Zangaro's music is often compared to Dave Matthews or Red Hot Chili Peppers. A stunning vocalist, Zangaro sounds much like Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgin. Zangaro's musical mission is to promote Alzheimers awareness and bring hope and help to the disempowered and misunderstood.

Zangaro is also writing with many other artists and looks forward to sharing all his projects with his supporters.

ABOUT LITTLE BOXES...

Atlanta based Acoustic/Folk-Punk Band. Two Chicks. Two Guitars. Eight cups of coffee. One kick-ass sound.

Little Boxes was formed in the Summer of 2011. Haseena stumbled upon the talented Cady Marie Staggs (kickass pipes, guitarist, composer), who is perhaps the most unique addition yet. Both hungry for the stage, Haseena and Cady are now recording their first Studio Album and will be continuing to take over Georgia within the next year. Little Boxes has played in venues such as The Hard Rock Cafe in Madrid, Spain, The Redlight Cafe, The Five Spot, The Masquerade, Berry College, Rome GA, Drunken Unicorn, Masquerade, Under The Couch etc. 

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