Stevie Wonder Performance, Harpejji Instrument, and Austin Concert
A detailed account of a Stevie Wonder concert at the Frank Irwin Center in Austin, Texas, describes the "Songs in the Key of Life Experience" tour. The performance featured 30 musicians and a guest appearance by India.Arie. Technical details are provided for the Harpejji, a stringed instrument developed in 2007 by Tim Meeks that bridges the gap between guitar and piano layouts.
stevie wonder· austin· frank irwin center· harpejji· tim meeks· marcotti musical products
00:00 That's the kind of idiot she was. I'm Adam Curry. And from Northern Silicon Valley where the rain is rolling in finally, I'm John C. Dvorak. It's Crackpot and Buzzkill! In the morning! I only give weather reports. Exactly. Only on the 8's though. You know, you playing that harp reminds me of last night.
00:41 God I hope it's not what you're gonna say. I don't know what you think I'm gonna say I'll tell you Christina, and I went to the Stevie Wonder songs in the key of life experience tour here in Austin Stevie Wonder's on the road. Yeah, oh good with um man. It was fantastic at the Frank Irwin Center Which I've never been to that's a 16,000 seat arena Which was almost full like they can't sell that you know the the seats inside back at the stage But there must have been 12,000 people there
01:20 What's this arena normally used for? Basketball. Oh, okay. I would just say concerts pretty much, but also basketball. And at a certain point... It's on the campus of UG? Yes, it is. At a certain point, all of a sudden I went, what? Dvorak's here? But it was Stevie playing harmonica, so... Yeah, exactly the same. Wouldn't know the difference I have to say John this if if you have an opportunity you got to go to this You really got to go to this show. It was a bit. It's like a three and a half hour show the guy doesn't stop And he's preaching a message of love and everybody was all singing in the love and everyone's a love fast it was nice Yeah, it was he played a new instrument, which I think we should investigate Okay, the harpogy
02:14 Harpagy. Are you familiar with the Harpagy? No, there's a bunch of these these It's a wind it's a it's like a harmonica, but it's not kind of instruments. There's a slew of them. Yeah, but that's not the Harpagy. The Harpagy, H-A-R-P-E-J-J-I is a stringed musical instrument developed in 2007 by Tim Meeks, founder of Marcotti Musical Products and the instrument aims to bridge the gap in sound and technique between guitar and the piano. Playing surface as an isomorphic keyboard layout arranged in ascending whole tones across strings. The ascending semitones as the strings travel away, etc. etc. So you tap on it. It looks like one of those things, what's the name of those things? Looks a bit like a zither. Yeah, and the ones that hippies used to play. The auto harp.
03:04 Remember the auto-harp? That was no good. But then Indy Ari was the special guest. I mean, the whole thing was just really good. Greg Phelan Gaines, musical director. They have, he had 30 musicians on stage. You get 30 musicians and 30 Stevie Wonder hits and a good time is had by all. No bad. And the fun... I'm looking at this crazy thing. I can't figure out... And the cool thing is, to Christina, so you know, there's two generations there. And all of a sudden she goes, oh cool, he's doing Gangs of Paradise! Which you won't get that joke, but someone out there will. Okay. Never mind. Well, that's good. I'm glad you got out. Yes. Yeah. And
