AJ Ghent Purple Rain 6.11.16

Woodstock, Georgia:  Coaxing a fantastic noise from his red, custom made 8-string lap steel/Telecaster hybrid, AJ Ghent - in the purple spotlight - with his band created a perfect sonic syzygy covering Prince's Purple Rain.  Ghent's vocals alone soar effortlessly into the upper octaves - but with his finger cuffed in a glass slide, Ghent sends Purple Rain into another stratosphere of sound.  He accompanies his own voice with that of the red guitar - adding eerie dimensions beyond the Prince sound, venturing into a tone similar to the theremin or whale song. Ghent's playing technique hints of dobro mojo, both hands gliding - sometimes percussively, over the top of the guitar. The style - called 'Sacred Steel' - is a unique family legacy and imbues Ghent with the power to sock a double-whammy to Purple Rain. 

Performance reviewed by TLL, 6.11.16 at MadLife Stage and Studios - Woodstock, GA.
Photo from band website.