MAY 2017 BUDDY 11

BUDDYTHE ORIGINAL TEXAS MUSIC MAGAZINE

MAY 2017VOLUME XXXXIV, NUMBER 11

This month, from May 5through May 7, the Dallas Inter-national Guitar Festival will openfor its fortieth anniversary year,showcasing almost every facet ofthis singular icon for thousandsof players, collectors and admir-ers alike. It is the confluence ofall things guitar, a staple in theDallas music scene since its in-ception in 1978.

There was a time when theonly thing vintage came in abottle. Before there were vintageguitars, there were just old gui-tars. Charley Wirz sold guitars.Jimmy Wallace loved old gui-tars. On a guitar playing Sundayafternoon sometime around1977, Charley and Jimmy hadone of those “wouldn’t it be coolif” conversations about old gui-tars and a place to buy them.

“It be cool, if’ÒTHE CONVERSATION WITHWirz, “Charley used to kid me,the actual conception of the showhappened when Charley and Iwere talking, he said, ‘Wallace,you and (Walker) like those oldguitars, why don’t we get sometables and do a show?” That sparkturned “wouldn’t it be cool if”into something really cool.

Originally established by thelate Charley Wirz as cool place toswap, buy or just plain covet oldguitars; the festival has evolvedinto a two-fisted juggernaut,

equal parts showcase and show-place. The original festival tookup just enough space with twelvevendor tables to fill a small smokymeeting room of a non-descriptDallas hotel back in 1978. Sincethen, the show has steadily grownfrom smoky hotel rooms andsuccessively outgrown eachvenue as DIGF continues to reachnew audiences.

The motor of the machinebehind the festival can also befound in the middle of the list ofnotable festival performers. Lo-cal legend, Stratoblaster guitar-ist and DIFG impresario; JimmyWallace devotes the bulk of hisattention and time ensuring thatthe DIGF continues to reach newheights while capturing the origi-nal spirit of the first Dallas guitarshow. Part of that spirit is drawnfrom the instrument itself, asWallace explains, “A guitar ismeant to make music, I don’tcare if it’s played in a living room,or the basement of a church oron stage, I hope the show contin-ues to inspire people to play.”

After the untimely passing ofWirz in 1985, the show was ac-quired by another Dallas guitar-ist and friend of Wirz, Mark Pol-lock. The core nucleus of incu-bators is pretty small. As a part ofthe DIGF DNA from conception,Wallace witnessed the birth ofthe baby, and the growth andtransition under Pollock until

becoming partners with him in1989. Wallace related, “MarkPollock was a successful guitarplayer in his own right when heacquired the show. He was veryindustrious, loved the organiza-tional aspect, the details, the lo-gistics of putting on the show. Iloved the promotion and theplaying, it just worked.”

The PartnershipTHAT PARTNERSHIP SPARK-ed the explosion of the festival’sgrowth that continues throughthis year’s big Fortieth anniver-sary. To put the DIGF in per-spective, Wallace frames it with-out an ounce of Texas hyper-bole, “This year’s show is thebiggest guitar show that’s evertaken place, literally in the his-tory of the world. NAMM (theNorth American Music Mer-chants trade show) is a privateindustry thing, which is great,but this is open to the public andthere are buyers and dealers herefrom all over the world.”

The International part of theDIGF is as true as the name sug-gests. Dealers come in from allparts of the globe; you’ll findpeople from South Africa, theNetherlands, Japan, France, En-gland, Australia, Spain and Bra-zil each looking for the uniqueenvironment that can only befound at the festival. There is noother place on the planet thatbrings all these things together

under one roof.Regardless of whether you

play, or just like the sound of apower chord; there is somethingat the DIGF for everyone. Thereare few places in the world to seeas many cool guitars on displayfor sale, manufacturers and ven-dors from across the guitar uni-verse would love to send youhome with one or two for yourcollection. Love is lost and foundat the show, the man who walksaway with your 1958 SunburstLes Paul will be as happy as youare sad to watch her leave. Thefestival is perhaps the only placeon the planet with a collectiveempathy for your plight.

The holy GrailTHIS YEAR, AMID THE thousands of guitars on displayfor sale, trade or salivation; you’llbe able to see several candidatesfor your own Holy Grail of Gui-tar list, including the Stratocasterthat Jimi Hendrix’ played at theMonterey Pop Festival. In thehands of lesser genius, it mighthave been just another Strat, butthis one painted the SistineChapel live at one of the mosthistoric and iconic moments ofrock history.

There is always an element ofhistory, a thread that still runsfrom the early days to the presentat DIGF. Locals Jimmy Wallaceand Dr. Tom Van Hoose were

vendors at the first festival, andthe only two guitar men to havebeen present for each of the fortyguitar shows. Generations of gui-tar players from across the coun-try have made and continue tomake the pilgrimage each year.Zach Myers, guitarist forShinedown, used to come downto the show as a kid with his dad.Over the years, Myers has builtan impressive collection of hisown, and the DIGF has becomea tradition handed down fromfather to son like baseball forrock and roll.

If you can’t make history withyour Strat like Hendrix, you canbuy a piece of it already made byothers. “I’m really excited to haveTed Nugent selling a part of hiscollection at the show,” Wallacementioned after I asked himabout some of the cool guitars heknew were available at this year’sshow.

The thing that sets the DIGFapart from all of its peers in lesserparts of the world is the weekendlong opportunity to experiencethese guitars in the only real en-vironment that makes sense; inthe hands of extremely accom-plished and legendary players.“Guitars were meant to playmusic on, to bring out the pas-sion for the music. We are cel-ebrating the guitar here, whetherit be your passion to collect orplay or just listen.”

Each year, the list of DIGF

The confluence ofall things guitar.

The Dallas International Guitar Festival Looks at 40.By S.D. HendersonWITH JUST SIX MOVING PARTS, THEWguitar accomplishes more as an icon andWan instrument than just about any other

tool or tradition known to man. Emblematic of theprinciples of democracy, all players hit the same sixstrings, but equality ends at the E string.

Mark Pollock was a successfulguitar player in his own rightwhen he acquired the show. Hewas very industrious, loved theorganizational aspect, thedetails, the logistics of puttingon the show. I loved thepromotion and the playing, itjust worked.”

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–JIMMY WALLACE

performers blends deep locallyflavored roots with internation-ally respected credentials. It’sactually a lot easier to list theguitarists who haven’t performedat the festival. If you made aquick list of the most amazingplayers in history; Clapton,Satriani, Malmsteen, Chet Atkins,Billy Gibbons, James Burton.Check, check, check, check, andyep check; they’ve all played thefestival, and you’d still be leavingthe majority of the list of legend-ary DIGF performers off yourlist. You’ll find combinations ofguitarist on stage that you neverdreamed about, think ChetAtkins standing next to TedNugent, only at DIGF.

The 2017 lineup of just a fewof the on-stage performers readslike a laundry list of legendaryguitar men: from headliner TedNugent and Derek St. Holmes,Paul Reed Smith (yes, the guythat made your PRS SE22 foryoung readers), Jimmy Wallace,Monte Montgomery, to AndyTimmons and Rob Balducci arejust a few of the dozens of vir-tuoso slingers with their skills ondisplay throughout the weekend.To ensure that the roots of Texasguitar grow deep, the festival alsocelebrates 10 Under 20, a show-case of ten young guitarists whowill be the next generation topick up where current legendsleave off.

The Dallas International Gui-tar Show truly reflects theconfluence of all things guitar.Starting May 5 at Market Hall inDallas and running through May7, you’ll have a unique opportu-nity to immerse yourself in140,000 square feet of the singu-lar icon that is the guitar.

Whether you just want tolook, buy, sell, trade or listen;there isn’t going to be anotheropportunity like this one for an-other 51 weeks.

For Wallace and the small-dedicated army of folks who pourtheir efforts into this celebrationof the guitar, May 7 isn’t the end.At midnight, the clock will turnover to May 8, which will markday one of preparing for year 41.The thread that started with aconversation in Oak Cliff willbegin weaving through the nextincarnation of the Dallas Inter-national Guitar Festival.

It’s all a part of the celebra-tion of the guitar, as Wallaceputs it, “It’s been such a journey.I just love the celebration of itall.” Dallas is a richer place as aresult. ■

They were perfect partners: Mark Pollock and Jimmy Wallace poising for a Buddy cover

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