Will Lou Larson guitarist from the group “America’s Next Hero?†be America’s next guitar hero? Lou Larson should be America’s next guitar hero, but chances are slim he will be picked for this coveted award, because of his “overly rebellious attitude.â€
Lou was born into the shadow of poverty and soot from the steel mills of Pittsburg Pa. Dreaming of being a guitar hero, but unable to afford a guitar, Lou practiced on a broom visualizing the fierce noises he would make when he could afford a guitar of his own. Lou hitchhiked from Pittsburg across the US wearing out his welcome at many music stores. Since, he could not afford a guitar of his own he would go into music stores and practice on the store’s guitars, working out ideas he had incubated on the broom. He often dreamed of being discovered by a famous producer or musician while practicing in various music stores, but he would be thrown out by greedy store employees before this dream could manifest itself. In 1995 while hitchhiking through Cincinnati Ohio he was attacked by vicious punk rockers for being “overly rebellious’ and his leg was broken, and broom stolen. Luckily for Lou, after a lengthy convalescence he escaped Cincinnati and its dangerously conservative punk rockers.
Entering Kentucky represented the turn of luck for Lou, and after crossing the river from Cincinnati to Kentucky, Lou found a discarded shovel and quickly started adapting the techniques he had developed on broom. The shovel was much better weapon, and it allowed Lou to start a career as a gravedigger. The shovel was much stronger and had a broader range of uses than the broom. Lou could not be intimidated and forced to conform, now that his choice of instrument was a shovel. He would dig in, and stand his ground. Lou looked back with regret on the all the time and energy he had committed to working with the broom (not recognizing its limitations). The money Lou earned with his shovel allowed him to purchase his first guitar. The years of practicing on the shovel really paid off, and Lou has quickly adapted his groundbreaking ideas to guitar.
James Feist virtuoso percussionist was the missing link need to complete the DNA of America’s Next Hero. James a dedicated trap-kit player in the tradition of Elvin Jones, and Billy Cobham experienced a life changing event when the Video Tape “Easy Rider†became lodged in his VCR. Living in the back country of Ohio James was forced to watch “Easy Rider†repeatedly, while holding out for Cable to be installed in his village. Fueled by boredom Jim set out for the County Fair and was lucky enough to witness Evil Knievel’s attempt to jump 30 busses on a motorcycle, inspired by Evil Knievel’s courage and repeated viewings of “Easy Rider†Jim hastily made a decision to sell his car and use his stunt motorcycle as his only source of transportation. This left Jim relying on his band mates to transport his trap kit because it took multiple trips on the stunt motorcycle, and after several missed concerts, Jim realized he was going to have to make drastic decision and develop a percussion instrument that could be transported on a stunt motorcycle. James quickly made the transition to Tabla, and after only 4 years of study and multiple trips to India, Jim was ready to break into the music scene of rural Ohio. Unfortunately he did not receive the welcome he had expected and after being fired from several jam bands for his “overly rebellious attitude†James was ready to give up on music. Luckily, fate intervened and Jim was introduced to Lou at the local farming supply store. Sharing a common approach to music they were destined to become “America’s Next Hero.
