It was the Chicago Auditorium. Had to be the late 70's. Back in the days when Patchouli hung heavy in the air, the the smell of hemp filled the ancient arena. I was walking in to see the opening act on at two act bill.. don't remember who the headliner was. Just remembered thinking "oh shit, I'm late, this band is already playing!" and hustling to get in to my seat. I mean I heard a bass line, a rhthym section and someone playing lead.. and I walked in and saw that it was all just one guy sitting up on stage. I stopped in my tracks, dumbstruck, listening to now, 30 years later, one of my favorite tracks of all time. Locomotion i think it was called. and a slide in there as well.. how could I forget? anyways, thanks for a lifetime of leo leo.
 

I have never seen Leo Kottke in concert ... but... the first time I saw a video of him playing I was moved to tears - seriously.
 

I got Leo Kottke's cell phone # from the wall of my landlord, a guitar tech at Capitol City guitars in Olympia. Poor Todd was so proud Leo had given him his number (for some work he was having done before a set) that he put it up on the wall. I copied it down and called him like 2 years later, of course forgetting we could be in completely different time zones, and though I obviously roused him from a pleasant slumber, and though rather baffled, he was of genuine good humor when I apologized and explained that I could not help myself any longer. Anyway, the moral of the story is-- I f you ain't got something worth saying, wait until you do before you call your heroezs on their cell phones!

No you can not have that number....
 

I saw Leo play at a venue in Nevada City, California.  Evidently something was amiss with the pickup system in his 12 string guitar, and he showed some understandable concern about doing the whole show with the six string.  It was probably my favorite performance of his I've seen.  His charm and humor, self-deprecating wit and gift with the guitar...ANY guitar...made the show that much more special.  I will remember it always.
 

Man,....My Mom said she almost gave birth to me at a Leo Kottke concert.It was in 76' and I guess somewhere in North Texas.She said he came by and asked "Are you gonna be OK little momma?" So my first impressions were from within the womb,but 30 years later I still dig it.

 

..
 

It was in Texarkana, 1983, I saw Leo at the Strand Theatre, my wife was with me. I remember being excited to watch him again because of the joy he played with. We had eaten at Red Lobster earlier that day, our anniversary dinner and was quite full and happy and looking forward to an exciting evening of guitar music. Being somewhat of a guitarist myself I couldn't help being excited at the opportunity I might learn something new. As we arrived at the theatre we found our place on the front row, stage right, and settled in. My heart was pounding with anticipation! After a few minutes, waiting for the show to start, I started to feel a little uneasy and noticed there began a slight rumble in my tummy. But soon Leo appeared and I felt better. After 4-5 songs the rumble began again and started to feel quite uncomfortable. Leo kept looking at me and my first thought was, "He's looking at me because he knows I'm a guitarist too!" After several more glances and sight exchanges, I became aware of the fact that Leo could possibly be distracted by my wiggling, crossing of the legs, changes in sitting postions, etc. This made me even more uncomfortable which heightened my gastronomic problems. I soon became aware that perhaps my face was changing colors but I convinced myself I just overwhelmed with the music and I had perhaps gone into another dimension. The pressure kept building and I strained with every fiber of my being to hang on every single note Leo played. As he was nearing the end of his performance I became aware of the fact that I wasn't going to make it. Damn, this can't be happening! Finally, 2-3 songs before the end I had to search for a bathroom. I sat there thinking it was all Red Lobsters fault for denying me an enjoyable experience with my wife and Leo Kottke!  As I left the restroom, people were making a wide circle around the bathroom door, a couple of ladies actually put their hand over their noses! I found my wife and her response was,'too bad, you missed the best stuff'.I went home with mixed feelings of despair and joy and have never recovered!!

So, my story today is I was so moved by Leo's music, so uplifted, so joyful, and exuberant, that it actually served as a cleansing for my body and soul!!  Thanks Leo for the healthy advice!! love ya! Bueller

 

almost the whole show he only played and sang. he would start playing the next song while everyone was applauding the last one. he never said hi or its good to be here or the name of the next track is ___ and its a song I wrote about ___. but then late in the show after finishing a tune he broke pattern and starting speaking into the mic completely deadpan: "a snail was walking down the street and got mugged by a turtle. the snail went to the police station. the officer on duty asked for a description of the assailant. the snail replied 'I can't recall anything; it all happened so fast.'" and then he didn't wait for the laughter he just launched into the next one.
 

May 20 2007
Leo Kottke in Andrew Park, Norman, Oklahoma

About 2pm Sunday afternoon some friends and myself loaded up the guitars
and headed north out of Fort Worth on I-35, bound for Norman, Oklahoma and
a free concert in the park there with acoustic guitar hero Leo Kottke.
After a two and a half hour drive (the weather was perfect), we arrived and
searched out the park and found the amphitheatre where preparations for the
show were underway. Shortly after setting up base camp under a tree, Leo appeared
onstage for his soundcheck. This proved to be almost as entertaining as the formal
performance later; exchanges with the sound man, playing bits of songs to get a feel
for the venue's acoustics, ruminations and asides that, for a long time Kottke fan
such as myself, were fascinating. Kottke is notorious for his attention to detail
relating to his stage sound (he has called himself a "tone-freak"). After the soundcheck,
Leo retired backstage as the crowd filling the amphitheatre gradually swelled. Lotsa
Kottke fans in Oklahoma! Kottke himself lived in Muskogee as a kid, which is where he
got his first guitar, he would later reflect. At 7:30pm sharp, Leo was introduced and as
always, came out carrying his signature Taylor 6 and 12 string guitars. Without a
word he plugged in and launched into a suprising medley of "Disco" and "Morning is
the Long Way Home". We were in guitar Nirvana. He was onstage almost two hours, the
time split pretty equally between playing and singing, and telling stories, which topics
included: an ill-fated attempt at stealing a BB gun at age ten (the song "Alley Oop"
intervened); a childhood obsession with Stravinsky's "Petrushka"; a producer who during a
recording session wanted to bring in someone else to sing over Leo's instrumentals;
a centipede attack on a stage in the Virgin Islands,etc. He closed with an encore of
"June Bug", my all time favorite slide piece of his. Leo had alluded to a performance by
a firedancer but I thought he was kidding, but sure enough after Leo took his leave, a young
girl with firepots appeared and danced to the strains of some Indian techno raga.
Wow. As if all this weren't enough, we met Leo backstage and he signed our guitars!
I'm not an autograph hound, but having his sig on the 12-string that I have owned since
I started listening to his music back in the 70's was a thrill. As you would expect, a
down to earth very nice guy offstage. Here's the setlist:

Disco>Morning is the Long Way Home
Jack Fig
Louise
Too Fast
Standing in My Shoes
Ants (A new tune!)
Living in the Country
Twilight Time
Corrina Corrina
Julie's House
Little Martha
Ojo
Rings
June Bug (encore)

Thanks to the good people of Norman and the Performing Arts Society there.
 

I lived in Telluride, Colorado for 7 years, and every year I made sure to see Leo when he came to town. It never failed to lift my spirits, which seriously needed lifting while I was living there. Telluride is a box canyon that is in the most beautiful place I have ever been, but god was I depressed while I was living there.
 

I had been listening to Leo Kottke since the late 70s. I saw him in concert- Chapel Hill, NC in (or around) '86. A double date with friends. Leo was sharing the bill with New Grass Revival (first time I saw Bela Fleck live also!). My buddy (apotheosis di musica) and I were watching everything Leo did with his hands and still had to ask "how is he doing that?!"
Superb!
Now I listen to him every chance I get, on NPR (PHC) or youtube. And have him on the ole iPod.
 

Last summer I saw you play in my hometown at the Big Top Chautaugua. IT was an amazing evening and couldn't of asked any more of you...specially after you played the snorkel song!! Please come back, i'll be there...maybe not in front but most likely dancing to your beautiful beats and rhythms in the back under the stars! Best of luck, thanks for learning to pay the guitar the way you do!
 

Mine's really not that fascinating, I'm afraid. A close friend was a promoter in Oklahoma City, and brought Leo with Michael Hedges (a dear friend whom I miss so) in what was a beautiful, exciting, fun concert. We were hanging backstage waiting to visit with Hedges when Leo Kottke himself walks up to us. We were really fired up, thinking this was going to be some unforgetable conversation...and he says he left his change in his other pants, could he borrow 50 cents to buy a coke?
What's horrid is that between Susan and I we had to really dig into our pockets/purse to come up with it, but we finally found 50 cents. I was worth the nickles and dimes, I can always say I bought Leo Kottke a Coke, and every time I hear him on the radio (God bless Garrison Keillor) I remember our heartfelt, personal relationship.
Life takes funny turns some times, neither Susan nor Michael's with us any more, but I still cherish the music, and love Leo Kottke.
 

I don't know how many times I've seen him play, maybe 6. One of the most memorable was late September of 2001 in Woodstock, Illinois. I remember it being the first public event I experienced after 9/11 that didn’t mention it. That night was such a relief, such a balm to our world-weariness.

I always love hearing him talk about other musicians he’s known, usually ones I’ve never heard of, who, like him, stayed below the music industry radar, preferring instead to be true to themselves. This time it was Frisbee Boom Boom Fuller, Bill Evans, Leon Redbone, and David Lindley. I’ve heard of Leon Redbone and David Lindley. Leo said that Mr. Fuller always wanted them to call him Boom Boom but that no one would. They did call him Friz. As if with a name like Frisbee Boom Boom, he needed a colorful nickname.

Leo played one of his songs about a guy named Enrico robbing the train to Chico and losing a body part to the train. Other topics of his interludes included the fact that the upper arm is supposedly the most tasty meat on the human body, someone he knew who knew the dentist of Jeffrey Dommer while he was in prison told him that, when shrimp learn to whistle (one of his favorite titles to one of his songs), the refrain that “Germans have done for the consonant what Hawaiians did for the vowel” (spoken with the good old German disregard for the Polish), a short soliloquy on how his right leg is getting shorter (for the first time that I’ve seen him, he was sitting down to play and the body of the guitar rested on that leg), and how he walked into a concrete beam in Italy both entering the stage and exiting.

I’m beginning to think he does the little stammering, absent-minded rambles to keep himself and maybe his audience from becoming completely hypnotized. Somewhere in there he mentioned how he loved playing live more than making records. He makes records just so the music industry people don’t forget about him, he said.

Unlike anybody else I’ve heard live, he really is worth going out of your way to experience, no doubt, in part, because he chooses to play in lovely places like Woodstock with very small crowds. He only occasionally mentions a song title and there have been some that he played I’ve never been able to find. Some of the best, most melodic and beautiful. He still seems most identified with the athletic bursts of speed up and down the fretboard. But, as he gets older, it seems that’s waning some, in favor of the mezmerizing and the simply beautiful. He blamed one little misnote on his thumb towards the end of the concert and then when he came out for his encore and went to hit the first note, he flinched and stopped. His callous was coming off. Obviously it hurt. But he went ahead and played.
 

hi, i'm sam. i'm 17 and i've had the privilege of seeing him in concert twice. the first time in cambridge minnesota 2 years ago, and second time tonight at the state theater in minneapolis. i may not remember all the jokes in between songs, but his recorded stuff (although amazing) doesnt even come close to the experience u get when u see him live. he is easily one of the greatest musicans, no matter the genera, to see live.
 

No one meeting or seeing stands out ... because they all do. I have seen Leo probably 5-6 times since I was first introduced to his music(1972) with 'Circle Round the Sun'. But it wasn't until I heard the live 'My Feet Are Smiling', that his style profoundly changed mine.

I've seen him in L'ville, Ky when I lived there and then about 4 times since I moved to the Salt Lake Valley. Snowbird pavillion, front row seats and he wasn't the main billing (???), but to be so close and watch his every chord change and hear all those sounds coming from 1 guitar, was, at the least, amazing.

I am now proud to call him my guitar hero, I have based my style off of finger picking/guitar slapping rythyms that could've come from no-one else...of course until Michael Hedges came along... and then left (though his music still rings on)(we miss you Michael). ...But Leo is still here and we hear and I still love and will always love his playing. He changed the perspective of what guitar playing really 'is'. Thanks Mr. Leo

Two days and counting and I'll get to see him again at Weber State Univ. in Ogden, Utah where I now live...maybe there will be a follow-up to this... I'm sure the performance will be practice inspiring...

Peace
REA
 

Sometime around 1980, Leo played a concert at Chumash Auditorium at Cal Poly. The crowd went wild between almost every song. I for one was getting desperate to hear him play "Owls" because I had figured it out but something still didn't sound right and I wanted to see how he played it, so, during the applause, I would yell out "Owls" at the top of my lungs, nearly hopeless that it would do any good because everyone else was so much louder.

After the show, Leo hung around and signed posters and albums and I was able to ask him why he never played my request. He told me that he heard me yelling but couldn't remember how it went.
 

I saw Leo Kottke perform at the zoo amplitheatre in oklahoma city i guess it was around 1979 or so, it was fantastic! i was playing 12 string i was 16-17 i was heavily influenced with his stlye.the only acoustic guitarist i could compare with him at the time was Jorma Kaukonen.And then there's Fred Neil who Leo and him compared vocally, but Fred's baritone was a lot richer.leo's guitar style was a little more fingerstyle than Fred's....
 

It was the WInter of 1977. My woman, Linda, and I, were living near Dinkytown. Her best friend Jennie, had recently broken up with her guy, and we were trying to get her back out on the firing line. We took her to a Japanese Art Film, "In the Realm of the Senses", and boy did that backfire. Then Leo's Christmas Concert was announced, so we bought three tickets. We played "My Feet Are Smiling" for her, and though she wasn't sure if she like it, she must have figured it would be safer than the movie was, and consented to go. Halfway through the performance, Leo told a story about riding with his brother and his daughter, in his brother's new Land Rover, I think it was. They were traveling at such a high rate of speed, Leo's niece said, "Slow Down, Dad! I can't get my finger out of my nose!". We'll that cracked Jennie up. She liked the music right away, but that line, hooked her on the Character attached to the guitar. To this day, that line still makes her laugh, and she has the most complete collection of Leo's work, of any of his fans that I know.
SRT
 

1973, Portland, Oregon I walked into Rob Ehler's shop. Rob was making guitars in an upstairs room on the NorthEast side with a guy named Bruce Burns at the time and though I didn't know it, building me a D-35 "copy" at the request of my now-dead brother. I have no idea why I was walking into Rob's shop that day except we were friends and I liked to watch guitars in progress. Rob had a couple of guitars on the bench and a guy standing there talking with him.
Having worked at KINK and played the Tacome album instantly upon discovering it (And instantly getting the most phone calls ever for a new record),
I had seen a picture or two of Leo. I looked at the dude and said, "You're Leo Kottke.
"
He was in no mood to argue.

 

I have become very dear friends lately with an old roommate of Leo's from his college days. He has been telling me stories of hanging out in the dorm room listening to his roommate play and being blown away at what he was capable of. He is a musician himself, though has never felt the confidence to do what he does outside of the comfort of his own home. But in the comfort of his dorm room he and Leo would play. They became very good friends. And over the years as Leo has accomplished more and more incredible feats, my friend has been able to appreciate from the sidelines, yet hold the memory of what is was like to be right there, listening, absorbing, appreciating this incredible talent from a couple of feet away.

 

I saw Leo about 6-7 years ago at Mishawaka Amphitheater, which is about 14 miles outside of Ft Collins, Colorado in the canyon of the Poudre River. It was an afternoon show in a beautiful setting, the stage is made out of logs and is literally right on the edge of the river. Anyway, during one song, Leo noticed that nobody was looking at him, but rather off to the right (his left) of the stage. After he finished the song he asked the crowd: "What in the world are you looking at?" and then walked to the edge of the stage to take a look. A small herd of around 6 bighorn sheep had come down the mountain on the other side of the river and were watching what was going on. Absolutely priceless.

 

If you need a newspaper clipping, for proof of this story I still have my review from when Leo and I played together.


Thanks,
Rhonda
 

Hi, my name is Rhonda Cunningham and I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was Leo's opening act here in Tulsa, at a place called "Chapman Music Hall". (It's only seats about 4,000, but real nice hall.
)
The concert hall was almost new, when I was asked to open for Leo by a local promoter. Of course, I was very excited because I already knew who he was and had some of his music. I'll never forget, when I was in my dressing room before the concert. I heard this tap, tap on the door and it was Leo sticking his head introducing himself. He said, "I hear you're my opening act." I was very nervous because I, no way would compare my guitar playing with his and I told him that. I told him that I was a vocalist and he told me that he sounded like a frog in a pickle barrel. At the time, I had just gotten my Guild F512 and it was sitting out, because I had inspected the tuning on it. He said, "Do you mind if I play your guitar?" I said, "I would be honored." After he played it, he handed it back to me and said, "Hey, is your guitar hand made?" I said, "No it's just a factory Guild." He replied, "Wow, it sounds pretty good for a mass produced guitar." LOL. He is a terrific guy, who has an awesome sense of humor. And he is a gentleman. Take Care Leo, and I wish you all the best in your life.

 

I sure do! Columbus, Ohio, April 23, 1976 at Mershon Auditorium on the OSU campus. Several of us pile in my Chevy pick-up and drive up from Marietta, Ohio to see Leo. Someone else was on the venue but we didn't care, we're going to see the greatest guitar player ever. As always, Leo put on one helluva of a show, leaving my buddy Tony and I with dropped jaws. After the show, we hung around while others made their way out of the auditorium. His guitars were still out on the stage and we wanted a closer look at them, especially the Bozo. Up to the stage we went when his road crew began clearing the stage. Fortunately they were packing monitors and other gear so the guitars got a good look from us, ooo's and ah's. From the left side of the stage, out walked Leo. Walked over to us and began bullshitting about the guitars and stuff. My ticket stud was in my pack of Boro's so I took it out and he signed it. If you go to myspace. com/cottonwooddrift, the ticket is on my page. Leo Kottke is one of the finest guitarist and entertainers there ever was and though I'm 54 now, I remember that night at Mershon like it was yesterday. Tony has since passed away, but I'm so glad that I got to meet Leo with him! Thanks again Leo.

 

I had a major crush (since 5th grade) on a hippie guitarist that was totally unrequited and largely virtual. I thought I would get tickets for us to see Leo Kottke at the Berklee Performance Center to inspire and delight him; the loner stoner who had previously defined my musical and romantic tastes. Well, I was dissed but I went to the concert with a sympathetic woman friend who knew both of us. Leo's music was a healing balm to my turbulent teenage soul and his songs transported me to lands with clear running brooks, high corn fields and slow Sunday mornings with more down-to-earth and accessible loves. His music had charms to soothe and it still takes me to happy places, weaves stories in highly articulate picking and opens my imagination to sunnier sky blue horizons beyond frets and fretting.
Masterful mood music! (and my almost date's loss not to hear it live!)
 

I saw Leo at the Arvada Center in Arvada Colorado in the 1980's, he blew me away. I never heard anyone play a 12 string like Leo Kottke. We used to say he had the fastest picking fingers this side of the rocks. I always loved " Louise rode home on the mail train" . His style is like know one else. HEY LEO! keep on pick'in Bro...
 

The first time I heard Leo Kottke (at The Great Southeast Music Hall in Atlanta, Georgia) I was just A kid. It must have been around 1970. There was a busload of us. The area where we were dropped had a skating rink and a "movie theater." The theater, of course, was where we ended up - at the concert. In the lobby they were selling beer and vinyl record albums. There was also a jar for donations to aid a child they had "adopted" through Christian Children's Fund or some similar agency. Inside the auditorium, the seats were low to the floor. Leo was ranting about a large company (Coca-Cola, perhaps) stealing one of his songs. His playing amazed me, and I've been a fan ever since.


I've had the pleasure of seeing him play once since moving to Maui as an adult. The show was at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater. His storytelling has become wonderful over the years. My husband got to see him for the first time that night.
I sincerely hope there will be more!
 

Well I grew up in the next house down from him in Minnesota. So I was introduced to his amazing guitar when I was quite young. Definitely an influence.
How does he play the guitar like that?
 

omgoshhhhh life changing!



i went to a verryyy small hippie/biker venue outside of the beautiful town of fort collins, colorado and sat directly underneath leo, trying to soak it all in



ever since then ive been in love with playing/listening to acoustic :)



i even talked to him and got some motivational advice :) ammazing dayy