The guitar, as an instrument, has always had a face in rock music. From Chuck Berry to Buddy Holly, Richards to Hendrix, Page to Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughn to The Edge, rock music has always had an icon connected to the guitar. In the late 90s and in the 2000s, while rock music was relegated to the backseat while pop music and hip hop began its utter domination of the mainstream music scene, the guitar seemed to have been phased out. Mainstream rock songs no longer had guitar solos. Hell, even indie rock songs didn’t have guitar solos or much extensive guitar work either. There were only 2 artists in the decade of the 2000s that one could aptly apply the “Guitar icon” title toward: Jack White and John Mayer. They seemed to be the last of a dying breed.

Late December 2010.

I was scanning through iTunes looking to spend my iTunes gift cards on something new and worthwhile when I came across an EP by an artist named Gary Clark Jr. I sampled the five tracks on the EP and immediately purchased it, with his song “I Don’t Owe You A Thang” being the highlight. It was evident by listening to it that he was primarily a blues guitarist, and he was good. He put out his first studio album two years later to mixed but mostly positive reviews. For me, it didn’t capture what he was capable of live but it was still a strong record. It didn’t undermine the fact that Gary Clark Jr. was the new guitar icon rock fans were waiting for and he was bringing the guitar back to the forefront of rock music.

Even today, I tend to find myself caught in a number of YouTube video loops, watching all kinds of performances by him. Watching him sink his teeth into a mind-bending guitar solo or extensive jam with the greatest of ease and with that smooth stroke, makes me envious of those in the crowd seeing it first hand. There’s passion and emotion in his playing and the back and forth he has with his backing band makes it playful, even for those in the audience, as if they are all in on the same inside joke. The rhythm that is ingrained in his playing is so fluid and tight that his rhythm section builds upon it with some very impressive playing. Watching Gary Clark Jr. play on videos has caused him to be number one on my “To See Live” list.

The only thing better than one guitar genius is two. It took me nearly two more years to learn about the second one and when I did, his playing hit me at full hurricane force.

January 2014.

Most people have given up on Rolling Stone as being a reliable source for promoting up and coming artists, which for the most part is true but every month they put out a list of the “Top Ten Artists You Should Know About”. I love these lists because it gives me more artists I haven’t heard yet a listen. January 2014’s list included really great artists such as Lake Street Dive and country badass Lydia Loveless, however the list kicked off with a picture of a young, sweaty guitarist hovering in mid-air, with his guitar confidently held, steadfast, ready to take whatever acrobatics its handler wanted to engage in. As an individual his name is Jordan Cook, but as a Guitar God he is known as Reignwolf.

I went on YouTube and pulled up a video of him performing his song “Electric Love” and was left stunned with my jaw dropped on the ground. First what got me was the guitar riff backed by the bass drum kicks Cook was playing himself. It was heavy, melodic and sounded downright nasty. Then he grabbed the mic with his pick hand while still playing the riff with his left hand, and ONLY his left hand! I burst out laughing in an “oh my god how is he doing that” kind of way. I couldn’t move or turn away. I had to know what else he had up his sleeve that he was going to surprise me with. That moment came when he walked behind a full drum kit and began playing that with one hand while still playing the riff with the other! It forced me to dive into a video loop of Reignwolf, wanting to see his performances, hear more of his songs. I simply needed more.

Then about a month or two later, I looked into the lineup for that year’s Newport Folk Festival and to my surprise, Reignwolf was on it! Talked to the wife, bought tickets and analyzed the schedule. No matter what, we had to see his set.

When you know something is going to be an event, you want to get there early enough to have a good spot to witness it. When we arrived at the stage where he was about to go on, we were there twenty minutes early. We might have missed an act or two whose set times overlapped but I figured it was worth it. My wife and I grabbed seats 3 rows from the stage. It didn’t take long before the seats began to fill up and a crowd began surrounding the tent. It was clear Reignwolf’s reputation preceded them.

Reignwolf began his set in the same fashion as I was introduced to him, just him with a guitar, microphone and a bass drum at his feet. He launched into “Electric Love” causing everyone to abandon their seats and stand up. The rest of the show was an onslaught of guitar attacks and feedback. The heavy guitar reminded me of Black Sabbath and the stage antics reminded me of Stevie Ray Vaughn. There was no let up in Reignwolf’s guitar. He stood on top of bass drums, speakers and leaped on the stage. His backing band, one drummer and what I think was his brother on bass, didn’t have to do much, they knew Jordan had it all under control. They were in his world with the rest of us. At one point, Jordan needed help from the security staff to get his bass drum off the stage and set up in the middle of the crowd. He stood on top of it and continued playing. It was a sight to see. I knew it was seeing something special. I looked around at the crowd surrounding the tent. It was as if this crazy guitar sound called to them and huddled everyone around. It was hard to blame anyone who wanted to see.

Afterward, my wife and I made our way to the beer tent to decompress. We were both in awe of Reignwolf’s performance. I commented that “I feel as if I have been reintroduced to what the guitar is capable of.” My wife nodded her head in agreement. I then began to visualize in my head Reignwolf’s rise to “Rock God” status and how I would able to say I saw him when he played the Newport Folk Festival. It was a performance I will never forget. Reignwolf continued to impress audiences all over the map that year, convincing more and more people of his greatness.

In a span of just four years, this decade has already seen two world-class guitarists that can be or will be considered guitar icons of this generation. Gary Clark Jr. is already there with a studio album and a Grammy and praise from legendary guitarists like Clapton and Page. Reignwolf is getting close. 2014 was a year that rock music featured the guitar more prominently (i.e. Benjamin Booker, Against Me!, Foo Fighters, Jack White) and with great guitarists like Gary Clark Jr. and Reignwolf garnering praise from all corners of the industry for their talent, solid guitar playing looks to be making a comeback. Thank god too, because I couldn’t take another decade of the guitar’s absence like the previous decade. It would be a waste.