When Honky Tonk sensation Junior Brown seizes the stage Saturday at the Copper Dragon, the crowd may find his instrument of choice to be anything but traditional.

Curb Records publicist Ivey Landsey said Guit-Steel, Brown’s unique guitar invention, is the perfect tool to accurately exploit Brown’s country and rock talents. The instrument is a half-electric/half-steel guitar that Brown created.

He invented this instrument, and he’s mastered playing it. It’s unique because it has two necks, Landsey said. The first is a regular neck and the second is a pedal steel neck.

Advertisement

Brown has become so adept at playing Guit-Steel that he is able to switch from neck to neck in the middle of songs.

Its like having two guitars, Landsey said. People are fascinated by the look and the fact that he’s mastered playing both of them.

Guit-Steel would never have been more than a passing thought if Brown’s father’s would have had his way in terms of what instrument he should play.

Brown, who has been nominated for three Grammys, was scrupulously taught the piano by his father at an early age.

As Brown grew older, his instrument of choice became the guitar, which was against his parents’ wishes. When Brown was 17, he left his parents’ home to make it on his own.

He wanted to be a musician. He left home to follow a dream, Landsey said. He didn’t start out playing the music we hear today. He played a lot of surf music, and he did a lot of small shows.

Brown began playing in bars in Santa Fe, N.M. and then he moved to Albuquerque where he first started playing country. Brown eventually ended up in Austin, Texas where he became an instructor at the Hank Thompson School of Country Music at Rogers State University.

Advertisement*

In 1985, Guit-Steel was born. Now this unique fusion of guitars helps him attract attention from a slew of popular big name musicians and television hosts.

Metallica and Primus are just a few big name artists that come to see Brown play when he’s in New York and Los Angles, Landsey said. David Letterman invited him to sit in with [The Late Show] band because of his musical talent and great crowd response in New York and Los Angeles.

The positive crowd response is not limited to the coasts. Copper Dragon general manager James Karayiannis wanted Brown to perform because of his massive crowd appeal within the area.

[Brown] is a high energy performer and a big regional draw. He brought people from as far away as Granite City and St. Louis, he said. About half of the tickets sold as soon as the news got out.

Local fan Jim Reh of Carbondale enjoys Brown because of his sly ability to play a variety of musical styles.

I’m not a country music lover, but I love Junior Brown, he said. He’s unique. He plays so many styles of music, and he’s a great musician.

Susan Addington of Makanda has gotten into Brown’s music because of his ability to energize the crowd and rock out on stage.

I can’t believe he’s coming to Carbondale. He’s going to rock you right out of your seat. she said. Prepare to be rocked out of your pants because he plays like the country boy from hell.

Factoid:Tickets for the Junior Brown/Area Code 618 show are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For further information, call 549-2319.

Country rockers Area Code 618 will warm up the crowd at around 10 p.m.