Long Live Rock-and-Roll on 23rd Street

Remember Vlad, the scruffy looking fellow who used to play the guitar, grimacing as he did so, at the corner of 7^th Ave. and 23^rd.  Well, he’s back.  The reason he hadn’t been around for awhile was that some jerk complained about him and the cops had to give him a ticket and tell him to move along—even though they really didn’t want to.  The problem was that Vlad was using an amplifier—a necessity for a guitar to be heard above the cacophony of

23^rd St.  The prospect of further tickets—and maybe even the slammer—looming before him, Vlad moved his act up to

Columbus Ave. and 111^th St., and the Chelsea Neighborhood was deprived for a month or so of a vital part of it’s rock-and-roll spirit.

            Anyway, thanks to the people at Dan’s guitar, a solution has been found.  They lent Vlad a steel resonator guitar, which was designed to make a big noise in an era before amplified sound.  Vlad’s new instrument looks really cool, is chrome-like finish flashing in the sunlight, and if anything actually sounds louder than the guitar-and-amp combo he had before.  Best of all, since it’s not amplified, it’s perfectly legal.  “First amendment and all,” Vlad says.  The guitar looks like something an old Mississippi Bluesman would have played in back in the 20s, Blind Lemon Jefferson or somebody like that.  “All I need now are dark glasses and dog,” Vlad jokes, glad to back where he belongs. -- Ed Hamilton

Comments

[James]

Glad he's back but his guitar licks sort of bite.

[Martin Calle]

Well, this IS how Stew Leonard got started up in Norwalk, CT. Cops used to roust him from selling eggs out of the back of his station wagon on the side of route 7 to moms taking commuter dads to their train stations. Now Stew Leonard's in the Guiness Book of World Records for running the world's largest dairy store. Give Vlad a chance.

[sharon]

My daughter and i were wondering where he went? we were actually worried the other day. She's only 7 but a guitar player/lover all ready, and loves listening Vlad. We'll have to go thank the boys at Dan's...