Most days you’ll find a pickers circle like this one happening at Luckenbach. On Sunday, 2000 guitar pickers will play one song for the world record and a good cause. Photo by Phil Houseal

Details:
For more information go to www.luckenbachtexas.com or www.voicesofagratefulnation.org. Chord charts and audio files for This Land is Your Land and the Luckenbach song can be found at www.myspace.com/pickinfortherecord.

Roger Creager and his band will perform at the Pre-World Record Party Saturday night, August 22 at 8pm. Matt Powell and John Arthur Martinez open. Tickets are available on line www.luckenbachtexas.com. Participants in the world record attempt can check in/register on Saturday or Sunday morning beginning at 9am.

webmaster: phil@fullhouseproductions.net

The sound of 2000 guitars

by Phil Houseal
Aug 19, 2009

Listening to 2000 guitar players whale away on a three-chord song might not soar to the top of your “to do” list for a Sunday afternoon. But it will be a raucous way to make history as the loony crew at the biggest small town in Texas takes a stab at breaking the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest guitar ensemble this Sunday at Luckenbach.

The idea was the brainchild of “Abbey,” event manager at the famous town, population 3. She was casting about for a fresh way to raise funds for The Voices of a Grateful Nation - a nonprofit organization that helps returning veterans who suffer traumatic brain injuries.

“I jumped up one morning at 2 a.m., wondering if Guinness had a category for pickers circles,” she said. You see, every day at Luckenbach as many as 30 pickers gather in a circle to trade tunes. After some research, she found there was a category for the largest guitar ensemble. The most recent record was set by the Germans in 2007 with 1803 players. Abbey was convinced Luckenbach could do better.

“We can handle that,” she said. “That is what we do  - we’re Luckenbach!”

With a week to go, more than 1400 had pre-registered on their web site (www.voicesofagratefulnation.org), with commitments that another 600 would just show up (“Just showing up” is another thing that happens a lot at Luckenbach). She will not be surprised if 3000 to 4000 people gather for the big day as word spreads and people decide they want to help make music history.

So any of you reading this still have time to be part of the world’s largest guitar band. Talent is not a prerequisite, as the song has only three chords. Musician Roger Creager will direct the masses in the playing of a five-minute version of the Chips Moman song “Luckenbach, Texas” (of course). Jimmy LaFave will also lead this very large band in Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” (Links are posted below to web sites with the words and music for people who want to practice beforehand.)

Since this is Luckenbach, you know there will be much more going on. Saturday night, Creager and his band perform at the Pre-World Record Party. On Sunday, there will be live music all day.

And don’t think you’ll just be plinking along with other Mel Bay beginners. You can brag to your friends that you sat in with Monte Montgomery and Gary P. Nunn. They’ll be there, along with such music luminaries as Walt Wilkins, John Inman, Sol Patch, ShAnnie, and more.

Abbey plans to have two registration lines set up, one for preregistered participants and one for folks who want to sign up on the spot. Cost is $10, but that will buy you commemorative dogtags and a T-shirt with your very own player number.

So tune up your six-string, practice your open G chord, grab the SPF 30, and head out to Luckenbach.

“Come and be part of history,” Miss Abbey urged. “This is going to be a great day of fun, bringing people together, and supporting a great cause. Luckenbach does crazy things, and this is another one. Let’s keep Texas music live, loud, and worldwide.”