KIKO LOUREIRO GUITAR CLINIC
Hosted by Pitbull Audio and Ibanez, the highlight of the evening was the Kiko Loureiro Guitar Clinic. If you’re a fan of Megadeth, (Who received their first well deserved Grammy in 2017) you will know the work of Kiko Loureiro. Kiko’s work with Megadeth since he joined the band in 2015 has created the perfect complement to the opposing style of Dave Mustaine and expanded the guitar work of the band into new creative directions. His tremendous technical skills have been honed since age 11 starting out with acoustic classical guitar in his hometown of San Paulo, Brazil. It wasn’t long after taking ownership of the family guitar that his interest turned to Metal, even though he may still get called upon by his wife to add that classical touch to her music. (Talent just seems to be a family affair.)
Angra, which was one of Kiko’s 1st highly successful bands, received their 1st Gold LP Disk in Japan in 1993. With the success of Angra, he was able to take his new found love of metal and infuse it with his own brand of traditional Latin, Classical and Smooth-Metal style which makes his work unique among the traditional hard hitting style of Metal. However, I believe that his true genius will be on full display with the release of Megadeth’s new LP, which is currently in the works and should be available late 2019.
Kiko extended his appearance that evening in order to take every question from the audience. Of course he wasn’t going to get away without demonstrating his own signature “Kiko Loureiro Morley Mini Switchless Wah Pedal” or his “Ibanez Kiko Loureiro Signature KIKO10BP Electric Guitar” and it was clear that in addition to being a great guitarist, he shares the same passion for his clinics. The combination of Kiko Loureiro, Pitbull Audio and Ibanez just make a good combination for a great guitar clinic.
PITBULL AUDIO
In six short years, Pitbull Audio has become one of the larger On-Line retailers for music equipment. Located in a commercial warehouse district as one first drives up to their store, it is a bit difficult to see if you haven’t been there before. Having started out of the garage of one of the owners, they now have over 25,000 in warehouse space and look like they will need to start considering expanding that soon.
Owners Adam Smiarowski and Calvin Lee attribute this unprecedented growth to being able to find their clients hard to find and unique musical items. Although the storefront itself is unable to showcase all the items it sells, there is plenty to keep everyone in candy store. The first thing that grabs your attention as you walk into the store is the sheer number of foot pedals on display. One could spend days just sitting down and trying all of them to find the one that will assist in creating the next song of the year. Buying an item such as a foot pedal is a bit hard online unless you know someone that has demonstrated it for you at a show or you have had a chance to experiment with it for yourself. If you play in a band or even if you’re a studio musician, finding the right accessories to complement your music still needs a bit of personal research to find the items that will assist you in creating your own unique sound, which means, take it for a test drive.
One of the most enjoyable things about Pitbull Audio is their commitment to having artists come in for clinics. Whether you are just starting out or just looking for creative ideas, clinics are a must and that alone should make you want to drive on down to Pitbull Audio.
BackStage360
WATCH OUR INTERVIEWS WITH KIKO LOUREIRO, ADAM SMIAROWSKI & CALVIN LEE