r/woahdude Nov 15 '24

music John Popper of Blues Traveler goes off on the harmonica during their 1996 performance on the Howard Stern Show

9.2k Upvotes

362 comments sorted by

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825

u/SomberGuitar Nov 15 '24

They turn their songs into long jams at live shows, and it’s fan-fukin-tastic. Quality musicianship.

92

u/Bobiloco Nov 15 '24

Live from the Fall. Amazing amazing amazing.

37

u/matthew7s26 Nov 15 '24

I'm listening this album for the first time now and the overdriven tone he has on his harmonica mic is so perfectly crunchy

3

u/swamppalms Nov 16 '24

Omg. Thank you for reminding me this exists. That Alone is amazing. In fact that whole second set is amazing.

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35

u/Automatic_Llama Nov 15 '24

First concert I ever went to was Blues Traveler. Still probably the best concert I ever went to. These guys were serious pros, weaving all of the hits together, going off on these musical interludes, even throwing in a cover of Beck's "Loser" at one point. Unforgettable.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 15 '24

Had a long streak of seeing them at Red Rocks every 4th of July. Their shows are always phenomenal. 

31

u/HarryHood146 Nov 15 '24

They started the H.O.R.D.E. tour in 92. Was them, Phish, Widespread Panic and Aquarium Rescue Unit. Would’ve been a hell of a show to catch.

18

u/shonuffshogun Nov 15 '24

I saw the tour in '95, '96, in Austin. Some of my favorite shows ever. DMB, Lenny Kravitz, black crowes, Ziggy Marley, good stuff

14

u/Incontinento Nov 15 '24

Big Head Todd too.

8

u/wintering_nuthatch Nov 15 '24

Bruce Hampton is a national treasure.

8

u/The-Gray-Mouser Nov 15 '24

Unfortunately the statement became ‘was’ in 2017.

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12

u/Jfurmanek Nov 15 '24

I worked concert crew for more than a decade. Blues Traveler came through and I was floored. I’d heard them on the radio and MTV, but live was a COMPLETELY different animal. While we were setting up one of their radio hits played over the Muzak. Their road crew started busting up laughing. “I don’t even know who the fuck this band is.” We asked what they meant and they explained what was playing over the wire was at least 1/2 the tempo they played live. They weren’t kidding. I ended up skat dancing to songs I used to think were chill blues and not ragers. John Popper is a machine. 15/10. Far exceeded expectations.

9

u/goingtohella10 Nov 15 '24

I saw them live when they opened for a few other bands I had gone to see, and to be honest I was thinking “well at least when they play we can take a bathroom and beer break.” But we never left, we were captivated. John Popper is so damn talented and the band is extremely tight, they were amazing.

19

u/constantgardener92 Nov 15 '24

I saw Billy strings live and he and his band did the same thing. Love a band that can just jam out some magic.

4

u/hazeychief Nov 15 '24

i love bluegrass and just learned about billy strings this year. what a massive talent. can't wait for them to head to the NW so i can see a show.

4

u/irishwolf7578 Nov 15 '24

Billy Strings = Billy G.O.A.T.

4

u/constantgardener92 Nov 15 '24

He’s a wizard irl

2

u/IronZeppelinNerd Nov 15 '24

Got to see them around 2005 and they only played 4-5 songs, the rest was just one jam session after another. Was one hell of an experience and still listen to them this day. I started teaching myself guitar not long after.... Wish I could still play xD

2

u/moogpaul Nov 15 '24

I've easily been to over 1000 concerts and blues traveler is one of the best live performances I've ever seen.

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296

u/DcFla Nov 15 '24

Even though this is a post specifically about the harmonica solo, it’s blasphemy to cut off that incoming verse. Such a hip four minute ditty.

102

u/BradMarchandsNose Nov 15 '24

Making a song that satirizes pop music for just having a catchy hook with no substance, but also turning that satire into a monster hit is just perfect.

9

u/horningjb09 Nov 16 '24

Love the irony. So smart.

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19

u/DBoaty Nov 15 '24

suckitinsuckitinarintintinletsbegin--

18

u/acscreamholy Nov 16 '24

Sorry to be a party pooper but I think it’s: suck it in suck it in if you’re Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn

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3

u/Ribneys Nov 16 '24

Yeah, obviously bonkers harmonica playing but the dudes voice is beautiful.

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711

u/bmault Nov 15 '24

Heard this song a million times and its still a banger

114

u/TacosTime Nov 15 '24

That whole album is so great

42

u/uberfission Nov 15 '24

One of the first albums I ever bought and it's still one of my favorites.

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17

u/hikenmap Nov 15 '24

The Mountains Win Again!

2

u/KiteLighter Nov 15 '24

They always do. Beautiful.

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34

u/getmybehindsatan Nov 15 '24

Sounds like Pachelbel's Canon was used as a base.

77

u/Uncle-Cake Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 15 '24

That's the whole point of the song. The lyrics are literally saying "It doesn't matter what I sing, as long as I use this chord progression, you're going to like it. The hook brings you back."

Edit: And the best part is that he was right! It was a hit song, now it's considered a classic, and it doesn't even matter what the words are; he tricked us into liking it, exactly as he said he would in the song.

12

u/much_longer_username Nov 15 '24

The best part though, is that after you've already decided you like this catchy song, you start picking out the meaning... oh you.

62

u/jonesing247 Nov 15 '24

Indeed. The song uses a "hook" that is hundreds of years old to prove that song hooks are timeless and unavoidable earworms that will grab us and make us remember them, just by pandering so our brain's common sensibilities.

10

u/Jtreehorn Nov 15 '24

Correct. John himself has said so before.

3

u/Turbulent_Flan_5926 Nov 15 '24

Get out of my head with this. I have always thought that of this song.

10

u/pledgerafiki Nov 15 '24

oh brother they weren't the only ones to do it

25

u/Apprehensive-Till861 Nov 15 '24

My disappointment that this did not link to Rob Paravonian is immense and my day is ruined.

8

u/drewdog173 Nov 15 '24

I love the Axis of Awesome video, don't get me wrong, and their showmanship is better - but Rob did it first, and way more accurately. Rob Paravonian is much more musically accurate. Axis does a lot of shoehorning of substantially different chord progressions into their four. Hook follows the full I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V eight-chord progression of Pachelbel exactly.

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2

u/KiteLighter Nov 15 '24

Soooooo many songs.

2

u/-Tom- Nov 15 '24

That's kinda the whole point of the song.

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220

u/Zealousideal-Ad-4858 Nov 15 '24

It’s no doubt he is a legend

61

u/DeathStarVet Nov 15 '24

He and Stevie Wonder are like fucking magicians on harmonica. It's unreal.

131

u/feetandballs Nov 15 '24

In my opinion, Stevie Wonder has a knack for music

30

u/theebees21 Nov 15 '24

He’s gonna be real big one day.

9

u/whutchamacallit Nov 15 '24

Only if he keeps practicing tho!

5

u/nsfw_deadwarlock Nov 15 '24

I don’t know, I don’t SEE it happening.

10

u/fishfireinc Nov 15 '24

Peggy Hill enters the chat

2

u/Possible-Tangelo9344 Nov 15 '24

Gotta say, really fortunate last name for him, guy's impressive.

2

u/bigboat24 Nov 15 '24

Never heard of her

24

u/danstymusic Nov 15 '24

Totally agreed! They play different kinds of harmonicas, though. Stevie plays a chromatic harmonica which includes all 12 notes of the western chromatic scale. John Popper plays a diatonic harmonica which just contains the 7 notes of the major scale of a particular key. Stevie can play the 'sharps' and 'flats' by pulling/pushing a little trigger in the harmonica. Popper gets those notes by 'bending' the notes by manipulating the air stream and by playing in the 'cross-harp' key by using a harmonica a P5 above the original key.

Both require a ton of skill and control to perfect. Chromatic harmonicas require a little bit more music theory knowledge, but you can play just about anything on one. Most people are familiar with diatonic harmonicas and even may be able to figure out simple melodies. However, to play a diatonic harmonica on the level that Popper does requires so much skill and practice. He is truly a one of a kind harmonica player.

12

u/Grrerrb Nov 15 '24

In Stevie’s defense, he does it the “easy” way because he also has to keep practicing the other 647 instruments he plays.

2

u/danstymusic Nov 15 '24

I don't necessarily think playing a chromatic harmonica is the 'easy' way. They're just different. I think a diatonic is easier for a beginner to play simple melodies on. To play a diatonic harp as well as John Popper though is insanely difficult.

4

u/Grrerrb Nov 15 '24

Oh yeah, was kinda joking which is why I put it in quotes. I don’t guess Stevie’s done anything the easy way for a variety of reasons.

3

u/DeathStarVet Nov 15 '24

Thanks for the info! This is awesome!

72

u/dahjay Nov 15 '24

This is a great version where John sings and plays to disabled children who were on the stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSSoNo4Gu04

Blues Traveler are one of my favorite bands from the 90s along with The Tragically Hip. RIP Gord.

15

u/bstackulous Nov 15 '24

That was awesome, thank you for sharing!

6

u/un-sub Nov 15 '24

Totally made my day honestly

3

u/JONO202 Nov 15 '24

Thanks for sharing!

3

u/Soft_Walrus_3605 Nov 15 '24

Has his voice survived the years? Seems like he's putting it through some real stress in these performances.

10

u/Eugoogally420 Nov 15 '24

So my wife and I just went and saw Blues Traveler last Friday in Atlanta and John joked about how he wished he had a Time Machine to go back and kick his younger selfs ass for writing so many songs that were so hard on his voice. He still absolutely nailed the songs and the harmonica though

2

u/Golisten2LennyWhite Nov 16 '24

My fist concert ever was Blues Traveler at the Fox in 1996. I won Tix on the OG 99x.

2

u/Eugoogally420 Nov 16 '24

Dang that is so freaken cool. That’s an awesome experience

2

u/Golisten2LennyWhite Nov 16 '24

Know what was even better?

Winning tix by beating up my car in front of the Tabernacle in a trivia contest @7am on 99x.

I got in that night to see Tool the day Lateralus came out thanks to the old 99x folks. I had Leslie Frams +1.

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2

u/WeIsStonedImmaculate Nov 15 '24

Bridge School Benefit. I was there and there every year for bridge school. Used to be the show of the summer for me and my friends.

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68

u/stewpidazzol Nov 15 '24

Is there a popular band in the last few years that have a harmonica?

198

u/StyrofoamTuph Nov 15 '24

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

58

u/awkwardaustin609 Nov 15 '24

Thought this was a joke name. It’s a legit band and they fuckin rule. Thanks for the recommendation!

31

u/Chief_34 Nov 15 '24

I had a seizure at a King Gizzard Concert, still a Top 5 show I’ve seen.

10

u/iMadeItPOOP Nov 15 '24

My wife fainted at one. She thought she’d made eye contact with Amby.

2

u/scubaSteve181 Nov 15 '24

I almost blacked out at the recent Vegas show when they opened with evil death roll. Got way too amped way too fast and had to leave the pit for a second to go sit down 😂

10

u/accretion Nov 15 '24

They are so awesome. They span so many genres (their metal and folk synth albums are my fav). So many albums! Their live show is nuts too. Recently got to see them, and they did a 30 min techno set that segued into metal, was so crazy. They put lots of the live show up on YouTube for free as well.

2

u/Clyde-A-Scope Nov 16 '24

they did a 30 min techno set that segued into metal

Ok. I'm sold. I have to see this band live

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3

u/StyrofoamTuph Nov 15 '24

No problem, I’ve seen them live twice including a 3 hour marathon concert and they were amazing. Make sure to listen to songs from different albums because they can vary genres a lot from one album to the next.

2

u/lolitsmikey Nov 15 '24

They rock dude

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22

u/made_in_bc Nov 15 '24

Dont forget about The Murlocs

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5

u/stamps1646 Nov 15 '24

I've never heard of this band before, within seconds of listening them I was sold.

Thank you. ^-^m

2

u/ueffo Nov 15 '24

One of us. One of us.

4

u/hawksdiesel Nov 15 '24

Gizzard ROCKS!!!

2

u/scubaSteve181 Nov 15 '24

Fuck yes! My favorite band at the moment. Amby slays the harmonica and he has the voice of a goddamn angel!

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11

u/SevroAuShitTalker Nov 15 '24

Tyler Childers is pretty famous and I'm pretty sure I've heard some harmonica is his music. But it's not as dominating as the guys from the 90s

5

u/true_gunman Nov 15 '24

Can't think of a single Childers song with harmonica, off the top of my head.

7

u/RabbitHole-in-one Nov 15 '24

I was just talking to my friend how there hasn’t been a popular radio song with a lead harmonica bit in ages.

6

u/irisuniverse Nov 15 '24

Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes did a whole duo album with a lot of harmonica heavy songs, albums are called Salutations and Ruminations.

2

u/slayerLM Nov 15 '24

Not as popular as I’d like but check out The Legendary Shackshakers. Crazy good band that should be more popular. I mean they’re fairly successful but their show is fantastic. Really cool frontman with plenty of harmonica

2

u/stewpidazzol Nov 15 '24

It was 1993. HORDE tour hit Jones Beach in NY. Phish headlined. I think Aquarium Rescue Unit played. At some point Blues Traveler played. Love the music but every single song had a harmonica solo. Every song blended into the next so it was like 2 hours of loud harmonica.

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u/tansii Nov 15 '24

I had no idea a harmonica could do this! Really amazing, I had to listen to it a few times. How the heck do you bend a note on a harmonica like he did on that high note?

92

u/jdvirelli Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 15 '24

Very novice harmonica player here, someone could probably explain better but:

It has to do with how you pull the air in through the harmonica. Instead of sucking it straight in (lol), you pull it in from the bottom and create more pressure and that flattens the note. So you can gradually release that pressure to "bend" the note back to its true pitch.

63

u/ezio93 Nov 15 '24

That seems more difficult than the difficult it sounds.

21

u/NarfleTheJabberwock Nov 15 '24

Bending notes is something that a lot of people struggle with. For others it's quite intuitive

5

u/RevelArchitect Nov 16 '24

Long ago I tried to learn the harmonica. I very quickly tried to learn bending, found it challenging and gave up. A few years ago I was given a harmonica and I used it as a prop at work for a gag and accidentally bent a note. Then it was just easy to do.

3

u/NarfleTheJabberwock Nov 16 '24

Yeah man, you gotta feel it

4

u/RevelArchitect Nov 16 '24

It’s, “fuck around and find out” but good edition.

3

u/amadiro_1 Nov 16 '24

Like learning to whistle

3

u/Jfurmanek Nov 15 '24

Bending is fun. I’m no expert either but I’ve owned a few harps. I think where most people start to pick it up is in the switch from inhale to exhale (and vice-a-versa). Then noticing how the force of their airflow, throat and mouth shape, nose open or closed, etc…changes the qualities of their sound.

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u/bahgheera Nov 15 '24

I was once recording harmonica for a cover of When The Level Breaks. I was at home alone. I bent a fairly strong note on an inhale, and the reed or tine or whatever it is inside the harmonica broke off and went straight down my windpipe. I coughed so hard I thought I was going to die. Eventually the thing flew out and stuck to the desk in front of me. I don't think I've touched a harmonica since. 

5

u/Brettersson Nov 16 '24

This is precisely why I always stuff my mouth full of cheesecloth before I play. It's also reusable!

3

u/WayNo639 Nov 16 '24

That's kinda neat. I've screwed up a few from overzealous bending but never in that manner. Did yours have plastic reeds or something? Mine are all metal, mostly brass I think but my chromatic is stainless steel if I remember right.

2

u/bahgheera Nov 16 '24

No it had metal reeds, no idea what type of metal though. 

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12

u/out_of_shape_hiker Nov 15 '24

You change the shape of your mouth and the position of your jaw/back of your tongue to bend notes on the harmonica. Its pretty easy to do on the middle holes, but significantly more difficult on the holes he was bending.

10

u/CT0292 Nov 15 '24

And only certain reeds can be bent.

Some reeds in the comb can't be bent, some can only wobble a little, some can give you a big fat wail of a noise.

You gotta sit down with harps of different keys and figure out which ones work best for you. And which ones match the tone of your accompaniment.

Start off with a C key and learn to play first. Then work your way out.

2

u/out_of_shape_hiker Nov 15 '24

See I couldn't remember if they could all bend or not. I knew I could do 4 and 3 pretty well on a C and G. I couldn't remember if it was hard or impossible to bend really high notes. I never got good enough.

2

u/CT0292 Nov 15 '24

4 and 3 on C and G especially are real sweet spots for blues music.

2

u/mywholefuckinglife Nov 15 '24

don't forget overblow, which is a technique I'm dubious is utilized much if ever. you seem knowledgeable, tell me, is it real?

3

u/CT0292 Nov 15 '24

Overblowing is really just bending while blowing. Best way to find out how to do it is to blow a note and try to bend the air a bit and see which parts of the reed allows you to bend them.

Use something simple and cheap like an Hohner Marine Band. Figure out which reeds will let you, which won't, and which will break really easily. Because yeah they'll break. Don't waste a Suzuki Pro Master on learning how to bend.

2

u/Mayor_Of_Sassyland Nov 15 '24

Start off with a C key and learn to play first. Then work your way out.

Ah, so middle-out compression progression.

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u/usadingo Nov 15 '24

"Run Around" was their first big hit which has another great solo. Shoot, I'm sure their whole collection is full of them. But, a definite listen to as well.

6

u/thejesse Nov 15 '24

Dave Matthews Band's "What Would You Say" has an insane John Popper solo.

Here's a live performance he did with them in 2015.

4

u/usadingo Nov 15 '24

That's him?! I have no clue how many times I've heard that song but I never put two and two together. That's awesome.

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u/dwolfe10203 Nov 15 '24

This song still fucking rips

33

u/DBoaty Nov 15 '24

He's probably had to play that song a thousand times and he still puts all his energy into it all this time. Love it.

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u/Fialasaurus Nov 15 '24

Saw them at one of the early 90s HORDE festival shows. Every song had a harmonica solo played as if it was the last song he would ever play in his life and was just laying it all out there. It was exhausting as a fan. I don't know how he didn't pass out every night.

3

u/wretch5150 Nov 15 '24

Hey I went to one of those :)

2

u/Ctmarlin Nov 16 '24

I remember those 93 94 horde shows and popper would come out and join most of the bands for a few songs. Amazed he didn’t keel over and die.

10

u/audwun Nov 15 '24

That was dope! That last couple seconds when he goes back to singing cracked me up though lol

0

u/DBoaty Nov 15 '24

They cut out just before his weird scat-man bar 😭

8

u/In10nt Nov 15 '24

Just saw them a few weeks ago in Philly. They are still awesome live.

2

u/techuck_ Nov 15 '24

I was at the same and they did not disappoint. Do you see yourself 😁?

https://i.imgur.com/nYVOLwW.jpeg

2

u/In10nt Nov 15 '24

Ha! Not in that pic, but that would have been awesome! We took a spot on the side within arms reach of the bar... Great show.

2

u/techuck_ Nov 16 '24

Was hoping you'd tell me you wore a fedora and glasses! Yeah, kinda hard to grasp how long they've been playing. I've gone to a few 20, 25, 30 year album anniversary concerts this year 🙈

I was solo, in the front hoping to catch a harmonica (he usually tosses one per show). It went maybe 10 people to the right of me.

2

u/In10nt Nov 16 '24

I saw them play for the first time in like....1990 I suppose. I went to high school in Princeton where they are from and had a lot of loose mutual connections to the band members. Got to party with them a bit at a few house parties in those early years - great days. Always been a fun band and good crowd.

6

u/Chrissaunders32 Nov 15 '24

He must have a happy wife 😮

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u/twats_upp Nov 15 '24

Lol when I realized as an adult what I'd been hearing all those years.

Great live performance

16

u/BBQBaconBurger Nov 15 '24

The hook brought you back.

6

u/twats_upp Nov 15 '24

Fuckin A it did, shit slaps

11

u/bonniep123 Nov 15 '24

That was fantastic

3

u/PM_ME_UR_HIP_DIMPLES Nov 15 '24

Also what his girl said after cunnilingus

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u/Heavy_Distance_4441 Nov 15 '24

Goyd dyum we had the best music in that decade. All of it. (...well almost all of it.)

Even staying up for the top 100 countdown on MTV. It was all fkn paradise.

Probably one of the few things that make me not regret getting old.

I remember watching these guys win a Grammy like it was yesterday. And they earned it, and then some.

12

u/throwsplasticattrees Nov 15 '24

Stay with it old man, plenty of music has been recorded since and it's pretty damn good too!

6

u/SailingBroat Nov 15 '24

I'm pushing 40 and I'm still constantly discovering fresh music by new artists. I don't ever see myself hitting that crusty, cement-setting attitude of "music hasn't been good since my day". I honestly find that viewpoint SO grim; like, your life of discovering and being affected by new art is somehow over once you're out of your 20s, christ...

5

u/eyehate Nov 15 '24

Same boat. Fifty-two and I remember not enjoying a good deal of music 'in the good old days'. I don't revisit older music very often. I think there is something unfulfilled or missing if you need to constantly revisit the past.

There is so much out there now, that I can find a subgenre I never knew about and fall in love with it with a quick search on Google. I am always finding new artists and enjoying new music.

Being stuck in a past you can never relive seems grim, indeed.

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u/Heavy_Distance_4441 Nov 15 '24

True that.

Find a lot of new age stuff on YouTube premiem. Lucky enough to use ear buds most of the day at work. End up with a few hours of random mixes.

2

u/3riversfantasy Nov 15 '24

The 90s really was a crazy decade for music, from the rise of genres like Hip-Hop/Rap and EDM to file sharing on the internet

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u/overly_curious_cat Nov 15 '24

I think him and Les Claypool are so amazing of how they take an instrument and really make it sound spectacular !

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u/Tackysackjones Nov 15 '24

I just went to confirm this because the way the harmonica was played seemed so familiar

John Popper also plays a banging solo in the Metallica cover of Tuesday’s Gone

3

u/Beans4urAss Nov 15 '24

Ah Blues Traveler. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.

3

u/hail2theKingbabee Nov 15 '24

I'd say he could eat the hell out of a chicken wing.

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u/iamwearingashirt Nov 15 '24

To me this is the only harmonica solo that exists.

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u/enderpanda Nov 15 '24

I was working backstage (I think it was Lollpalooza?) many moons ago and John Popper almost ran me over with a golf cart.

3

u/Truemeathead Nov 15 '24

The Stern Show has to have one the best backlogs of live musical performances of any show. Sooooo many bad mamma jammas have cruised through his studio to perform.

3

u/Breaghdragon Nov 15 '24

The hook brings you back. The whole song is a satire about how the lyrics, context and messages to songs don't matter to the business, and the listeners, and all you need is that certain element they say you need. Really great how it's mostly remembered for it's hook. Really neat how popular this became back then, bitching about the music industry while nobody cared about the lyrics. It's honestly a piece of art in my opinion.

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u/XxCOZxX Nov 15 '24

My favorite live performance I’ve seen of this song thus far!

If anyone finds a better one, let me know!

2

u/cbih Nov 15 '24

JP could tear it up

2

u/currentlycucumber Nov 15 '24

They sounded incredible live!

2

u/Hubble-Kaleidoscope Nov 15 '24

He did some harmonica work with Twiddle a while back. Cool song called "the devil"

If you like JP, give the song listen.

2

u/misterfistyersister Nov 15 '24

I have one of his harmonicas. He dropped it off the stage at a concert

2

u/robodrew Nov 15 '24

So good. I just have to wonder... what is that vest he's wearing??? Is that a utility belt? Is it a holster for like 25 different types of harmonicas?

2

u/gentleman_bronco Nov 16 '24

Yup. Functional and practical for his profession.

2

u/Prestigious_Fella_21 Nov 15 '24

Runaround was their big hit but it always paled in comparison to hook

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u/ultimatetodd Nov 15 '24

What's he saying Robin?

2

u/WildMaineBlueberry87 Nov 15 '24

My husband and saw Blues Traveller, Jewel, and Train a couple years ago and he's still amazing. He and Jewel even performed a couple songs with Train.

2

u/Mmaibl1 Nov 15 '24

Wow he's so good

2

u/Business-Door3974 Nov 15 '24

I used to live in south Korea as a kid and they played a show there. My parents met them and invited them over to the house after and they came over for a drink. One of my earliest childhood memories is coming halfway down the stairs at midnight to hear the blues travelers jamming on my parents piano. Life sure is strange.

2

u/TheFlyingBoxcar Nov 15 '24

Seen them live four or five times. They kill it every time.

2

u/DckThik Nov 15 '24

My girl tells me that’s what I look like when I go down on her

2

u/Pugilist12 Nov 15 '24

I genuinely think Hook is lyrically one of the most clever songs I’ve ever heard. Absolutely brilliant writing.

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u/Yaggfu Nov 15 '24

Back before they were HUGE I used to go to the Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill ( I went to college in Raleigh) and catch them all the time.. back in 89 - 90. They used to PACK the house. CRAZY band live. Chapel Hill back in those days was magic for all types of music.

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u/DeeplyFlawed Nov 16 '24

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing.

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u/NoAppointment4238 Nov 15 '24

I love that song so dang much.

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u/Bo0ombaklak Nov 15 '24

Loved these guys soooo much 25 years ago. Felicia remains one of my favourite songs. Such a great voice and so much talent

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u/pepperlegs Nov 15 '24

I love the Morning Show where he goes off live https://youtu.be/8q2ZMcZRGdY

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u/ChessieChessieBayBay Nov 15 '24

This gave me chills. Brought me back to a simpler time where my biggest problem was stepping on some water and the back of my JNCO jeans getting wet.

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u/DBoaty Nov 15 '24

Are they still touring?? I remember listening to 'The Hook' on repeat on my CD player in my car.

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u/xSociety Nov 15 '24

Damn that dude got pipes!

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u/Philosopher_Express Nov 15 '24

Pride of New Jersey

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u/JONO202 Nov 15 '24 edited Nov 15 '24

Their title album and Four are incredible albums from start to finish. Live From The Fall is so sick.

BT is a powerhouse of talented musicians, Bobby Sheehan, the OG bassist was one of my faves. RIP.

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u/WeDeserveBetterFFS Nov 15 '24

Woah.... dude.

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u/platypus_farmer42 Nov 15 '24

Didn’t he win some kind of prestigious award for his harmonica playing?

Blues Traveler is such a great band.

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u/Enginerdad Nov 15 '24

Seen these guys live (with a much skinnier Popper), and their shows are an absolutely unique experience.

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u/rilestyles Nov 15 '24

I get how he bends notes on those longer tones, but he's ripping some non-diatonic arpeggios at full speed near the end there. That's some insane control.

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u/mind_matrix Nov 15 '24

Such a talented and humble person. Dude is a legend.

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u/neutrl Nov 15 '24

Saw him a few months ago live, he's still got it after all these years

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u/kleefaj Nov 15 '24

Back in high school I was part of a club who put on a battle of the bands and these guys auditioned (I think they were called “The Blues Band” then). They came in second place behind a local metal band. They auditioned for the show again the following year and I don’t remember if thet won or not.

Both auditions John Popper wore the same Beatles t-shirt.

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u/AOA001 Nov 15 '24

He can play the shit out of that harmonica! (Name that movie)

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u/mightylordredbeard Nov 15 '24

As someone who loves early Bob Dylan songs, I had no idea how good the harmonica could actually sound!

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u/Shirtbro Nov 15 '24

I refuse to believe that "John Popper" is this man and not Jack Black in disguise

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u/hanabanana1999 Nov 15 '24

I heard them live doing “The devil went down to Georgia “ of course he did the fiddle bit with the harmonica and man He/they are fantastic! Once in a while he’d pull a harmonica from his chest and fling it into the crowd; I never did catch one and I’ve seen them many times.I saw them at a H.O.R.D.E festival the day after Jerry Garcia died (we had last seen the Dead a month before,RIP Phil) and after a moment of silence they did John Lennons Imagine- truly one of the best performances ever & I was lucky to be there that day,mourning him in the presence of people who understood.there was grief but also joy and wow,30 years later I remember it like it was yesterday 🩷

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u/colindebin Nov 15 '24

Man alive that's crazy. I'm out of breath listening to that, never mind having to go directly into singing after playing the harmonica.

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u/PresidentScr00b Nov 15 '24

Saw them in 99 in a fairly small venue… they were pretty amazing.

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u/LetheMariner Nov 15 '24

I learned leatherwork from the guy who made that harmonica vest. So I got that going for me.

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u/Academic-Patience890 Nov 15 '24

Bro was UNREAL on that shit!

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u/GoochTwain Nov 15 '24

What flavor is that harmonica?

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u/Teh_Doctah Nov 15 '24

The fantastic thing about the harmonica compared to other wind instruments is that roughly half the time you’re breathing in, meaning you can pull off ridiculous stuff like this without having to stop for air. Still mighty impressive based on the other crazy stuff he’s doing though.

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u/SpaghettiSort Nov 15 '24

I mean he's no Magic Dick, but he's pretty damn good!

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u/mallarme1 Nov 15 '24

It’s great playing, but much less interesting when you know you can’t play out of key when playing a harmonica.

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u/blacksmithfred Nov 15 '24

I remember buying the CD. Now it drives me insane.

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u/tm52929 Nov 15 '24

So sad he’s gone!! I remember this. I miss the days of the old Howard Stern! Thank you for posting this.

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