THE GLENN SCHWARTZ FAQ
Q: Who is Glenn Schwartz?
A. Glenn Schwartz is perhaps the greatest living electric guitarist.
Q: Where can I see Glenn Schwartz perform?
A. Glenn performs every Thursday at Major Hooples from about 9:30 pm until 1 am. **THERE IS NO COVER CHARGE TO SEE HIS SHOW HERE** If you appreciate fantastic guitar playing, it will probably be the BEST free show you will ever see. He sometimes plays gigs at the Beachland Ballroom . Glenn performs in Cleveland, Ohio.
Q: Are there "rules of etiquette" when seeing Glenn perform at Hooples?
A. This is a tricky question. On some nights, Glenn will call down the wrath of God on the people that are closest to him, for no apparent reason. However, as a member of the audience, *** IF YOU WANT TO ENSURE THAT GLENN WILL PERFORM AT HIS BEST *** it seems as though the following are probably good guidelines to follow:
1. Don't swear within earshot of him ( ....he has GREAT ears)
2. Don't request ANY songs by ANY other performers. If Glenn wants to play a Dylan piece (or other cover), he will.
3. Don't stand up front if you are completely loaded or if you are drinking. He will pick up on this and RIDE you. Worst of all, by riding you, Glenn will have displaced his artistic energy into preaching energy and the set will quickly end. BAD for all of us.
4. Do NOT treat the show like a rock concert. It is not. Glenn is not a rock star.
The above "rules" are not "rules" per se, BUT, if followed, those who came to hear a master craftsman, artist and musician perform the most intense and beautiful guitarwork on earth will probably be rewarded with a few unforgettable hours of music.
For those people who are looking for a good night to go out, get loaded and mix it up with "the crazy old blues guitarist," save everybody time, energy and aggravation. Go somewhere where that type of behavior is accepted. There's nothing cool, intelligent, or funny about getting in a shouting match with Glenn. It's happened countless times and EVERYONE LOSES.
Q: What type of music does Glenn Schwartz perform?
A: The easiest answer to this question is "the blues." However, Glenn is really the playing the same type of music that was played by John Coltrane, The Grateful Dead (during their most intense improvisations), Sonny Sharrock, and other musicians who are able to transcend what we hear as "music" and enlighten the listener in ways not provided by most musicians or bands.
Q: What type of band does Glenn Schwartz play with?
A: He plays in a trio format. His bassist (98% of the time) is his brother Gene Schwartz. His drummer (most of the time) is Paul O'Brien. Paul became the full time drummer sometime in 2004 or so. Prior to that, Eric (Brother) McFadden was the drummer since at least 1998. On very rare occasions Brother McFadden's brother will play bass. The trio configuration with BOTH McFaddens is simply known as "Doppel McFadden." It is a rare treat to witness this trio.
Q: What type of gear does Glenn Schwartz use?
A: (contributed by Ryan Elliott):
Glenn plays out of a 1980’s (maybe 1983) Fender Quad Reverb Tube Amplifier. He uses no stompboxes or pedal effects – the only thing being a little black cube he installed into his guitars (similar to a Black Ice overdrive). The cube I believe contains at least one diode to give the guitar tone a combination of crunch/drive/fuzz. Glenn activates the drive cube with a switch he installed on his guitars. When the switch is off, he just plays straight thru his amp. When on, the cube interrupts the signal sent from Glenn’s guitar pickup (each of Glenn’s main guitars only have one pickup) to the output of the guitar.
Q: What's up with those "other" strings that Glenn has strung on a few of his guitars? Are they "sympathetic" strings that vibrate and enhance his sound?
A: According to Glenn, he was building those guitars and thought that "those strings belonged there." They have no sonic use and serve only a visual purpose. This is what Glenn told me about 7 years ago when I asked him.
Ryan Elliott, another fan and friend of Glenn's offers the following answer to this question:
"The extra 4 strings on Glenn’s guitars are there because the Bible says somewhere that if you praise God on stringed instruments, they must have 10 strings. Or something of that nature. Glenn told me this..."
Ryan also adds:
"At least one of Glenn’s guitars was given to him by the Hell’s Angels"
Q: Is Glenn crazy?
A: Glenn may be what certain sectors of the American public may call "crazy." Hence, he sometimes fasts for days on end. He reads the bible for hours at a time. He abhors the "sinful" lifestyle of "late great America," AND he has no problem preaching about all that bothers him between songs at his gigs. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the best of him and he says things that would could be deemed offensive to audience members. Glenn does not live in the world in which most of us live. His standards of what are acceptable run contrary to most people.
Q: Does Glenn Schwartz take requests at his shows?
A: On occasion, he will. It would help if the request is part of his repertoire. He DOES NOT take requests for songs by rock bands. He does not like to discuss rock music - unless of course he's talking about how "filthy" the entire lot of them are....
Q: Does Glenn Schwartz play cover tunes?
A: Yes and no. Occasionally he'll do snippets of a very old traditional piece like "Nobody's Fault but Mine" or "This Little Light of Mine" but he won't do a Hendrix tune or other "rock" cover. He does, on occasion, quote from Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" album over some jams, but generally avoids secular covers. To get a good idea of what Glenn is currently playing, check out the SETLISTS page.
Q: Does Glenn Schwartz still play songs from the All Saved Freak band repertoire?
A: Thankfully, the answer is YES! Glenn still plays "Ode to Glenn Schwartz (promises, promises)", "Children of the Day", "My Poor Generation" and a few other tunes. IMHO, these are the best and most interesting songs that Glenn whips out. It's a good night when Glenn will play a few of these.
Q: What did Glenn Schwartz do before playing his regular gig at Hooples?
A: Glenn's story is long and complicated. I intend on compiling some sort of biographical timeline in the near future. The basics (to the best of my knowledge) are that he was born in the Cleveland area in 1941. He was a guitar prodigy during his youth. He spent some time in Germany with the military in the early 60s (late 1950s?). He played with the James Gang and Pacific Gas & Electric. He then was "saved" and began a new life for Jesus. He joined the All Saved Freak band. He joined a religious cult that was associated with the ASFB. He got out of the cult eventually. He spent some time with the Amish. There are LOTS of facts that I do not know. There are LOTS of facts that I'm leaving out now due to time constraints...
Q: Is it true that Glenn Schwartz was almost in the Allman Brothers Band?
A: Kind of.....Ryan Elliott adds:
"Glenn was asked in 1969 by DUANE ALLMAN to be the second guitarist in the Allman Bros. before they asked Dicky Betts. This was right when PG&E had taken off, so Glenn turned it down."
Q: Does Glenn like any other guitarists?
A: (contributed by Ryan Elliott) Glenn’s favorite guitar player / best he’s ever heard is Jeff Beck. He also believes Joe Walsh is the best slide guitarist out there.
Q: Is Glenn approachable at his shows?
A: He's most approachable if you are not drinking, if you do not swear, and if you speak intelligently and most importantly HUMBLY to him. Likewise, he likes to discuss his version of religion and its place in this "wicked world." Remember, Glenn is not an "ordinary person" so he can not relate to (nor does he care about) most "normal people's" cares and concerns (sports, fun, money, etc..).
Q: Why is there a Glenn Schwartz page & FAQ?
A: I believe that Glenn Schwartz is the greatest living electric guitarist. Since November of 1998 I've seen Glenn play over 450 shows and I've never been bored or disgruntled with him. I've seen just about every great rock and blues guitarist perform multiple times, including:
Jimmy Page, Jerry Garcia, Trey Anastasio, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B. B. King, Dickey Betts, Buddy Guy, John Scofield, etc...
and I am thoroughly convinced that Glenn's playing is at a much higher emotional and aesthetic level than most are able to EVER achieve. He is able to do this because he's:
1. A gifted player
2. Dedicated to his craft and practices for hours every week
3. Has no concerns with the everyday "stuff" that most people think of. He is TOTALLY in the moment and focused on his goal
[Glenn would probably say that the only reason why he plays as well as he does is due to GOD]
Hence, I feel that Glenn Schwartz is worth sharing with the world.