The electric guitar will be the rock star at the "Electric Guitar in Popular Culture"
conference at Bowling Green State University March 27-28. Hosted in part by BGSU’s Department of
Popular Culture, the conference will consist of a combination of scholarly presentations and
performances.
"During the two-day forum, academics, professionals, performers, hobbyists and fans will come
together to highlight and celebrate this iconic instrument," said conference co-organizer Dr.
Matthew Donahue, a lecturer in the Department of Popular Culture.
"Both popular culture and popular music are linked to the electric guitar," Donahue said.
"Topics such as material culture, visual arts, cultural studies, American culture studies, history,
ethnic studies and gender studies have a connection to the electric guitar."
The scholarly presentations and some of the musical performances will be held in the Bowen-Thompson
Student Union The conference will conclude March 28 with a concert featuring world blues artist
"Little Axe" Skip McDonald and folk guitarist Kimi Karki at Grounds for Thought, 174 S. Main
St. in downtown Bowling Green.
The conference will get under way March 27 with a keynote address by music journalist Martin Popoff. The
former editor in chief of Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles will speak on "Vulgar Display of Power:
Six-String Milestones in the Creation of Heavy Metal Guitar."
Other speakers include: Steve Waksman, professor of music and American studies at Smith College, and Ken
Haas, general manager for Reverend Guitars.
Popoff has written for Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector and many websites. He has
written nearly 8,000 record reviews across all genres; authored 49 books on hard rock, heavy metal,
classic rock and record collecting, and worked on the award-winning documentary "Rush: Beyond the
Lighted Stage" and VH1 Classic’s "Metal Evolution."
Waksman, who has turned a lifelong involvement with music as a player and listener into a career as a
rock and pop scholar, will present "Guitar Studies: Some Thoughts About a Field That Doesn’t Really
Exist (Yet)." His publications include "Instruments of Desire: The Electric Guitar and the
Shaping of Musical Experience" and "This Ain’t the Summer of Love: Conflict and Crossover in
Heavy Metal and Punk." Waksman was the keynote speaker at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s American
Music Masters event honoring the legacy of guitarist and inventor Les Paul.
Haas’ presentation will be "Stories from the Scaffolding of Rock and Roll." He started with
Reverend Guitars demonstrating guitars at trade shows and was promoted to head of sales in 2007. In
2010, he was named general manager, in charge of sales, artist relations and trade shows. He has been
playing guitar since 1981 and currently plays in the Polka Floyd Show and plays steel guitar in the
Zimmerman Twins.
Some of the panel topics include "The Electric Guitar in Popular Culture," "The Electric
Guitar in Rock Subcultures," "Interpretations of the Electric Guitar in African Nations,"
"Icons of the Electric Guitar," "Gender, Sexuality, and the Electric Guitar," and
"The Culture and Aesthetics of the Electric Guitar in Rock Music."
Others performing at the conference will be bues rock guitarist Kelly Richey, BGSU’s own Chris Buzzelli
(jazz), Chuck Stohl (hard rock and heavy metal) and conference organizer Donahue (surf/punk)
The entire conference, including the presentations and musical performances, is free and open to the
public.
For a complete conference schedule and registration information, visit scholarworks.bgsu.edu/egpc.
(Story provided by BGSU Office of Marketing and Communications)
