Michael Hedges - Eight Miles High

[StephenGrayce]

His tour with Kottke was amazing, and their slot together was transcendent.

[lisaness30]

I had never seen Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke perform together. I love this video and am grateful to the person who posted it. Michael was his own brand of amazing. I remember the harp guitar and the flowing hair. I think "Aerial Boundaries" was the record in which I first got to know his music. Sigh.

[its2arehalvesof1]

It was the Bottom Line, not the Bitter End - my bad!

[its2arehalvesof1]

The Bottom Line, not the Bitter End! lol

[its2arehalvesof1]

I saw Leo at the Palace Theater in Cleveland @ 1975 opening for the Allman Brothers! INCREDIBLE! Well, some 10+ years later, I saw him again at Carnegie Hall, this time he was opening for Michael Hedges! And they PLAYED together after Michael has gone through his pieces. Michael was ecstatic as he recounts a music critic calling the two of them "the Sun King and le Infante Terrible!" The last time I saw Michael play was at the Bitter End. He had just published Taproot, with the TransTrem guitar!

[Cristobal55]

Everything I've heard about Michael suggests he was a God-given talent to this world, and we are sorely amiss to have lost him at such an early age.  Loved your story, potsick. I saw Michael in concert at UC San Diego's Mandeville auditorium....I was a student there. He was simply "bigger than life".

[Divayenta]

Michael Hedges was a holy man .

[RickyRaff]

@Divayenta well as the son of god its pretty much a given :P

[carlajpatterson]

I saw these two together at the Berkeley Community Theater (California) - I already loved Leo Kottke at the time and didn't know Michael Hedges - boy was I in for a thrill! I'm so happy to see these videos from a different concert they did together. Thanks!

[jrssjdca]

I saw them for that same 1988 tour at the Universal Amphitheatre, and Bruce Springsteen was playing at the Greek Theatre I think or maybe it was the Forum. I was wondering how many people would be watching these guys when the BOSS was in town, and he was huge at that time. But it was very well attended, and a phenomenal concert.

[LeftCoastGator]

THAT'S Michael Hedges? I always assumed he was some long-haired, flowing robes New Age guy. He looks like f'ing Darby Crash from Germs. Who knew?

[BrighamHB]

@LeftCoastGator At one point he had crazy dreds though

[edshift]

@LeftCoastGator This is early. He looked quite new age/hippieish later. Helluva talented too. Best acoustic guitarist of last century in my opinion.

Check him out his albums are great and the live stuff on you tube is arguably better.

Peace and Luv.

[Byrds1967]

Sounds good to me!

[mark1800]

who knew two awesome soloists would make an even awesomer duet.

damn.

[mark1800]

who knew two awesome soloists would make an even awesome duet.

damn.

[superjay42]

Wow what a great tune for two visionary geniuses to cover together.

[Babaziba]

Saw them in Tampa...took a friend who was convinced that someone else was adding additional guitar backstage...:)

[Rpaulie53]

Saw a California show on this tour...took a date who, perhaps like some posters here, thought Hedges should have been the headliner (he opened for Leo). Never asked her out again.

[Tracymmo]

At the Hanna? I'm a native Clevelander who was looking for some Byrds online, but stumbled on this. I have no memory of shows like this at the Hanna. Huh.

[Papahitas]

Very weird version. Much too clean and old-fashioned to me.

[epiphysis]

3:00 mark is Leogasm

[epiphysis]

I love every comment you've all posted.

It's great to find a common ground in these two incredible artists

[ruckerd2324]

Cool ...I never saw Leo but I lost track of how many times I saw Hedges! Probably a dozen or so....Not nearly enough!

[asktunes]

So beautiful....I've lost track of how many times I've seen Kottke live now....

[freederfy]

Thanks for sharing this video! I look for any Hedges I can find, there is never going to be another guy like that. Wish I couldve met him.

[methodinsane]

Leo and Hedges jamming. Quality.

[togue777]

Unreal seeing these two together. Michael has had an immense effect on my musical journey and Leo sounds great as always.

[wilbo26]

Man, imagine what the smoke session with those two was like before that show.

[derekdeprator]

quite the smoke session, omg. omg indeed.

[1crow]

I think Michael maybe brought a little Grateful Dead style to the act...

[potsick]

I did hospitality for these guys on the '88 tour. I was into punk, etc. and didn't know much about them. Michael hung out with me for a couple of hours before the show and played around on the piano. He was such a nice guy, I thought I 'should" go hear him play after I cleaned up the rec hall. I sat in the balcony mesmerized and driven to tears. He was such a beautiful person.

[STICKSnSTRINGS]

I got to see them in Dallas once ('89 maybe?), but they didn't play together. Michael did warmup for Leo.

Michael was the one I went to see, and as a young guitarist myself, seeing and hearing Michael that night changed my musical direction forever. It was absolutely one of the best performances of music I've EVER seen.

I remember during Aerial Boundaries, looking around and seeing jaws drop in amazement. We were collectively wondering, Just how much sound can one guy with a guitar make?

[odor9]

absolutely wonderful. I've always wondered what they would sound like together. Hedges was such a genius. May Leo play forever!

[Tman4000]

The Simon and Garfunkel of Fingerstyle Guitar

[coreyagraph]

++++++++++++

[camotero1]

Wow. I first saw Michael Hedges play for free at the Bartlesville, OK "Sunfest" in 1986, and I have seen Leo a couple of times. They're both amongst my favorites of all time.

While I love hearing these duets, I feel as sad as I do joyful. The music those two produced is so sublime and seamless, but I can't help think of the "could have been's" were it not for Michael's untimely death. And I tear up.

[OnenessNow]

Beautiful collaboration on a wonderful song.

Greetings of Love and Light from New York City.

[SidWSodnagel]

Saw them together, must have been on this tour. Michael had this weird and wonderful double-necked "harp" guitar.

Next time Leo was in town on a typical solo tour (Michael was still alive then) Leo talked about the previous tour. Leo, dangled his left hand loosely and wiggled and shook his fingers, said, "The guy has an octopus for a left hand."

[type3secretion]

what a great comment!

[mikemoseley]

Indeed awesome! I love hearing about stuff people have experienced around Hedges. Every time i see someone post *i saw him live* etc i always pm them and get all the info i can. I get some awesome replies about their experiences! Truly golden!

[51362879]

that WAS a great compliment, especially coming from the likes of Kotke.

[thetiler]

@SidWSodnagel

Enjoyed the piece as well !

[captainfairfield]

I am a BIG Byrds fan but can find absolutely no fault with this impressive rendition. Beautiful. Great performance.

[beatlegretsch]

Leo this is so cool!

God rest Michael's soul, I hope he can play on the other side. (:

[doda26]

Two Great guitarists... complementing one another! Thanks for posting this!!

[krumeneimer]

YEA!

[guitarmusic1]

Great to see Leo and Michael do this tune again, thanks for posting the vid. First time I saw Leo performed, he opened for Michael (in Toronto). If Michael were alive today, I bet he and Leo would be collaborating on something ...

[axisboldas]

Wow, this is great!