Leo Kottke Live @ No Exit MN, 1968

[@roberttkent]

Thank you. This takes me back. I had the wonderful fortune to learn to play from Leo back in 1965-66. I had driven to Minneapolis from Atlanta,Ga and, by total luck found a place called The Scholar Coffeehouse just across the bridge from the University. Short version of the story: I met and became friends with a lot of great musicians, eg Koerner, Ray & Glover, and, Leo Kottke. Again, by luck, I was the guitar player for two separate acts every week and was given a free place to stay and slept in a closet on a single bed mattress on the floor directly above the stage. Leo wasn't well known but his virtuosity made him one of the two main acts every week. After the final perforce several of us would go out for breakfast and to listen to other performers. I was just 20 years old and had only been playing guitar for about a year and a half . You can imagine how my mind was blown in this incredible environment. Leo taught me how to break away from conventional Travis style guitar picking and start doing an independent, rather than syncopated, technique on two songs Leo had recently learned from legendary musician, John Fahey. This was over 50+ years ago. It's been a good life. Thanks for posting these songs.

[@boonhawk]

This is an incredible story. I have learnt a great deal of my technique by studying Leo’s playing. Not quite the same as being taught directly, but the next best thing… his playing motivates me every day… so glad you got something out of me posting this… all the best to you, P

[@julieberkowitz2750]

Fahey was something but he lacked the charisma and personality of Kottke. My ex boyfriend sold a song to Fahey. Also did any of you get into Loudan Wainwright?

[@Magnetron33]

Thanks! Have not heard this. Started listening about 1970. Have seen him a few times.An acoustic Legend. Still love GreenHouse

[@boonhawk]

Ah good stuff. I saw him just once in 2012 last time he was over Europe way. Greenhouse is something else. I think Owls is my favourite tune from that record… 👍

[@Magnetron33]

@@boonhawk I have seen him 3 or 4 times over that last 40 years Never disappointed

[@boonhawk]

If I lived in the states I’d go and see him every chance I got. The best to ever do it in my opinion. Really glad you’re enjoying… I put up a really great bootleg from the 80’s on my channel also kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6bKlWScgst7o9Usi=vyjFqTFbXW4vT2m4 check it out if you get chance 👍 P

[@trafyknits9222]

1972 was the first time I heard Leo play (on record); it was a turning point for me. It both inspired me and destroyed me. How could anyone play an acoustic guitar like he did...especially a 12-string. I started playing guitar that same year and realized very quickly that I should not quit my day job. It wasn't until Tommy Emmanuel showed up that Leo was somewhat brought to earth in my eyes/ears. Leo is still an icon in acoustic music and has meant so much to so many who tried to emulate him.

[@boonhawk]

Great comment. I first heard Leo in around 2005. And have been trying to learn to play his pieces ever since. I doubt anyone will ever supplant him as my favourite musician now, the love runs too deep…

[@Deebemc]

Just getting to like TE………but I’ve never thought the guitar should be a drum kit, unless you are Bob Brozman! We all win hearing and seeing these brilliant musicians. I saw Leo in Europe in 1976…….this was in the middle of the folk-rock explosion at this particular festival. Just mind blowing…..amped up slide on a twelve string. Oh wow! ‘Need to cross the Pond again.

[@hamburg325]

Amazing how great and original he was at age 23. I've been trying for 50 years to somehow grab an ounce of his genius.

[@boonhawk]

There’s little I find more musically fulfilling than learning Leo’s music on my guitar. The best to ever do it. Keep working at it! P

[@SingleMalt77005]

I am late to this party! What a great find, Thanks for sharing. Please "liberate" more of those old Leo bootlegs!!!

[@boonhawk]

Hi. Am glad you enjoyed. Yes I keep meaning to upload another I have one in mind from a show in California in the 80’s I just need to get to it…

[@wildfire60]

I used to go down to the Scholar Coffee House in Dinky Town and listen to Leo Kottke when I lived in Minneapolis from 68 to 71. You really can't appreciate what he could do with sounds when playing the guitar unless you hear him in person. It's would be like listening to a symphony orchestra with sound filling the room.

[@boonhawk]

Amazing. Before my time. If I had a Time Machine this is exactly where I’d go to…

[@julieberkowitz2750]

This guy really had it going on. Really really

[@boonhawk]

He did! And he still does. There’s magic in every Kottke era. From the energy of his 60’s output, to the precision of 80’s Kottke, right up to the wisdom and complexity of his most recent recordings. The G.O.A.T in my humble opinion…

[@wchphoto]

That's a pretty deep voice for a 23-year-old! You can really see where the self-inflicted "geese fart" comment came from! I had about a dozen tapes (reel-to-reel & cassette), that I recorded off the soundboard at various gigs in the mid-70s when I worked for Leo. I gave what I had to The Leo Kottke Archive Project, started and maintained by John Stropes so they could be better preserved and ultimately heard by anyone with an interest.

[@boonhawk]

Oh wow that’s fantastic. Do you know if John has made them available to the public? Would love to hear them if at all possible. P

[@LorettaCarrillo]

Such a great find! To hear Leo play in the early years of his career is to see the talent. Just saw him in concert in late April in Austin, Texas , fan since 1973. ❤

[@boonhawk]

It is a fantastic tape. If I lived in the States I’d go and see him every chance I got. The best to ever do it… regards from the UK

[@StevenDay-y4n]

Hello Mr. Wright, I just found this . I have been listening to Mr. Kottke since 1972. Went to 2 live shows in 74, and 75. I am always looking for his music that would be new to me, like this gem. I had many of his albums, but they did not survive my house burning down. His live music is soooo great, I could not get enough of it ever. I have subscribed to your site/channel and will be going there to find as much of these bootlegs as I can . Thank you so much for posting, stay safe and be well.

[@JohnDoe-gk7ok]

Only 10 people in attendance and Leo is giving his all. He’s always been a beast.

[@boonhawk]

And still is…

[@TL-dr6sb]

I think the tune in Tell Me Mama later became the instrumental Stealing..... this is incredible material, more please!!

[@boonhawk]

Yes! More incoming 👍

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@peteolson6093]

This is amazing - big thanks - I've been listening to him for 35 years and this is the first time I've heard performances from the MN coffee house days. His style was already locked in and his voice is really strong.

[@FatherKeeg]

POST, POST, and POST more!,,, what an amazing treasure! Thanks for your offer and efforts.

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@paulhanna2425]

Copy that! What treasures! I had wondered about the criticism of his singing, but I understand it now: he pitched the songs in too-high a register. My first experience of Leo was "Mudlark", given to me by my sister's boyfriend at the time (1971). I had heard Pete Seeger's "Living in the Country" in 1962, and had determined that I would learn to play the 12-string, but, listening to Leo, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to produce as many notes all at once as he did. Plus that wonderful baritone. I remember a Stereo Review article about him some years later, talking about the "wall of sound" he produced, even allowing for open tunings. I certainly hope to see more old recordings of Leo in the future. Watching (listening to) an artist develop is a wonderful experience.

[@rixar139]

☘ Irish Honey Badger - One of my military buddies got me into his music.

[@boonhawk]

The best sort of buddy is the buddy that gets you into Leo Kottke… 👍

[@dantean]

Hard to remember that he was EVER 23 years old. Thanks for this.

[@goodun2974]

Actually I saw Leo play dozen or mire times from the eighties into the nineties and he always looked like he was 29 years old ---- for about a 30 year stretch I think. We did see him play last year and unfortunately age, and lack of work during the pandemic, sermed to have finally caught up with him. Perhaps we just caught him on a bad night (though he was in an excellent small venue where we've seen numerous great shows from others) but he seemed scattered and didn't play all that well.

[@ehaber197]

More Leo bootlegs would be great!! The sound quality on this one is excellent!

[@boonhawk]

I’ve got hundreds of them - just need to find the time…

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

@@boonhawk are you family or something?

[@boonhawk]

@@MrDizzyvonclutch family of Kottke? No just a big fan. Why do you ask?

[@greg6pierre]

Wow, this is the best! Pure Kottke, and his voice sounds great, best I have ever heard. I first encountered Leo in 1970 as I stopped in a record store on my way home from High School, and he was on the radio. Nobody in the store knew who it was, but I was hooked. I turned from Hendrix and Duane Allmond for this in my guitar pursuits.

[@boonhawk]

50 years of enjoying the great man! Must be deep in yr bones by now. Will post some more this week 👍

[@hodgethecat4536]

Delightful. Give us all you've got ;)

[@boonhawk]

If i can just find a spare half hour I will post another one of these they are pretty great. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it 👍

[@hodgethecat4536]

@@boonhawk Sure thing friend. Thanks!

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@jamesmarshall9598]

Solid Gold !!!!Thank you. No geese farts here!

[@jamesmarshall9598]

The picture looks like a BOZO.

[@boonhawk]

@@jamesmarshall9598 no idea if the pic is from the show truth be told and yes a bozo i think

[@jamesmarshall9598]

@@boonhawk Thanx, Peter!

[@janericschwartz5489]

Thank you Peter. Brings back great memories of the first time I heard Kottke way back. Amazing.

[@boonhawk]

Yeah it is pretty great…

[@w.l.graves7228]

wow .. tough crowd ! dead silent response to his joke ... = " looks like - no exit - may be losing money tonite " ! tremendous playing at 23 years old .. his voice had yet to become consistent yet .. but it's an honest voice and it gets much better as his show goes on. the geese fart stage , .. and in reality = " i just came to hear leo sing ".. said no one ever ! thank you for uploading !

[@boonhawk]

It is an honest voice

[@mikelamb2055]

#4 is "Long Way Up The River," which appeared on just a few of his 1969 LP "12 String Blues" (live at the Scholar Coffeehouse); it was eliminated from most of the copies you are apt to find.

[@boonhawk]

Thanks Mike, have altered. I don't think that track is on my copy of 12 String Blues, but I have a great version of it on Circle Round the Sun.

[@mikelamb2055]

@@boonhawk Yup.

[@JustSayN2O]

More of these please.

[@boonhawk]

There are no other known Kottke bootlegs from the 1960's unfortunately and then only one or two from the early 70's. Some of the other killers I have are from the 80's. I'll post a few more, subscribe if you want notifying etc 👍

[@ehaber197]

@@boonhawk would love to hear the '80s recordings! For my taste, he got better and better until perhaps hitting a peak in the late 90s, or later perhaps.

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@sandyhoffman7076]

More Leo, please! (and thank you!)

[@TheMoodyBluesChat]

Hello Sandy How are you doing? It's nice meeting you here!

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@joelgreene2670]

damn.. unreal...

[@boonhawk]

Agreed

[@joancarlson8704]

Holy crap. I love this. Finding more and more live performances on YT. Thanks for posting

[@boonhawk]

It is tremendous!

[@TheMoodyBluesChat]

Hello Joan How are you doing? It's nice meeting you here!

[@raccoonlittlebear6476]

@@TheMoodyBluesChat Howdy Mr. Kottke. Thank you for all of your art over the years!💓 I have tickets for your show here in N.M. on 11/16/22' . Stay well, Carpe Diem.

[@Rwskisr]

Wow! I may well have been there. I was a student at the College of St Thomas in 67/68 and was lucky to see Leo several times . Great stuff and his voice was great.

[@MarcHoffman]

More, please.

[@boonhawk]

Gonna post another one this weekend, keep an eye out

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@mikedraeger2335]

Has this been shared with John Stropes at UW-Milwaukee? They are keeping a Leo Kottke archive there and analyzing his music for students & the public.

[@boonhawk]

I haven’t personally shared it with him but I suspect he’s aware of it. I would love to have a look in his Kottke archive, he occasionally posts snippets of video when advertising his courses and it’s often something completely new… 👍

[@nobelweg]

This is cool man! Thank you so much!!

[@TheMoodyBluesChat]

❤️🙌

[@TheMoodyBluesChat]

It appears you are a huge fan, right? Do so well to send me a mail on goggle chat to the email address on my KZbin channel description... Thanks even as I look forward to reading from you

[@boonhawk]

Glad you like it!

[@Rick-lo9sd]

Peter absolutely incredible sound recording, thank you for taking the time to put this out there! Maybe you and Leo could make an agreement on wider distribution so you can get paid for your work and Leo can too. I was 13 when you recorded this. In the early 70's I was catching Leo's performances at the Jazz and Heritage festivals in New Orleans and at a club, also in New Orleans called Rosie's on Tchoupitoulas. I was also listening to John Fahey's music thanks to Leo's recording of John's rendition of the Pentacostal song, in Christ there is no East or West, What a remarkable name for a song! I still play it occasionally now and then..

[@boonhawk]

Hi Rick thanks for your comment, just to be clear I didn’t record this, I just posted it here to make it available to folks like you. I am a huge fan of Leo though, have listened to everything he’s ever done, and worked hard to study his guitar playing. Those 70’s live shows though were all before I was born, you are blessed to have had the opportunity to see him in those days. Although I did see him once, in 2012 in Berlin on his last trip over here. It was everything I could have hoped for and more…

[@sloburnjo]

Occasionally Now and Then is equally remarkable.

[@sloburnjo]

#4. Long Way Up the River is similar to the Viola Lee Blues

[@josephm.noviello1996]

Thank you for posting this masterpiece.

[@boonhawk]

It is a masterpiece! Every time someone comments it reminds me I need to post another one. Will try and get to it on Monday

[@boonhawk]

New Kottke show live on my page now 👍

[@samkoopmann8833]

Kinda strange hearing him sort of belt like that, great audio

[@boonhawk]

He did a full studio album of belting in the early days kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6muqaWYa6aFmrs I don’t think he rates it very highly but I am a big fan…

[@samkoopmann8833]

@@boonhawk woah haven’t heard that one yet, looks interesting

[@brucekrieger3188]

Hi Peter, thanks for posting this early recording! I have been a fan of Leo's since the mid 70's. I've seen him many times and play some of his tunes. I first saw him live at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana on Halloween night in 1975. It was a terrific show, and the late, great Leon Redbone opened for Leo. I managed to get a bootleg recording of the show from the college radio station, but it has since deteriorated and I only have roughly the first half now. Would be interested if you might have a complete copy of that one that you could post? Thanks in advance.

[@boonhawk]

I do have that. I will try and post it on here but if you want to post an email address I could send it to you direct? 👍

[@goodun2974]

At 1 Kottke gig I attended, the previously unannounced opening act turned out to be Adrian Legg. It was one hell of a night of virtuoso guitar playing plus numerous funny stories from both of them.

[@rudyharley7329]

Busted Bicycle is in open C tuning.

[@boonhawk]

That’s right! Although if you wanted to be really pedantic then it’s open C but 3 half steps down (Open A)

[@rudyharley7329]

@@boonhawk Correct. I use 13 to 56 gauge strings while tuned to this tuning. Often, I use single strings for first and second instead of unison double strings.

[@JustSayN2O]

"Tell Me Mama" . . . Leo ditched the lyrics and the song morphed into "Stealing" and now we know why. He stole his own song. In doing so, huge improvement.

[@boonhawk]

And then in 2004 re-recorded only the original material as ‘Stolen’

[@peteolson6093]

Definitely this became the opening of "Stealing" - but the main theme of that song came from Doc Watson's "Doc's Guitar"

[@Oliver1917th]

I prefer his younger voice, rough and ready.

[@boonhawk]

He sounds fantastic agreed

[@PeteZolli]

@@boonhawk Sounds something like Stephen Stills to my ear.

[@jimajello1028]

I could never understand his music. It's structure or core seems hard to find. Still trying.👍

[@robrhyner2949]

I've been playing with the idea that his primary interest is in getting/letting the guitar, especially the 12, say what it can say. I think he just loves how it sounds, and he's drawn from the same American well as everybody else, and poured it in to see what comes out. How's that?

[@jimajello1028]

I like the unique sound of Leo Kottke, I always wondered what tunings he uses.I am a big fan of Rhy Cooder, Daddy Stovepipe, Keb Mo etc.who play in many different tunings.I have been playing guitar for over 50 yrs., performed, written, & recorded In several different guitar tunings. Thank you sharing your insight. Every bit of information is appreciated & helps me grow in all worldly musical idioms. Vince James (Ajello)

[@julesbrunton1728]

​@@jimajello1028 he uses a variety of tunings ..standard, dropped D (Mona Roy), open G (busted bicycle), open Cmaj7 (owls), Open E (little Martha)

[@jimajello1028]

@@julesbrunton1728 Thank you Jules for giving me insight to the tunings that Leo Kottke uses on those songs. I will work & apply them to a greater understanding. All information greatly appreciated.

[@boonhawk]

Jim I don’t know if I could explain or rationalise his appeal to me, I just know that tune after tune after tune he knocks me off my feet. Regarding structure: sometimes he just so often goes to exactly the right spot at exactly the right spot. Snorkel is a great example of this, a perfect composition. And the core of it is his groove, which is best seen on video rather than just by listening alone. Check out anything from the Home and Away video, plenty of it is on KZbin. His playing is out of this world…

[@georgeadams8230]

Stealing was interesting

[@boonhawk]

It’s all pretty great 👍