SQUIDFISHER MCMILLAN "The Party's Started"

by jenny heying

If you know me, you know I love the sound of electric guitar in Second Life®. Not that acoustic isn't good, but the sound from a driving electric guitar sends chills down my spine. Squidfisher McMillan sent chills all over my body as he laid into his guitar and opened with “Movin All Over” in front of 35 people at The Crystal Rose Ballroom. His guitar is loud, forceful and he puts his entire being into the riffs. The driving continued with “Spirit In The Sky” and I’ll tell you, I thought Squidfisher was leading us into another world. Well he did actually. Being a huge ZZ Top fan, he sent me over the top with his rendition of “Mexican Blackbird”.

Squidfisher is all about the guitar. It is front and foremost and it’s what you remember about his performance. His voice suits it too. It’s a little bluesy, a little rustic, but he holds the notes and the raw feeling emanating captures you and sends you down to the house of blues.

He’s a cross between George Thorogood and Stevie Ray Vaughn, but Squid is every bit an individual with a style all his own. He seems to love his guitar so much, that he never stops the licks. Even while he’s conversing with the crowd, his guitar is waling away. You really get in the mood when he’s in the mood and I bet he’s always in the mood.

Whether it’s rock or blues, Squidfisher will take you there. With “It’s A Sad Sad Day”, he showed us what blues were all about. While his voice and the lyrics put us in that place of desperation, it was his guitar that captured the mood for us. With “Something Special”, Squidfisher pushed us along that blues trip. It is the kind of trip that you never want to stop and hope goes on for ever. “T For Texas” had me in a frenzy and I lost track of what I was reviewing. His guitar, voice, performance. No matter, it was all good.

I think the best way to describe Squidfisher is that he’s a party. Well he sure seems like he brings one with him anyway. He sounds like he’s having fun and wants you to be a huge part of it. “Love Me Two Times” is Squid’s mellower side, if he really has one. I can imagine walking into his house, and the party has already started.

One of the best parts of his show is that he never stops playing. Even when one song is over, he continues with the riffs and never lets his axe rest. Squidfisher knows you are there, but it’s his guitar that is his focal point. And that’s okay, cause it’s his guitar you want to hear. And boy does he let you hear it.

Setting the mood with “Loaded Gun”, Squidfisher showered us with the blues. His mix of blues and rock are exceptional and he flies back and forth with abandon. He even does a rocking section of commercials but I’ll leave that for you to experience. “Dixie Chicken”, “He Went To Paris”, “Who Do You Love?” and “Riot in Cell Block Number Nine” filled out an amazing set list.

And while his show is spectacular, song selection amazing and voice superb, it is really his mastery of the guitar that holds you at his show. Accomplished yes, raw absolutely. Definitely infectious and entertaining.

If you like driving rock, gutsy blues and a voice that screams for mercy, you just gotta see Squidfisher McMillan. Please do!