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Profile Mike Keneally gets guitar therapy By David Moye May 15, 2006 Encinitas, CA--Mike Keneally has been a nationally respected musician since he played with Frank Zappa back in the 1980s but, only now, is allowing himself to be worshipped as a guitar god. Keneally, who lives in Encinitas, is about to release “Guitar Therapy Live,” the first of his 13 album to emphasize his guitar playing upfront.
“Most of those people know me from my G3 connection playing with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.” Of course, in San Diego, Keneally will always be associated with Zappa, who also came from here but, by all accounts, split as soon as he could. Still, Keneally says being from America’s Finest City helped build a bond with Zappa and he admits, “I think that he liked I was from here. He would sometimes ask if a club that he played at down here was still in business.” Keneally had another geographical connection with Zappa. He was born in Long Island, like other Zappa alums such as Vai and Warren Cucurullo “and he thought it was funny so many guitarists came from there.” But Keneally is first, and foremost, a San Diegan, even though he hails from Encinitas and says there’s a certain quality to the musicians unique to the area: humor. He says humor is a common theme between seemingly non-similar musicians like Zappa, Tom Waits and Blink 182 and figures it has everything to do with growing up in the shadow of Los Angeles. “I see San Diego as Canada and Los Angeles as the U.S. There’s a self-deprecating sense of humor both here and in Canada, which may be the reason why so many comedians are from there.” Although Keneally takes his music seriously, he says that sense of humor comes out in spades on “Guitar Therapy Live,” in part because of its improv nature. “There’s a lot of ‘big rock action’ that inspires heroic guitar gestures. However, after a while, it becomes a parody of itself. Sometimes, while improvising a song, it comes out and I can’t help but be amused by it. It’s a real pomposity deflater.” -------------------- David Moye is a fifth generation resident of San Diego county and has the same birthday as Reggie Bush--but none of the athletic ability. Suggested Vyuz reading... What it's like to be straight in Hillcrest | By Leopard J. Ferry San Diego Mayor talks corruption and the Strong Mayor form of government | By Larry Knowles Steve York, UCSD pornographer, chooses law over porn | By Larry Knowles The bare facts about Brazilian waxing | By Romina Cleary A look inside Imperial Beach border patrol | By Larry Knowles A serial networker walks among us | By April Labine-Katko |
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