Local rock star offers guitar lessons
December 23, 2009
His first guitar may have only had four strings, but by the time Everclear guitarist and Snoqualmie resident Davey French started playing guitar at age 13, he could make any guitar sound good, even one missing two strings.
With his guitar at his side, French has toured all over the world, but he chose to settle in Snoqualmie with his wife and 4-year-old son. In his free time, he gives guitar lessons.
Everclear guitarist and Snoqualmie resident Davey French rocks a show in Germany. Photo contributed
“It’s phenomenal that such a small community can have such a high-level rock star,” said Erik Iverson, one of French’s Snoqualmie students. “He’s really a down-to-earth, good human being.”
French grew up just east of Snoqualmie Valley in Bellevue, graduating from Newport High School. In a middle school guitar class, his music teacher made him the teaching assistant “because everything was too easy for me,” French said. “I was playing The Rolling Stones and everyone else was learning a C or a G (chord).”
At the time, Bellevue was burgeoning with rock bands, like Queensrÿche, and French started playing at venues all over Seattle. After graduation, French enrolled in a two-year music theory class at Bellevue College and then took his talent to The Black Halos, a band from British Columbia. Though he still dresses in black today, French joked The Black Halos took the color to a new level.
“Everything was black when you joined,” French said. “They gave you black Levis, black converse sneakers. If you didn’t have black hair, you had to dye it.”
His career took a turn in 2003 when he got a call from singer, guitarist and songwriter Art Alexakis of Everclear, the 1998 Billboard Modern Rock Band of the year.
Apparently, “my sound guy ended up running sound for Art,” French said, explaining how the two connected.
Alexakis asked him to join, and soon the group went on a whirlwind tour, playing for the Rolling Stones ‘A Bigger Bang’ tour playing “The Tonight Show,” where he met actor Will Ferrell.
In November 2008, Everclear flew to Iraq to play for the U.S. Armed Forces.
“That was the best experience of my life,” French said. “It was great to be able to contribute something to make them feel at home because they’re so far away.”
Back at home in Snoqualmie, Sammy Hudson, whom French had played with in Everclear, connected him with Steve Bell, owner of the recently closed Snoqualmie Ridge Music store. Both Hudson and French began teaching guitar students at the store, and moved their classes to downtown Snoqualmie after the store’s closure.
During guitar lessons, French said he focuses on music theory technique, training people to rely more on their ears when playing, improvisation and real world guitar playing.
“What impresses me about him is he actually has a lot of music theory background,” said Tom Erickson, another one of French’s Snoqualmie students. “Occasionally, I’ll want to dive into that and know what we’re doing, but if you want to know songs, we’ll play a song.”
For French, finding others’ guitar passion makes teaching worthwhile, especially when people connect with music on a deeper level.
“In Everclear, it’s playing what you feel, not what’s written down on paper,” French said.
Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
Valley residents turn to the earth for their home heating needs
December 23, 2009
True to his last name, Jack Greathouse decided to build a place of his own, complete with geothermal heating. He and his wife, 1983 Mount Si graduate Melinda Horiuchi, bought property in North Bend near Mount Si Road and have been working on their house for the past two years. Read more
North Bend photo studio offers free portraits to families in need
December 23, 2009
On Dec. 13, dozens of families streamed into the Encompass building in North Bend.
Braving the weather on a snowy Sunday, they came in dressed to the nines and eager to take their seat on chairs in the makeshift photo studio in the building’s biggest classroom. Read more
Sold-out Santa Train helps pave way for museum addition
December 3, 2009
The cotton snow and miniature tinseled trees of the elaborate model train display in the window of the Northwest Railway Museum hint that the depot is ready for the holidays and gives visitors from around the region a taste of what awaits them on the Santa Train. Read more
Mount Si bands ready to rock
December 3, 2009
On Dec. 12, Mount Si High School will rock, once again. Read more
Filmmaker will tell Snoqualmie Valley to relax, spend less
December 3, 2009
Material gifts are the norm during the winter holidays, but the next Community Conversations group might make some think otherwise.
The local discussion group’s guest, author and filmmaker John de Graff, is on a personal campaign against an epidemic of over-consumption, or what he calls affluenza. De Graff produced the 1997 film “Affluenza” and co-wrote a book by the same name, which has been translated into 10 languages. Read more
Check out these area Winter events
December 3, 2009
Forget the spandex. De-tune the edges. Race wax isn’t necessary. A helmet? OK, that’s probably still a good idea.
If you want to see the future of winter sports this year, avoid the Vancouver crowds and take a long look at the peaks in your own backyard. While the International Olympic Committee hype machine is running full blast just over the border, local ski areas have a blizzard of snowboarding and free-skiing events that are focused on fun, not politics. Read more
Community prepares to help families during Christmas
November 25, 2009
When Tina Maloney, of Sterling Savings Bank, took over Giving for Toys nearly four years ago, she promised to expand the program that had provided toys for families in need for a decade. Read more
Firefighter overtime funds running out
November 19, 2009
Overtime for firefighters is likely to go over budget.
The news isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds, as Eastside Fire and Rescue has additional funds set aside that can cover overtime. Read more
Volunteers needed to ring Salvation Army bells
November 19, 2009
It may be cold outside, but that won’t stop volunteers from ringing Salvation Army bells outside the North Bend QFC and Safeway.
“You get a lot of positive feedback from people as you’re standing there ringing the bell,” Mount Si High School Key Club advisor Joe Dockery said. “People are just nice to you. Sometimes people give you hot chocolate.” Read more
