Good morning. Today we’re listening to Tommy Guerrero, a guitarist and producer based in Oakland, CA. We first recommended him back in 2019. Since then he’s come out with two fantastic albums which we’re playing today. Thank you Rob for directing our attention to the most recent one,
Oct 19, 2023·edited Oct 19, 2023Liked by Flow State
Growing up in San Francisco, there were skater kids like you and me, and then there was... Tommy G. As we saw it right there with our own eyes on repeated 9th Ave skate runs, Tommy was the skinny little gumby who figured out how, somehow, impossibly-how, to ollie OVER things that were previously just part of the immobile landscape. Bushes, fire hydrants, mailboxes, stairways all flew beneath his feet, and his eyes shone with amused disbelief and wonder at his own newfound ability of flight. I was fairly proud of my Ty-slide skills, front- and—far more rare—backside, but Tommy was the man who showed us what was possible with a set of Rat Bones and a pair of Indys.
Years later, after I'd come across his first album, I ran into him at a bar on his namesake Guerrero Street and was able to congratulate him in person on his sweet, slow tunes. His music feels like coming into a lighter, happier and much more relaxed and groovier place.
This man's so talented that people somtimes forget he was/is a professional skateboarder. A very important one at that. Part of the Bones Brigade! Personally his opening part to Future Primitive is one of my favourites! Pure skateboarding.
Growing up in San Francisco, there were skater kids like you and me, and then there was... Tommy G. As we saw it right there with our own eyes on repeated 9th Ave skate runs, Tommy was the skinny little gumby who figured out how, somehow, impossibly-how, to ollie OVER things that were previously just part of the immobile landscape. Bushes, fire hydrants, mailboxes, stairways all flew beneath his feet, and his eyes shone with amused disbelief and wonder at his own newfound ability of flight. I was fairly proud of my Ty-slide skills, front- and—far more rare—backside, but Tommy was the man who showed us what was possible with a set of Rat Bones and a pair of Indys.
Years later, after I'd come across his first album, I ran into him at a bar on his namesake Guerrero Street and was able to congratulate him in person on his sweet, slow tunes. His music feels like coming into a lighter, happier and much more relaxed and groovier place.
Great pick!
Love all of Tommy's music, especially as those who rode the 43 bus line in San Francisco. What an awesome sound.
This man's so talented that people somtimes forget he was/is a professional skateboarder. A very important one at that. Part of the Bones Brigade! Personally his opening part to Future Primitive is one of my favourites! Pure skateboarding.
Awesome! Huge fan of Tommy's music..