The Most Romantic Guitarist In Salt Lake City: Michael Lucarelli

The perfect "make out" music.  That's how I described Michael Lucarelli's acoustic guitar finesse to a friend who was thinking of attending this concert last Friday.  I'd seen him at the Cathedral earlier this year.  Though no one was dancing in the aisles as with other concerts I've attended this year, Lucarelli clearly finessed the capacity crowd at the Unitarian Church for December's monthly local concert series of the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association.

The opening numbers "Ave Maria" and the tango "Verano Porteno" gave way to "Moonlight Sonata," and "Pendulum," a tune he acquired through having his recordings on You Tube.  Lucarelli's style is layered with baroque and Spanish melodies and chords of varying intensities.  He played with exceptional fingerstyle execution and was not tentative.  Lucarelli's guitar leanings came from Led Zepplin and his learnings from Peruvian guitarist Ricardo Linares as well as formal education at the University of Utah (Bachelor of Music) and University of Arizona (Master of Music in Guitar performance). 

As with so many concerts, my mental wanderings carried my thoughts well outside the building.  My very close friend told me she was getting engaged that weekend.  How does a woman over the age of 40 find such a situation?  Answer:

• She wasn't looking
• She wasn't looking
• She wasn't looking

Did I mention she wasn't looking?  My friend is so deeply and madly in love and I couldn't be happier for her.  I found myself wishing Lucarelli had been serenading her at the next table when her man popped the question.  But alas, Lucarelli was us in Utah and she was on the east coast.

The crowd was awestruck at Lucarelli's meanderings through such songs as "Classical Gas," the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," and Scott Jopin's "Entertainer."  Those who hadn't seen him before were impressed and those of us who'd seen him before were even more impressed the second time around.

Disclosure: Admission price for this event was $5. I received NO compensation for this review.