Gary Tunstall "Straight Up" from Live and I'mperfect Live at The Superior Room Houghton, MI Feb 11, 2005

I've never been in the Army, but I've always imagined that it's something like going to Michigan Tech. In a remote, desolate place, you train yourself and wait for your orders, banding together to survive and remain human. The man with the 12-string guitar who plays chaplain to this ragged unit of engineers and hockey players is Gary Tunstall; the annual benefit show he plays during Tech's Winter Carnival has become a kind of pilgrimage for Chreaster Tech alums (have I taken this too far yet?). This past year, the crowd got so rambunctious that he actually had to stop playing at one point to let everybody know that they were totally blowing the sing-along rhythm with their craziness. This clip, of a classic-sounding major-key instrumental, illustrates perfectly the relationship Gary has with the students and alumni at Tech. Later in the week I'll post a couple of contrasting clips from a show he did in Appleton the following summer. What you'll see here is, if not totally unique, a rare atmosphere.