Esquire's Chuck Klosterman Says YouTube Is Saving Guitar Rock

by POPSUGAR Entertainment 3

As you can probably tell, I'm a very big fan of YouTube, and I have often asserted that it's playing a huge role in the rebirth of music videos. So I was intrigued by Chuck Klosterman's assertion in his Esquire column this month—which, to my delight, also happens to be in the issue with George Clooney on the cover—that YouTube is also "fostering the rediscovery of rock virtuosity, particularly as it applies to the guitar."

He owes this in part to the fact that the web site is "slightly less popular than oxygen." Writes Klosterman: "While I'm still mystified as to what compels the average citizen to upload the opening credits of Head of the Class onto a Web site he doesn't own, I completely understand why other people enjoy watching such clips."

The column's basic premise, which I totally buy, is that people don't really appreciate how difficult it is to play the guitar until they see someone's fingers flying up close. He makes a good point, so read more

Klosterman mentions several guitar performances posted on YouTube: namely, a wildly popular video featuring a 23-year-old South Korean dude playing a rock version of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D."

While 9.8 million people viewed this video, Klosterman says, he can't imagine it would have gotten nearly as much traction as a simple audio file, because "very often, profoundly exceptional guitar playing is boring to listen to." Watching it on the other hand, can be truly astounding. Check out the video and you'll understand what I mean.