David Ernspiker 1970 - 2009

Louisville lost a musical icon a couple days ago. Guitarist Dave Ernspiker passed away due to a heart attack at his home this past Thursday. He spent a long time touring with well-known area bands, but he may be best-known for the Big Rock Show, a band he founded and performed with on an almost nightly basis.

I just don't know what to say about Dave... I'll start with the fact that he was one of the nicest guys I knew. That phrase gets thrown around frequently, especially when someone has died, but I honestly mean it. Dave was an absolute joy to play with because he really felt the music deep in his soul. That's the kind of vibe that rubs off on you as a musician. I don't know that a lot of people realized how incredibly versatile his playing was, either. Sure, the Big Rock Show is a full on, blow-your-doors-off rock extravaganza, but Dave was equally as comfortable in just about any other style, and his playing had nuance, which, understandably, isn't readily apparent in a hard rock setting.

My favorite memory is still the first time I jammed with Dave. It was just the two of us, with me playing an old Kimball organ, and we played a simmering, jazzy slow blues. It was the kind of unplanned thing where we had just met, and were kind of noodling around, tuning and whatnot, and we just sort of fell into it. It was so beautiful. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to play with Dave on a regular basis.

See you in another life, brother.

The funeral will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, April 14 at Hopewell Baptist Church (4305 Hopewell Road) in J-Town.