Learn About Mahwah Guitar Great Les Paul And Rock History In Event

MAHWAH, NJ — Want to learn about the early days of rock and roll, particularly the lives of two men whose guitars helped lead the way? (One of those two men, Les Paul, grew up in Mahwah.)

Ian S. Port, author of The Birth of Loud, will lead an in-person and online talk next week via the Mahwah Museum.

"Join us for a rip-roaring journey through the early days of rock n’ roll told through the lives of the men whose innovative guitars helped usher it into existence," the Museum noted. "Author and former San Francisco Weekly music editor Ian S. Port tells the story of two protagonists, Leo Fender and Les Paul, whose instruments helped create the sounds associated with the genre.

"In the hands of Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix among others, the Fenders and the Gibson Les Paul’s revolutionized the way guitars were perceived, played and crucially, heard. At the center of the narrative are two opposite personalities and their fascinating biographies."

Port is a writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, The Three Penny, and The Believer among others. He is also the former music editor of the San Francisco Weekly.

This event marks the first in the return of the Les Paul Legacy Series, the museum said.

The Birth of Loud is on sale at the Mahwah Museum and Port will be available to sign them on the evening of the event. You can also order a copy through the museum bookstore.

The event takes place Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Registration is now open. In-person tickets are $20 per person, and $10 for Mahwah Museum members. Virtual tickets are $15 per person and $10 for Mahwah Museum members. Tickets can be purchased online through the e-bookstore on mahwahmuseum.org.

Learn more about Les Paul and his history in Mahwah here.