Stompin' Tom Connors
Stompin' Tom Connors came to my small town tonight and boy were there a lot of cowboy hats in the huge crowd. A Canadian legend, rumor is it this could be his last tour so it was cool to see him. For you non-Canadians here's the origin of the nickname according to Wikipedia:
Connors' habit of stomping the heel of his boot to keep rhythm earned him the "Stompin' " nickname - first announced at the King George Tavern in Peterborough, Ontario. Various stories have circulated about the origin of the foot stomping, but it's generally accepted that he did this to keep a strong tempo for his guitar playing - especially in the noisy bars and beer joints where he frequently performed. After numerous complaints about damaged stage floors, Tom began to carry a piece of plywood that he stomped even more vigorously than before. The "stompin' " board has since become one of his trademarks. After stomping a hole in the wood, he would pick it up and show it to the audience (accompanied by a joke about the quality of the local lumber) before calling for a new one. It was reported that when asked about his "stompin' board", Tom replied, "it's just a stage I'm going through". Stompin' Tom periodically auctions off his stompin' boards for charity.
A friend bought a DVD at the show and on the cover it said it included a genuine piece of one of Tom's stompin' boards. Including a piece of plywood with your DVD, to me, is totally awesome.