{"id":618783,"date":"2023-03-16T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/on-the-late-show-louis-cato-steps-to-the-front\/"},"modified":"2023-03-16T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T16:00:00","slug":"on-the-late-show-louis-cato-steps-to-the-front","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/on-the-late-show-louis-cato-steps-to-the-front\/","title":{"rendered":"On The Late Show, Louis Cato Steps to the Front"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When Louis Cato received this Univox LP-style as a gift in high school, it needed some major TLC. A few years later, it got some practical upgrades and now makes regular appearances with Cato on The Late Show.<\/p>\n<div data-elid=\"2659316655\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band\" data-authors=\"Nick Millevoi\" data-headline=\"On The Late Show, Louis Cato Steps to the Front\">\n<p class>It\u2019s a classic old-school-show-biz move: Bring out the band, introduce them one by one, and build up the song to its explosive beginning. It\u2019s fun, dramatic, audiences love it, and that\u2019s how every <em>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert<\/em> taping starts.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>By this time, us audience members have been sitting in Manhattan\u2019s chilly Ed Sullivan Theater for about 90 minutes. We\u2019ve gotten our seats, had a bathroom break after getting settled, and had some fun with warm-up comic Paul Mecurio. The first musician summoned by announcer Jen Spyra is drummer Joe Saylor. Wearing his trademark cowboy hat, he jogs out, gets behind the kit, and kicks off an up-tempo second-line groove. Next comes upright bassist Endea Owens and percussionist N\u00eagah Santos. The band\u2019s trumpeter, Jon Lampley, is introduced, and he\u2019s brought along his bandmates in the Huntertones as guests, so saxophonist Dan White and trombonist Chris Ott come out as well.<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem7\" data-id=\"7\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=7#rebelltitem7\" data-basename=\"louis-cato-feat-stay-human-look-within\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                Louis Cato feat. Stay Human &#8220;Look Within&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p><span data-rm-shortcode-id=\"abc526bc3bbde0f25c946da9f2f7b32c\"><iframe type=\"lazy-iframe\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rXV7Q-pm73M?rel=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The multitalented Louis Cato leads the Stay Human band through a special rooftop performance of his song \u201cLook Within,\u201d from his album, <em>Starting Now<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The audience is now on its feet, the band\u2019s pocket is thick, and the energy is building. When bandleader Louis Cato charges onstage, he reaches his mic on the bandstand and shouts, \u201cI feel good today!\u201d with explosive enthusiasm and a big grin, and the band launches into Jon Batiste\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m from Kenner.\u201d Cato sings the catchy and gleeful refrain: \u201cI feel good, I feel free, I feel fine just being me \/ I feel good today.\u201d And the audience is feeling the love. Almost everyone is bouncing and clapping along.<\/p>\n<p>A couple minutes in, when it seems like the song has reached its super-positive-vibe, high-energy climax, Cato shouts into his mic, \u201cHow do you feel today, Stephen?\u201d And with that, Colbert comes running out from the middle of the set. Cato leaps from the bandstand toward the host as the crowd explodes. The two grab hold of each other and attempt to spin around, but the bandleader, holding his black-sparkle Tuttle T-style, loses his grip and goes sliding across the shiny stage. There\u2019s a second where both are comically stunned\u2014Kevin McCallister <em>Home Alone<\/em>-expressions on both of their faces\u2014but Cato quickly jumps to his feet, both he and his guitar unharmed, and runs back to the bandstand, where he keeps the song moving along with his bandmates, who haven\u2019t missed a beat.<\/p>\n<p>All this excitement isn\u2019t even for the TV audience! Colbert is coming out for the un-televised pre-show Q&#038;A. In a few minutes, they\u2019ll do a new taped intro that looks more like what we see every night. But they\u2019ve gotten the crowd energized, and we need to keep it up. They need our energy to do their jobs.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"e7a6f\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"3b458164422bedaf090ec89a4e039078\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=32910904&#038;width=980\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" alt><small><\/p>\n<p>The Late Show Band welcomes a lot of guests up on the bandstand. Here, Cato and Joe Walsh boogie down.<\/p>\n<p><\/small><small><\/p>\n<p><em>Photo by Scott Kowalchyk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/small><\/p>\n<p>As Cato sees it, that\u2019s what his role as bandleader is all about: keeping the audience engaged and amplifying the drama and action of the show. \u201cThat translates to the energy that the viewers get at home,\u201d he explains. \u201cFor all of us here, we\u2019re able to feed off that energy and do the best possible show that we all can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Colbert agrees with that job description and adds that the bandleader himself has the same contagious effect on his players. \u201cLouis is an extraordinarily gifted multi-instrumentalist,\u201d he says, \u201cwhose spirit of creativity and collaboration not only elevates everything the band does musically but inspires me to be better at my job.\u201d He adds, \u201cI\u2019m so happy to call him my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond his infectious energy and charisma, there are a lot of ways Cato keeps the Late Show Band invigorated from night to night. For one, he keeps the music fresh by tackling a new cover song every day. That doesn\u2019t mean running down rote note-for-note charts. Cato and the band take a reconstructionist approach that fans of his work\u2014whether from his collaborations with artists such as the Huntertones, Scary Pockets, or <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/oB4TcMObn4Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vulfpeck<\/a>, or from his regular Instagram cover-song posts\u2014will recognize.<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem24\" data-id=\"24\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=24#rebelltitem24\" data-basename=\"particle-24\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<blockquote><p>\u201cLouis is an extraordinarily gifted multi-instrumentalist whose spirit of creativity and collaboration not only elevates everything the band does musically but inspires me to be better at my job.\u201d\u2014Stephen Colbert<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>On this evening, the band runs through a host of multi-genre reinterpretations during the two-episode taping, including a slow-burning and soulful \u201cSmokestack Lightning,\u201d a New Orleans-style \u201cDown by the Riverside,\u201d and a fingerpicked, acoustic-led take of Joni Mitchell\u2019s \u201cFree Man in Paris\u201d that gets Colbert lip syncing along off camera. On a horn-driven arrangement of Stevie Wonder\u2019s \u201cLove\u2019s in Need of Love Today,\u201d there\u2019s a re-worked bridge that creates a generous feature spot for the guest horn players.<\/p>\n<p>Every arrangement brings a new and unique perspective to a classic track, to ensure the band is \u201cnot just a wedding band doing a cover of a song on the radio.\u201d Cato adds, \u201cWe\u2019re arranging it and making it our own\u2014because that\u2019s the sonic fingerprint of our show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"2259a\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"e18b634cfd2e0639c0d63b4eb4f84b16\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=32910912&#038;width=980\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" alt><small><\/p>\n<p>St. Vincent jams with Louis and crew.<\/p>\n<p><\/small><small><\/p>\n<p><em>Photo by Scott Kowalchyk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/small><\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem5\" data-id=\"5\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5\" data-basename=\"a-lifelong-path\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                A Lifelong Path<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Listening to the story of Cato\u2019s musical life, it seems that this job\u2014with its demand for a blend of careful strategizing and on-the-fly creative thinking, as well as effortless instrumental skills and charismatic showmanship\u2014is what he\u2019s been training for since the beginning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the morning of the taping I attended, I meet Cato in his dressing room. Painted with sky-blue walls and a cloud mural on the ceiling, it\u2019s a comfortable place to hang. The bandleader is wearing slim-fit floral pants, a hoodie over a black T-shirt, and a long necklace. He sits across from me on his couch, next to a guitar stand that holds a few instruments\u2014including his Tuttle, a Jesse Stern-built baritone acoustic, and his Univox LP-style\u2014and a \u201965 Deluxe Reverb reissue with a Universal Audio Dream \u201965 pedal plugged into it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s not a time in my brain when I was not making music in some way or form,\u201d Cato says. His mother, a pianist in the Church of God in Christ, bought her son a Diamond drum kit that he recalls having paper heads when he was just 2 years old, and she started teaching the toddler to accompany her. \u201cI marvel at my mom,\u201d he laughs. \u201cLike, who buys their 2-year-old a drum kit?\u201d After playing those drums every day for a year, he started accompanying her at services.<\/p>\n<p>The family moved around a lot. Cato\u2019s father was in the Air Force, and Louis was born on a base in Lisbon, Portugal, before moving to Dayton, Ohio. Not long after he started playing in church there, they moved again to Washington, D.C., and when Louis was 5 they settled in Albemarle, North Carolina. A few years later, Louis started playing guitar on a \u201clittle burgundy sunburst acoustic. Eventually, I busted a string and busted another string and just kept playing with four strings. I delved more into bass from playing bass lines on the acoustic guitar. So, for my 9th birthday, my dad bought me a 4-string bass.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem46\" data-id=\"46\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=46#rebelltitem46\" data-basename=\"particle-46\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019d show up to Tip\u2019s and we\u2019d do a week of writing sessions with John Legend or have Andr\u00e9 3000 in the studio for a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>While it was strictly pragmatic reasons that initially drew him to the bass, he says his biggest inspiration was the bass player he knew best: his mother\u2019s left hand. Her playing, rooted in the COGIC (Church of God in Christ) style, \u201cinvolves heavy left-hand bass. I wasn\u2019t as psyched to play bass in church since the way my mom plays is very defined. But eventually I kind of had to learn how she plays. It was always just her and me playing. And I had to learn to move with that and follow that. She\u2019s a great bass player.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along the way, Cato picked up more instruments. By the time he headed to Berklee, he was playing drums, guitar, and bass as well as tuba, trombone, and euphonium. \u201cI was going from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a large pond of super-talented people who had heard oodles of music I had never dreamed of,\u201d he recalls. So, he decided to focus his studies on the instrument he\u2019d played the longest.<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem8\" data-id=\"8\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"True\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=8#rebelltitem8\" data-basename=\"louis-cato-s-gear\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                Louis Cato&#8217;s Gear<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"04314\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"4a0ec7b08c770a00ecdb63c08a844194\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=32910946&#038;width=980\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" alt><small><\/p>\n<p>A glimpse at Cato\u2019s pedals and amp, which mostly live outside of the camera\u2019s eye, behind his stage monitor.<\/p>\n<p><\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem49\" data-id=\"49\" data-reload-ads=\"true\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=49#rebelltitem49\" data-basename=\"particle-49\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3>Guitars<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Univox LP-style<\/li>\n<li>Tuttle Custom Hollow T<\/li>\n<li>1961 Gibson SG reissue<\/li>\n<li>Martin OM-28<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Amps<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201965 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem50\" data-id=\"50\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=50#rebelltitem50\" data-basename=\"particle-50\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3>Effects<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Boss FV-500H Volume Pedal<\/li>\n<li>Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner<\/li>\n<li>Dunlop Cry Baby <\/li>\n<li>3 Leaf Audio Octabvre<\/li>\n<li>J. Rockett Archer<\/li>\n<li>Truetone Jekyll &#038; Hyde <\/li>\n<li>Xotic RC Booster <\/li>\n<li>MXR Carbon Copy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Strings and Picks<br \/><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>D\u2019Addario EJ16 (.012-.053)<\/li>\n<li>D\u2019Addario EXL110 (.010-.046)<\/li>\n<li>Dunlop Max Grip .88 mm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cato completed just two semesters\u2014fall \u201903 and spring \u201904\u2014before deciding to concentrate on playing the gigs that were paying his bills. \u201cMy rationale was, much to my parents\u2019 chagrin, here\u2019s an opportunity where I can keep learning on the job and be working my way out of the debt I went into in this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gigging with wedding and church bands gave the multi-instrumentalist an opportunity to keep all his instrumental and vocal skills alive. \u201cMy oldest daughter was born soon after that,\u201d he recalls, \u201cso I felt really, really aware of how lucky I was, how lucky any of us are, to make a living and support a family as a musician.\u201d Cato spent five years in Boston, playing various instruments in gigging bands, and he frequented local institution Wally\u2019s Cafe Jazz Club, just two blocks down the street from Berklee, \u201cfor self-education and inspiration. When that felt like I hit a ceiling, I looked at where I could go to continue my inspiration and working on the kind of projects I wanted to be working on, and that led me here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By that time, Cato\u2019s friend Meghan Stabile, had moved to New York and created the promotion and production company Revive Music, which was dedicated to the kinds of jazz and hip-hop collaborations he wanted to pursue. Cato moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn, with his band Six Figures\u2014 \u201cThere were six of us; we did not make six figures!\u201d\u2014and would head back to Boston each weekend for the gigs that were paying his bills. Eager to soak up the New York scene, he\u2019d return to New York on Sunday nights and go directly to jam sessions.<\/p>\n<p>All that time back and forth on the Northeast Corridor paid off. A self-described musical \u201cutility knife,\u201d Cato\u2019s multi-instrumentalism, as well as his talents as a songwriter, arranger, producer, and engineer, made him a major asset as a collaborator, and the New York scene took notice. Soon, he established essential connections that would affect his career, forming \u201can instantaneous brotherhood that continues to this day\u201d with producer Kamaal Fareed, aka Q-Tip. \u201cThrough that, I ended up really delving into a lot of relationships and credits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two artists worked on high-level collaborations that not only bolstered Cato\u2019s reputation but served as a major piece of his education. \u201cI\u2019d show up to Tip\u2019s,\u201d he explains, \u201cand we\u2019d do a week of writing sessions with John Legend or have Andr\u00e9 3000 in the studio for a couple of weeks. Sometimes things would come from it, and sometimes nothing would come from it. But being in the creative process on that level in a trusted space was invaluable for me. I learned so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Outside of Q-Tip\u2019s studio, Cato was learning from plenty of masters, mostly from behind the kit. \u201cIt\u2019s really special when you find yourself learning things you connect to,\u201d he says about his work alongside artists such as bassist Marcus Miller, keyboardist George Duke, and guitarist John Scofield. \u201cAnd I learned so much about myself from connecting to some of these people.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem11\" data-id=\"11\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=11#rebelltitem11\" data-basename=\"staying-human\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                Staying Human<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Back in 2015, Cato received a phone call from pianist Jon Batiste. The two had never met, but Batiste rang him up about a mysterious project\u2014a theme song for a TV show that he couldn\u2019t disclose. \u201cI had a wisdom tooth appointment back in Boston, and I got a random call,\u201d Cato remembers. \u201cI think his exact words were, \u2018I\u2019d love to have your ears on it.\u2019 And I followed my gut, rescheduled my trip, stayed in New York an extra day with an abscessed wisdom tooth.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The two got together to co-write and produce \u201cHumanism,\u201d which would become the theme song for the Stephen Colbert-hosted <em>Late Show<\/em>. Batiste played piano, Cato played the guitar, bass, and drum parts and \u201cput on my editing hat.\u201d They brought in Joe Saylor\u2014who would become the show\u2019s drummer\u2014to play tambourine, as well as saxophonist Eddie Barbash. \u201cAfter the session,\u201d Cato remembers, \u201cI went back, got my wisdom tooth out, and went back on the road with John Scofield.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem12\" data-id=\"12\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"True\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=12#rebelltitem12\" data-basename=\"particle-12\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"f46f0\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"62fb14630165c3040815e7409f277c2d\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=32910950&#038;width=980\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" alt><small><\/p>\n<p>Three of the four go-to guitars Cato uses on <em>The Late Show<\/em>: a black Tuttle T-style, a cherry-red Gibson SG, and a Martin OM-28.<\/p>\n<p><\/small><\/p>\n<p>At first, Cato played the multi-instrumental role of his dreams, attempting to surround himself with every instrument he could play. \u201cThat lasted about three days before reality set in,\u201d he laughs. \u201cSlowly, one by one, things started disappearing\u2014a floor tom going away here, a Pro Tools setup going offstage there. Eventually, as the band formed out, I moved around to what was needed. I was the utility guy\u2014played a lot of kazoo, a lot of cowbell.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While on the road drumming with Sco\u2019, Cato got the invite from Batiste to join the show\u2019s band, Stay Human. \u201cIt was a huge life shift for me,\u201d Cato explains. \u201cI was making really good money on the road with really good musicians, which was really fulfilling. And I took a chance. I loved the idea of being a part of something creatively from its inception.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, Cato settled into a more consistent electric bass role, until Batiste brought in upright player Endea Owens, and he moved to guitar, where he\u2019s mostly stayed. When Batiste left the show last year, Cato took over as bandleader\u2014officially starting this season, back in September\u2014and decided he\u2019d lead from his role as guitarist. \u201cOf all the places I occupied,\u201d he says, \u201cguitar was the easiest and most natural to me to lead the band, in the energy. From behind the drums, it\u2019s a different thing, and we\u2019ve done it when Joe was out. But it just was a really natural progression.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem13\" data-id=\"13\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=13#rebelltitem13\" data-basename=\"same-show-new-job\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                Same Show, New Job<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In just a few months, Cato\u2019s new role as bandleader has had an impact on the show. The renamed Late Show Band\u2019s engine seems to be burning on a new kind of fuel. And it feels as though that energy is coming directly from Cato.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we talk, the guitarist is deeply engaged, in a kind of hyper-focused way that is not intense but more casually un-distractable. He brings that same focus to the show. While Colbert delivers monologues, Cato is zoomed in on the host, listening to every word, often riffing around on his guitar to contribute musical commentary. During interviews, he\u2019s taking cues and following the tone of the conversation, looking for ways to adapt.<\/p>\n<p>The bandleader gig requires loads of big-picture improvisation, but also lots of prep. Cato explains that each week he makes a set list, but the band will react and make changes in the moment. \u201cMy job ends up being a lot of judgement calls that affect the flow of the show,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have a group of compositions we wrote for the show that can complement different moments. If there\u2019s a major energy shift in an interview that takes a turn or something happens in the day, like a tragedy, we\u2019ll call one of the songs we wrote for the show for a moment such as that. Recently, we had a guest on that started improvising a song. So, I have on our in-ear mic and call out the key and start playing, and we all jump in, and now we\u2019re doing this instead.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem14\" data-id=\"14\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"True\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=14#rebelltitem14\" data-basename=\"particle-14\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"0113a\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"cb78eaa65ef1c567dfc8bef8153407d7\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=32910955&#038;width=980\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" alt><small><\/p>\n<p>Cato poses with his black-sparkle chambered T-style, made by Tuttle. \u201cWhen I\u2019m checking off core priorities in sound,\u201d he says, \u201cif I\u2019m going for rhythmic things, I go to the Tele.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/small><small><\/p>\n<p><em>Photo by Scott Kowalchyk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/small><\/p>\n<p>Watching the Late Show Band in person, I see this play out as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explains the steps the U.S. can take to avoid a recession. It\u2019s a heavy and heady conversation, and, frankly, it\u2019s anything but fun. Cato knows he\u2019ll need to pick the audience back up. As he watches from the bandstand, he gives tempo cues to the band, who nod along, so they can effectively shift the energy and get the audience re-focused for the next guest, actor\/director Sarah Polley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As a guitar player, Cato says he sticks to playing things that feel most natural to him so he can concentrate on his bandleading duties. He adds that he considers himself more a rhythm guitarist than a lead guitarist. (It\u2019s worth noting that his delineation is more conceptual than musical: Cato is an inspired and dynamic melodic lead player, but his deeply rooted phrasing and feel is at the forefront of everything he plays, so the rhythm-first thing applies to it all.) \u201cThis is not a space as a guitar player where I\u2019m jumping out of the box trying any and everything and exploring,\u201d he explains. \u201cYou get to some of those places. But for me, it always has to start from something I can do while leading the band and reading the energy and making judgement calls.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem34\" data-id=\"34\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=34#rebelltitem34\" data-basename=\"particle-34\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe\u2019re arranging it and making it our own\u2014because that\u2019s the sonic fingerprint of our show.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>That rooted, pragmatic ethos applies to the gear he chooses as well. \u201cI never was a big gear person,\u201d he admits. Luckily, he has Late Show Band tech and informed gearhead Matt Mead to help him keep his pedalboard well-stocked. \u201cThere\u2019s so many things I\u2019m learning about the job and trying to keep straight in my head that this ends up getting the short end of the stick, and it wouldn\u2019t work if there was not a Matt Mead to make up the rest of that stick and make it sound good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe show throws a lot of curveballs,\u201d Mead points out. \u201cHe steers the boat as far as the tones he\u2019s looking for and if there\u2019s a particular sound he\u2019s looking for. Sometimes, I\u2019ll recommend stuff and say, \u2018Hey I notice you\u2019re doing this, maybe we should try this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cato\u2019s collaboratively curated pedalboard is pretty simple at its core: It starts with a Boss FV-500H volume pedal, a Boss TU-3, a Dunlop Cry Baby, and 3 Leaf Audio Octabvre. Cato shows me how he uses the latter for more traditional, Hendrix-style playing, but he points out that the band plays a lot of montunoes, and he tends to use the octave pedal for those. For drive, he uses a J. Rockett Archer and a Truetone Jekyll &#038; Hyde, which are followed by an Xotic RC Booster and an MXR Carbon Copy, all into a Fender \u201965 Princeton Reverb reissue, and powered by a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power Plus.<\/p>\n<p>In live performances outside of <em>The Late Show<\/em>, Cato uses various guitars, but says that the studio\u2019s cold temperature doesn\u2019t do many favors for instruments such as his Gibson Luther Dickinson ES-335 or some of his acoustics, so he\u2019s careful when selecting which guitars come on stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater. The three guitars that most commonly appear on the show are his black Tuttle Custom Hollow T, a cherry red Gibson SG 1961 Reissue, and a Martin OM-28.<\/p>\n<p>Another guitar that sometimes appears on the Late Show is his LP-style Univox, which I ask Cato about in his dressing room. \u201cIf I need to be altogether comfortable,\u201d he explains, \u201cI pull out the Univox, because it\u2019s my earliest guitar. I\u2019ve had this since high school.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem16\" data-id=\"16\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=16#rebelltitem16\" data-basename=\"cory-wong-lunchtime-the-late-show-s-commercial-breakdown\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1674775513\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<h3 data-role=\"headline\">\n<p>                Cory Wong &#8220;Lunchtime&#8221; &#8211; The Late Show&#8217;s Commercial Breakdown<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<p><span data-rm-shortcode-id=\"c766464dedf2c7574b25f715ed74a301\"><iframe type=\"lazy-iframe\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DfEQpZuCovU?rel=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When musical guests visit <em>The Late Show<\/em>, they get the full-band treatment from Cato and company. Here, Cory Wong sits in for a rhythm guitar showdown of the highest level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Back when he first got the guitar, Cato remembers, it was in rough shape, desperately in need of wiring and pickup repairs and a new set of tuners. It stayed that way until he was in Boston. When he picked up a wedding band gig playing trombone and guitar, he was lucky enough to have a roommate who could get the Univox performance-ready by replacing the original tuners with locking units, cleaning out the electronics, and swapping the pickups for a pair of Seymour Duncans.<\/p>\n<div id=\"rebelltitem29\" data-id=\"29\" data-reload-ads=\"false\" data-is-image=\"False\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band?rebelltitem=29#rebelltitem29\" data-basename=\"particle-29\" data-post-id=\"2659316655\" data-published-at=\"1678981366\" data-use-pagination=\"False\">\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI didn\u2019t even know there was a such thing as a professional musician.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>But Cato says that even before those repairs, he\u2019s always \u201cloved it because it\u2019s all I had. I remember I was playing a little Vox amp, and this guitar had a feeling out of that amp. This guitar just became home base and felt super natural to my fingers. If I need to just not be thinking at all, this is home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Did he ever dream he\u2019d be on television every night, holding this Univox and chumming with a late-night host? \u201cNever! Not once!\u201d he says. \u201cIt was just a product of my nurture growing up in a small town. I didn\u2019t even know there was such a thing as a professional musician.\u201d And yet, Cato pursued music as fully and single-mindedly as he could. \u201cI just knew that I liked it and felt connected to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premierguitar.com\/artists\/guitarists\/louis-cato-late-show-band\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Nick Millevoi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Louis Cato received this Univox LP-style as a gift in high school, it needed some major TLC. A few years later, it got some practical upgrades and now makes regular appearances with Cato on The Late Show. It\u2019s a classic old-school-show-biz move: Bring out the band, introduce them one by one, and build up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":618784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[534,4276,2527],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-618783","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-financial","8":"category-louis","9":"category-steps"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/618784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}