The velvet seats of the Olde Walkerville Theatre have seen their share of history, but they are about to get a serious jolt of high-voltage electricity. Tallan Noble Latz is coming to town. He is not just another kid with a Stratocaster and a dream. He is a 17-year-old veteran who has spent the last 11 years—more than half his life—dominating stages with a technical proficiency that makes seasoned session players look twice.
And don't let the recent high school graduation fool you. This is not a hobby. Latz is a professional who has been grinding in the industry since most of his peers were still figuring out long division. He is set to take over the Windsor stage for two massive shows and an intensive guitar clinic on Aug. 24 and 25.
The scheduling is ambitious. We are looking at a dual-threat weekend that separates the amateurs from the artists. One night is a heavy-hitting tribute to the gods of classic rock. The next is a deep dive into the soul-crushing world of the blues. It is a calculated move to show off his range.
“I’m super excited that I get to have two completely different shows,” Tallan says. “Friday we’re doing a guitar mayhem session with AC/DC, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and maybe a little REO Speedwagon—that’s just Friday night. Saturday is completely different. That night it’s all blues with two completely different sets. The first one is called Channeling The Blues which is themed after a painting that world-renowned artist Ron Suchiu did of me a few years ago which features me, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. The second set is going to be all Stevie Ray Vaughan. It’s going to have some of his greatest hits and some of my favourite songs that he played. So we’re going to be doing that. We also have the guitar clinic earlier in the day. With those shows and a guitar clinic, there’s a lot of cool things happening and I’m really excited for it.”
But let’s talk about that "mayhem" session. Playing Led Zeppelin isn't just about hitting the notes; it is about capturing the swagger and the specific, greasy groove of Jimmy Page. Most teenagers can play the riff to "Whole Lotta Love," but few can manage the chaotic precision required to actually sell it to a crowd in a historic theatre.
Latz has been doing this since his 2009 appearance on America’s Got Talent. Back then, he was the cute kid with the big guitar. But the industry is littered with the corpses of child stars who never transitioned. Latz avoided that trap by actually putting in the work.
He didn't just play for TV cameras. He shared the stage with the actual architects of modern music. We are talking about Les Paul, the man who literally invented the guitar Latz often holds. We are talking about Buddy Guy and Jackson Browne. These aren't just names on a poster; they are the gatekeepers of the craft.
And the origin story is pure rock lore. It started at age five. Most five-year-olds are obsessed with cartoons, but Latz was watching Joe Satriani. He saw the fretboard wizardry and told his father that he wanted in. He didn't want a toy; he wanted a career.
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the guitar that just really drew me in and I wanted to try it for myself,” he says. “Ever since my dad got me my first guitar, I’ve been playing all the time and I haven’t put it down. I fell in love with it and I can’t stop playing.”
I’m super excited that I get to have two completely different shows. Friday we’re doing a guitar mayhem session with AC/DC, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and maybe a little REO Speedwagon - that’s just Friday night. Saturday is completely different. That night it’s all blues with two completely different sets.
The Saturday night set is the one that will likely define the weekend. Channeling the Blues is a heavy title to live up to. When you invoke names like Hendrix and Vaughan, you are inviting comparison to the absolute pinnacle of the instrument.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is a particular beast to tackle. It requires a specific kind of heavy-gauge string attack and a mastery of the Texas shuffle that usually takes decades to perfect. Latz is banking on his obsession to carry him through.
The Ron Suchiu connection adds a layer of local prestige. Suchiu is a heavy hitter in the art world, and his painting of Latz alongside Hendrix and SRV isn't just a nice piece of décor. It is a mission statement. It positions Latz as the heir to a very specific, very loud throne.
But it isn't just a one-man show. Latz is smart enough to know that a great frontman is only as good as the players behind him. For the Friday night rock session, he is recruiting some of Windsor’s finest local talent to fill out the sound.
Gilles Provost, the harmonica ace from The 519 Band, will be there to add some grit. Then you have Benjamin Goldstien on the keys. A concert pianist brings a level of discipline and theory that can elevate a rock set from a bar-band vibe to a theatrical experience.
Rick Labonté is also on the bill. As the frontman for The Formula and The Blues Side, Labonté knows how to work a Windsor crowd. He has the vocal gravel necessary to match Latz’s high-gain output.
Rounding out the group is Michael Hereford from British Beat 66. Hereford knows his way around a vintage riff, and having a second guitarist who understands the nuances of the British Invasion will be crucial for those Zeppelin and Aerosmith cuts.
The guitar clinic earlier in the day on Saturday is perhaps the most revealing part of the weekend. It shows a level of confidence. You don't host a clinic unless you actually have something to teach. It is one thing to play fast; it is another to explain the "why" and the "how" to a room full of aspiring players.
Critically speaking, there is always a risk with these themed sets. They can sometimes veer into the territory of high-end karaoke if the performer doesn't inject enough of their own DNA into the tracks. Latz needs to ensure his own voice isn't drowned out by the ghosts of SRV and Hendrix.
But based on his track record, he has the technical chops to pull it off. He understands the gear, the tone, and the theatre of the performance. The Olde Walkerville Theatre, with its 1920s architecture and stellar acoustics, is the perfect venue for this kind of sonic assault.
The weekend is shaping up to be a masterclass in versatility. You get the raw power of the 70s on Friday and the emotional weight of the blues on Saturday. It is a lot of notes for one 17-year-old to hit, but Latz has been preparing for this since he was in kindergarten.
Tickets start at $30, which is a steal for this level of musicianship. If you want to see where the future of the electric guitar is headed, you should probably be in one of those seats. Windsor hasn't seen a weekend like this in a long time.
And let’s be honest, watching a teenager shred through "Voodoo Child" with the blessing of the Hendrix estate and the ghost of Les Paul watching over him is exactly why we go to live shows in the first place.
It is about the energy. It is about the "mayhem." And mostly, it is about a kid who refused to put the guitar down until he became the person everyone else was talking about.
The Aug. 24 and 25 dates are marked. The amps are being warmed up. Tallan Noble Latz is ready to prove that age is just a number, but talent is a lifelong commitment.
Don't miss the clinic. Don't miss the rock. And certainly don't miss the blues. It is going to be a loud weekend in Walkerville.
