Six Strings, Infinite Stories: Storytelling and the Guitar
For centuries, the guitar’s distinct twangs and articulations have served as the sonic heartbeat of genres ranging from classical to jazz and reggae. But what if the instrument wasn’t just setting the mood, but shaping the story itself?
That’s the very question two performers seek to answer this season at Stanford Live: Placing the guitar at center stage, singer-songwriter Duane Forrest and comedian-actor Nick Thune are using the six-stringed instrument to share personal stories, explore their cultural origins, and even crack a few jokes.
We sat down with these artists to understand how the guitar has transformed from mere background noise to a core partner in storytelling—and to catch an exclusive preview of the musical narratives they’ll bring to audiences at The Studio this season.
‘A Vehicle for Storytelling’
Duane Forrest can’t remember a time when music wasn’t playing in his childhood home. Raised in Toronto’s Scarborough district to a Jamaican immigrant family, Forrest recalls feeling the constant hum of the bass under his feet as his mom blasted reggae music through subwoofers.
This memory is just one chapter in Forrest’s award-winning show, Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World, coming to The Studio from Nov. 11 through 14. Performing stripped down renditions of iconic reggae songs, Forrest weaves his own life story throughout the narratives explored in the legendary music of Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, and more—but this is not your typical tribute show. Forrest’s acoustic performance is at once confessional, autobiographical, and original, using storytelling to take audiences on a powerful journey through the history of Jamaican music and that of Forrest’s communities.
I have always described the guitar as a vehicle for storytelling, rather than just pure musicianship. What’s the difference? Because of the way I play the guitar, I’m not trying to show my prowess on it or shred through notes… but more creating an atmosphere and a vibe which sets the stage for storytelling within music.
The reason Forrest is able to create such vivid, personal stories? It’s just the artist, the guitar, and the music on stage. By completely stripping down songs like “No Woman, No Cry,” Forrest’s intimate arrangements invite listeners to focus on the lyrics and let the solo guitar guide the narrative. Alternating between letting his guitar speak for him and inviting the crowd to join in, Forrest creates a raw, interactive experience that bridges the divide between performer and audience.
I think when a person is alone with a guitar, the reason it feels inherently confessional is because it’s that stripped away nature again. It makes things feel a little more raw. There’s no other instruments to distract you—it’s just the person, the guitar, and you on stage, which makes you narrow in on the story.
And though many have described the guitar as a relatively accessible, simple instrument, Forrest has dedicated his lifetime to exploring and deepening his musicality beyond the notes alone. By the end of Bob Marley, audiences can hear and feel how this six-stringed instrument communicates in ways words cannot—and that requires a type of musicianship technique alone cannot accomplish.
A Pizza Box, A Slip, & A Musical Punchline
While Forrest uses the guitar to ground heavy historical truths and trace his cultural lineages, comedian Nick Thune uses this six (or twelve) stringed instrument to heighten the ridiculous.
Thune first made a name for himself in the 2010s as a ‘guitar comedian’, strumming rhythmic, soothing melodies that contrast his shocking one-liners. Across late-night appearances and Netflix specials alike—and a 2018 appearance with Stanford Live—Thune’s comedy explores mundane topics like making lunch for his son or walking his dog, using gentle guitar lines to anchor absurd, irreverent stories and give his punchlines room to breathe.
But after taking an unexpected tumble in 2013—Thune broke his arm while carrying a pizza box across trolley tracks—the comedian took a hiatus from guitar-centric comedy and spent years exploring what storytelling could look like without an instrument. Looking back at his non-musical stand-up era, Thune says he recalls feeling naked without the instrument, unsure how to navigate the silences that stretched between punchlines.
Now, the comedian returns to his roots (and his beloved instrument) with a two-show Hysterical run in January 2027, bringing back the comedic quips and guitar riffs that first kept his audiences on their toes.
I love the guitar. I love to play in front of people and create these emotions and layers… I like to watch people try and grasp what’s happening, especially if I’m going up on a show where there’s been other comedians, I know I’m doing something drastically different than other comedians… It really kind of throws the audience into a different direction. And sometimes it doesn’t work!
For both Thune and Forrest, it’s just one man, one storyteller on the stage. But in their hands, the guitar helps these artists flesh out an infinite number of stories and bridge the gap between the performer and the listener. Whether you’re drawn to reggae’s cross-cultural legacies or simply looking for a laugh, Forrest and Thune prove that six strings and a single voice are all you need to tell an unforgettable story.
