An accomplished multi-instrumentalist best known for his virtuosic command of the electric guitar, Buckethead is one of the instrument’s most recognizable contemporary innovators, with his rapid-fire riffing, near-robotic fretwork, and idiosyncratic lead lines. His star-burst chord clusters and eye-frazzling eight-finger solos aren’t like much else you’ll be hearing on this planet anytime soon. The Buckethead story begins with a kid named Brian Carroll growing up in a Southern California suburb not far from Disneyland. As a teenager, Brian took up the guitar, plonking away under the sway of the great metal masters. While doing so, he incorporated extensive music theory and echoes of classical-music consciousness into his burgeoning style. With a unique sound now developed, it was time for Carroll to create a stage-persona to match. Thus Buckethead, with his vaguely sinister mask and an upended KFC bucket propped on his head, was born to the world.