Last week, after passing along some of the findings in my research into the whereabouts of some familiar characters in bluegrass songs, I received some questions, comments, and suggestions. The suggestions, which mostly involved where I should go, and what I
People always seem interested in where music celebrities, or lesser-known one-hit wonder types, have disappeared to. I seem to recall VH-1, or one of those channels, devoting a whole show to the subject. I think people get a particular kick
This marks the first time I've ever composed one of these on a smart phone (my manual typewriter is in the shop). I'll be using a lot of short words or words suggested by the washcloth, even if it's not
Judging by the hate mail, the slashed tires, and the kidnapping of my goldfish, I’d say last week’s column was a little too edgy. And I guess I understand; after all, what could be more controversial than suggesting that entertainers
This was the column I was hoping to get someone else to write for me. It was the one that was supposed to deal with the issue of politics and/or religion in stage MC work. I called some pretty reliable friends
This is the third in a series on stage-show MC work. In the previous installment, I tried to answer a few frequently asked questions (or FAQ, for those in a hurry), covering issues like who should do most of the
Last week I tried to break on-stage MC work down to basics to make the mission seem less daunting for anyone who may find speaking to an audience intimidating. To sum up and review: you’re just trying to make the audience
Something that you or your band must eventually face (besides a non-existent retirement plan), is that at some point, usually no more than three or four songs into a show, you will have to say something to your audience. With the
Somewhere deep in my file of road stories, I have an unpleasant recollection of spreading out a sleeping bag on the ground behind a truckstop in the former Yugoslavia (because there was no room at the inn), surrounded by empty
Greetings from the road. My family and I are en route from Alberta to Nashville before we head to Morganton, NC. For that reason, we're pulling one out of the archives about bluegrass conspiracy theories. Bear in mind that this
