Opinion / Humor

I'm in the midst of a SiriusXM radio marathon, because apparently no one else is working right now, so here's an "encore presentation" of what was the second installment in the barely-popular Most Boring Stories of the Year series. This was

Is it "Mon-ROE" or "MUN-roe"? Is how we pronounce bluegrass names important? It probably is, yet it's not always as simple as it might seem. Do we pronounce people's names the way they would pronounce them themselves, or do we

This month I'm wearing my classic country DJ hat (size 7.5) and working at SiriusXM Willie's Roadhouse on weekday mornings most of this month. While on the air the other day I played Stateside by Mel Tillis, and I was

If this week's column seems at all disjointed, it's only because The Night Drivers and I are in the studio all this week, and I'm writing this in between takes of our new medley of Next Sunday Darling is My

We live in a world full of superstition. Perhaps this is the time to cue the drums to kick off that Stevie Wonder song, unless you object to drums, in which case cue the drum mounted on the bass and

Last week I promised to give a few tips for band leaders on how to keep band members longer. Or, if that really isn't a big priority for you (and for some band leaders it isn't), a few suggestions for

What makes some bands stay together for years, and others have perpetual personnel changes?  If you answered, "the one that stays together for years has never taken a current band photo or purchased an expensive vehicle together," congratulations! You’re a regular

I'm no ethnomusicologist. I'm not even a mixologist or any other kind of "ologist," but lyrics interest me, and sometimes I like going a little deeper into some of the mysteries presented in the bluegrass standards we know and love. Many

I just got done teaching at Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp last week (always good klean fun). This reminded me of the column I wrote several years ago about jamming. It was written the year the Night Drivers and I taught

Last week we discussed the blending of bluegrass music with other styles, including some that may not at first listen seem that compatible, like bluegrass and heavy metal, the fusion which kicked this whole subject off in the first place. Some