From The Side of the Road… reflections on the passing scene
I know I sometimes struggle when I’m having to field questions like, “do you really wish Raleigh would be less supportive of the IBMA?” or “do you really believe Bill Monroe died in 1981 and was represented by Monroe body doubles for 15 years?” or when the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum (under […]
From The Side of the Road… bluegrass rules to live by
You’ll find that if you’re in the bluegrass music business for any length of time, things can and will occasionally go wrong. Mistakes will be made, sometimes through no fault of your own (but who are we kidding?). I’ve found that the difference between mistakes that are just unfortunate and the ones that are downright […]
From The Side of the Road… bluegrass Halloween song titles
I’ve discussed in past columns the fact that, while bluegrass bands still get booked at weddings, there are at most three appropriate bluegrass songs to play at a wedding. Even some of the instrumentals are questionable, at least if you announce the titles: Pretty Little Widow, Farewell Blues, and Don’t Make Me Go Through With […]
From The Side of the Road… post IBMA reflections
It was an outstanding IBMA World of Bluegrass this year, in my opinion (as opposed to the opinion of some person ranting on a street corner in Raleigh), and yes, I was awake for a great deal of it. The IBMA deserves a hearty round of applause, as does the city of Raleigh, but cities […]
From The Side of the Road… new home for World of Bluegrass
For those who attended the recent IBMA World of Bluegrass, I hope you had a great week and are recovering well. Reviews of the event, from the awards show to the keynote address, were generally glowing. There was widespread concern and just a touch of hand-wringing, though, after the announcement that 2024 would be the […]
From The Side of the Road… Turn Your Lanyard Around
Greetings from the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, or whatever city this is (it’s easy to feel disoriented during this week). A few years ago here, I wrote and recorded a song dealing with the number one problem facing IBMA WOB attendees—more than sleep deprivation or figuring out the exhibit hall map: the turned-around […]
From The Side of the Road… IBMA prep revisited
The IBMA World of Bluegrass is fast approaching, and there are lots of things to consider when preparing for this sometimes overwhelming event. Do you have enough business cards? Do you have any business cards at all? Do you have any business? In past years I’ve advocated different and often conflicting ways to prepare yourself, […]
From The Side of the Road… more rejected IBMA seminar topics
This is a big month for lovers of bluegrass music. For one thing, it’s Worldwide Bluegrass Month. If it interests you, it’s also Falls Prevention Month (for the other 11 months, just go ahead and take as many spills as you like), Library Card Sign-Up Month, and Achalasia Awareness Month (Achalasia is a rare syndrome […]
From The Side of the Road… I’ve written this song
I’ve had the honor of getting to be the curator for the Walnut Valley Festival’s NewSong Showcase for the last few years, and I’m looking forward to MCing the winners’ showcase at the festival in a week or so. I’m also looking forward to the songwriter track events coming up at the IBMA World of […]
From The Side of the Road… what’s in a name?
In these polarized political times (please hold your comments), a new acronym has sprung up to describe politicians who don’t quite tow the party line: “RINO” and “DINO,” short for “Republican In Name Only,” or “Democrat In Name Only.” This is meant as a putdown within your own ideological ranks: a RINO can be a […]
