Author: Chris Jones

Are you a fan of the game Truth or Dare? I’ll admit that I’m not. This is a game that has been responsible for accidental drownings, indecent exposure arrests, the burning of public buildings, and possibly the assassination of Archduke

I’m excited to announce the return of Mr. Bluegrass Manners. He’s been out on the road, touring all 50 states in his well-mannered (but used) bluegrass bus, spreading the gospel of bluegrass etiquette, and building grassroots support for no particular

Aside from coal mining songs from songwriters who’ve never set foot in a mine, and moonshining songs from people who have only consumed the final product and know nothing about the actual production of the stuff, let alone outrunning or

Jim Lauderdale (I call him “Jim”) does a characteristically hilarious name-dropping bit on stage, which often involves the names of semi-famous government officials, e.g.Madeline Albright. I paraphrase: “I was just talking to Mike Pompeo on the phone, and he agreed

I’ve discussed the issue of CD sales here in the past. Disregard whatever I may have said before because there have been some important new developments on that front. Well, one, mainly: people really aren’t buying those things.  I’m exaggerating a

In early December, Bluegrass Today ran a story about an email scam targeting bluegrass artists. This seemed an odd professional group for the scammers of the world to zero in on, but the story was true, not merely a hoax

It’s our annual quiz week. Before we begin, though, I’d like to rewind to Christmas Eve. The scene is a typical American household, but with an important twist: Little Billy and Lila are tucked all snug in their beds, but

Happy 2020 to you! I’ve made only one resolution this year, and that is not to write a full New Year’s Day column. Instead, I’m going to use this time to clean my office. This will be especially challenging since

Merry Christmas, all! This one is going to be short; I’m surrounded by people wearing festive sweaters, and someone just handed me a cup of egg nog. Note: for anyone concerned that I’m drinking at this hour (it’s 6:00 a.m.

Bluegrass bands face an annual challenge at this festive time of the year. And no, I don’t mean the challenge of coming up with money to buy gifts when your band isn’t working at all.  Though it is a traditional time