Berkeley-based Rowan McCallister, who might be described as an old soul, has been playing this music for a long time, seemingly longer than his relatively young age. He plays many instruments in multiple bands across a wide variety of styles. Rowan is active in the Town Howlers, Skillet Licorice, the Bearcat Stringband, plus a new band, Hey Lonesome! which he talks about below. He is a constant presence at Bay Area Jams, has played virtually every California bluegrass and old-time festival, and teaches at Manning Music in Berkeley.
Hey Rowan, tell us how you got into bluegrass and old-time music.
I guess it was a combination of things. I played a little guitar in high school, first just learning to sing Bob Dylan and other music from the ’60s and ’70s, then spent some time learning finger-picking doing Mississippi John Hurt and John Fahey material. I remember seeing the Martin Scorsese documentary on Dylan, No Direction Home, and being struck with all the old footage of the musicians that were influencing him while he was coming up in the Greenwich Village folk scene.
Additionally, my dad had a Flatiron army-navy-style mandolin lying around the house, though he had stopped playing it by the time I was born. But something in that older music resonated with me, and I thought that mandolin would be a good way of engaging with it. I started doing mandolin lessons with Eric Thompson and hanging around the 5th String music shop in Berkeley.
One of the friends I’d made at the 5th string, Tim Hicks, started getting me fill-in work at the shop and soon I was working there very regularly. The guy who had been hosting their long-term, weekly bluegrass jam didn’t want to be doing it anymore so he conscripted me into doing it. That was sort of my introduction into the local bluegrass scene. Getting into old-time music was a natural extension of the sort of “looking backward” way I had gotten into bluegrass. Just tracing things backward, finding the original recordings of songs I would hear. Unfortunately, the 5th string wasn’t doing well financially and had very few customers day to day, so I was left with a lot of time to fill in a space filled with nice instruments. The natural way to fill that time was picking up the banjo, obviously. And since then I’ve just gotten deeper and deeper.
What instruments do you play?
It sort of depends on how you count it, but I regularly play mandolin, claw-hammer banjo, guitar, and fiddle. I’ve been spending more time with bluegrass banjo recently too, though, and I’ll occasionally play some bass but only when there’s no one else around to do it.
What bands are you in?
The two longest-running bands I’m in are The Town Howlers playing bluegrass music and The Bearcat Stringband with my wife Robin Fischer playing old-time music, both of which have been going for more than 10 years. Then last year I started a group with my good friend Tom Diamant called Hey Lonesome! doing a combination of bluegrass and old-time, as well as some country thrown in. I’ve been known to play with Skillet Licorice pretty frequently, and even toured with them in Texas and Louisiana this last fall, though they have a rotating cast of characters, so I’m not sure how to count that. I also play in The Roundtop Stringband which just plays our local square dance once a month, though we may expand our reach at some point.
I saw where Hey Lonesome! won the band competition at the CBA South State 48 event. Can you talk about that event?
Yeah, we sort of entered that contest on a whim. We were all planning on going down there anyway just to hang out and play music, but were also looking for more opportunities to play and work on our performance chops. So we entered the contest and were pleasantly surprised to win. And the icing on the cake was having our band, Hey Lonesome!, open for the out-of-town band, High Lonesome. My only regret is not coming up with some sort of “Who’s On First” style stage bit. Aside from the contest I had a lot of fun at the rest of the event as well. I hadn’t been to it before and was intrigued by the indoor/outdoor combination of having a room with a real bed and a shower, but also a nice outdoor courtyard to jam in. I’m sure I’ll be back in the future.
Tell us about your east coast tour a few years back and are there any plans to do that again?
Well, I wouldn’t really call it a “tour,” but yes, a few years back Robin and I took a few weeks and drove across the country to check out The Appalachian String Band Festival, better known as Clifftop. It was a bit of a mixed experience. We were around some amazing music and had a lot of fun at the square dances, but there was definitely a feeling of being an outsider. I don’t remember who, but someone told me that going to Clifftop is like going to someone else’s family reunion, and that felt pretty accurate. No one was mean or anything, we just weren’t who anyone was there to see. I look forward to going back at some point and having another go at it now that we’ve developed more friendships with people in that community.
Bearcat Duo playing Porter’s Reel
What festivals outside of California have you attended or would like to?
I haven’t been to all that many outside of California. Besides Clifftop I went to the Austin String Band Festival this past year as part of the Texas/Louisiana tour with Skillet Licorice, but that might be it. I like our California festivals a lot and tend to stick close to our Bay Area home base. We’re lucky here, having a very healthy bluegrass and old-time scene. It doesn’t feel like I have to travel to get good music in. I would like to get out to some other festivals at some point though. A few that are on my list are Galax, Swannanoa, Mount Airy, and many more I’m not remembering at the moment.
Why do you think not so many people like to play both bluegrass and old-time?
Well to me they both scratch a very different itch. As much as the instrumentation and even some material overlap, they feel like very different approaches. Old time is like group meditation, just focusing on locking in together. It almost feels like partner dancing, which makes sense because it’s dance music! You’re moving together through the music, very aware of each other’s movements. Not that bluegrass doesn’t have some of those aspects, there’s just a more individualistic quality to it as well. I also have this theory that each community tends not to experience the other community at it’s best. The best old time happens in living rooms and kitchens among a group of friends, not on a stage where more people are likely to hear it. And the best bluegrass happens off in some corner of a festival ground where you really have to hunt it out or stumble on it unintentionally. Musicians in either community really have to go out of their way to experience the other in a context that’s going to inspire them to want to play it.
What should a bluegrass player know and respect when approaching an old-time jam, and vice versa?
This is a hard one, partly because different old-time communities work differently. In some ways, it’s a less homogeneous music. All of the regional styles make the rules a little more variable, and the transfer from one style of music to the other can be really different for different instruments as well. In both cases, I’d say the best thing you can do is listen and pay attention. Watch the other musicians very carefully and see how they operate. Be aware of the role(s) your instrument plays and learn how to fill those roles. Though that seems like advice for learning just about any type of music, but there you go.
What regional styles do you really like?
There are a few, for sure. I like the Galax and Round Peak styles a lot for their overall sound. But as I’ve been learning fiddle I’ve gravitated to both the Kentucky fiddlers as well as tunes from Missouri and the Midwest in general. There is something very special about West Virginia as well. So hard to choose!
Do you play other styles outside of BG-OT?
I dabble in some honky-tonk country here and there and would love to be involved in a project like that someday. I’ve also messed around with some swing-type jazz a bit and intend to dig deeper at some point.
What motivates you to stay active playing?
I think the main thing that keeps me involved is the community. I have so many friendships that revolve around music. There are always jams, parties, dances, and shows that keep the ball rolling. Always new things to learn and explore… new opportunities.
You are also an instructor. How long have you been doing that and are you taking on new students?
Yes, I teach out of the Manning Music studio in northwest Berkeley, and I’ve been doing that for around 10 years. It’s a wonderful community with a bunch of teachers all teaching within the acoustic folk world. I teach mandolin, claw-hammer banjo, guitar, and a little bit of ukulele for young kids who are working their way up to guitar. It’s mostly one-on-one lessons but we also have lots of jams, workshops, and classes. Robin and I just started an “old-time tunes with words” class once a month, where we teach one tune each session. We start by listening to some examples of the tune then split off into the different instruments to learn our part, come back together to play it in a large group, then split off into smaller groups so people can get a sense of playing their role. I do have a few open slots, so if anyone is interested feel free to reach out at mccallister.rowan@gmail.com.
Talk about the impact of the Manning Music on the California BGOT world.
Chad and Catherine Manning truly have had an enormous impact on the music scene around California. They are both very talented teachers and have done an amazing job at fostering a community. I feel lucky to be a part of it.
What are some things you have seen students do to make big improvements in their playing and performing?
I think the two biggest things that make a difference are listening more, and playing with other people early on. A lot of people don’t listen as much as they should. They want to read either notes or tab off a page and sort of memorize what they’re supposed to do, rather than connecting what they hear to what they play. I think it’s useful to think of music like a language, but even more auditory. You want to build fluency. Music is meant to be experienced with your ears, not your eyes. And relatedly, the students I’ve seen have the most success are those who started jumping into group situations earlier. People have this idea that they need to get to a certain level before they feel comfortable jumping into a group setting, which I understand, but it’s sort of one of those things that you’re never ready for until you do it. So much opens up about what you need to practice and spend time with.
How do you work through any musical challenges you may hit?
There’s nothing like good conscious practice. It’s easy to spend practice time playing what you already know, doing essentially what you’d do at a jam when really that time is better spent taking closer and more concentrated looks at things. Slowing down recordings you like, taking things you know and moving them around in some way, changing the key they’re in. Stuff like that.
Do you have a separate day job?
No, right now it’s just teaching with some gigging on the side. So far it’s been working out, though a little inconsistent at times.
Let’s talk about influences. Mandolin seems to be your main instrument so let’s start there. What artists, tunes, or songs do you feel really speak to you?
Well, it’s no secret I like the old stuff. In some ways, it all comes back to Bill Monroe. I like the way he approached the instrument and music in general. There are people who think of his playing as sloppy, and I think that misses the point. It’s like calling Muddy Waters’ playing sloppy, or Monet’s painting sloppy. Music is meant to elicit emotional responses in its listeners, and different ways of playing are going to get at different emotions. The super technical, shiny, clean players can feel a little overly intellectualized to me. It can feel a little like reading a science textbook. That’s maybe a bit of an overstatement, but it reminds me of the comparison to language and specifically the famous back and forth between Faulkner and Hemingway where Faulkner accused Hemingway of not using words that would send a reader to the dictionary, and Hemingway responding that big emotions don’t come from big words. I like simple well-placed notes the way I like simple well well-placed words. That being said, I’ve been enjoying digging into David Harvey’s playing who certainly doesn’t shy away from complexity.
When did you start playing fiddle and who/what people and styles do you lean into?
Fiddle has been a long process for me. I played my first few notes on one in maybe 2012, but would only spend a couple hours with it every six months or year. When I started diving deeper into old-time music I started spending more time with it, but still pretty spaced out, being motivated to practice for a week or two then getting pulled back to another instrument. Then during the pandemic, I got more hooked on it and the last few years have been playing more regularly. So far, I’ve mostly stuck to old time. I’ll spend some time on bluegrass fiddling here and there but am very much still interpreting things through the old-time lens, stuck on those short rhythmic bows rather than the longer flowing type that you need for good bluegrass playing.
How important do you think good instruments or gear is for the average player? Is it a source of motivation for playing better?
Hah, I’m not really a gearhead. One of the reasons I got into acoustic music was the simplicity of it. Just you and your instrument. Whatever sound there is is what you created. There is certainly something about a nice instrument, but that isn’t necessarily attached to price. For the average player, I’d say the most important thing is to focus on your technique. That’s where the difference is going to come from. But you do want an instrument that motivates you to pick it up every day and certainly not one that’s going to work against you.
Tell us about your instruments and such.
My main instruments are a Kentucky KM-1500 mandolin, a Rickard Maple Ridge banjo with a Dobson tone ring and 12″ pot, and a Martin custom D-18. My fiddle is actually just my wife’s old fiddle. It’s an old German student violin I believe. Then I have various other instruments I play here and there but nothing too special.
I notice you don’t seem to use a rig very much if at all and play directly into the mic. How does one develop the ability to master that technique?
Yeah, when I perform I tend to just use microphones rather than pickups and pedals and whatnot. Mostly just because I like the sound of the acoustic instruments and that seems to be the closest you can get. But I also do like the choreography that comes with the single mic thing. It adds to the performance and helps focus attention. But it’s a skill you build like anything else. You have to work with the other people in your band on how to make it work. I mostly now do a sort of hybrid system with the central condenser mic and a few standard dynamic mics off to either side for backup playing.
What are some do’s and don’ts to getting good stage sound?
Hah, I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this question. I guess I’d say know your system well and learn how to communicate with your bandmates especially in the moment. Consistency is also important. Know how close you should be to the mic you’re using and work on getting to that point. And my personal preference is to not let the mics do all the work for you. Learn to play and sing with good volume and tone.
Do you have any recordings past or present that you can share with the readers?
I’ve been a part of some recording projects mostly as a side man, but I’ll point to the one I’m most proud of, faults and all, and leave it at that. The Town Howlers recorded our album Alright Everybody! It’s The Town Howlers in 2017 and released it in 2018. It’s available to stream on the major platforms and available to purchase on Bandcamp. We even still have some CDs that we bring to shows and we’re happy to mail one out to anyone who still wants a CD. We recorded it live to tape at Owl Sight Recorders in Oakland, CA with engineer Alex Laipenieks who has since passed on.
What shows do you have coming up and with whom?
Well, both The Town Howlers and The Bearcat String Band will be playing the main stage this year at The Fathers Day Festival as part of the California showcase so we’re pretty excited about that. In addition, Hey Lonesome! and Skillet Licorice will be playing the same festival on Vern’s Stage. Some other gigs I have coming up this year are:
- The Town Howlers – The Side Door in Sacramento – March 1st at 7pm
- Hey Lonesome! – O’Reilly’s Pub in San Francisco – March 9th at 6pm
- The Town Howlers – Berkeley Bluegrass Festival – May 3rd at TBA
- Hey Lonesome! – Cline Bluegrass Festival – July 12th at 2pm
- The Town Howlers – Bower’s Bluegrass Festival – August 23rd at TBA
- The Bearcat Stringband – Cato’s Alehouse in Oakland – Every 4th Saturday from 2-4pm
- The Roundtop String Band – East Bay Square Dance – Find dates and times on ripandsnort.com
Have you ever been to IBMA?
I have not but I intend to at some point in the future.
What CBA outreach programs are you involved in?
I’m not involved with any outreach programs at the moment, though I’ve done some volunteering with them in the past. I think their Kids on Bluegrass program is wonderful and is one of the reasons we have such a strong bluegrass scene here in California. As far as events go I try to make it to as many of them as I can. I always block off the Father’s Day Festival on my calendar each year. Definitely one of my happy places. I also really enjoy the Spring and Fall campouts out in Lodi.
Rowan with the Town Howlers at the California Bluegrass Father’s Day Festival in 2024
Is there anything else you would like to say?
I think I’ve said enough.
Thanks much Rowan.
