A couple of years ago—and given the pandemic time warp we've all experienced, that could be anywhere from one to eight years—I wrote a column about pronoun switches. The idea was inspired by Pete Wernick, who thought there were several
Funny stuff
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Ask a bluegrass legend – a special Halloween video
As we head into the Halloween weekend, with all the little ones preparing to scare us out of our boots with their spooky costumes, we've put together a very special video for your entertainment and edification. We have contacted a legitimate
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From The Side of the Road… spooky songs for bluegrass gatherings
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
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From The Side of the Road… I bet you don’t remember me
I want to describe a scene at a typical bluegrass concert or festival that will probably be familiar to both artist and fan, and it may cause each to shudder just a little: A fan walks up to a performer while
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From The Side of the Road… there’s a day for that!
We're constantly trying to find new and more effective ways to market bluegrass music to a wider audience, or just a less narrow audience, if you want to look at it that way. I've recently returned from the IBMA World
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From The Side of the Road… post World of Bluegrass analysis
It's the IBMA World of Bluegrass week-after. I usually go through my annual post-IBMA bluegrass cleanse during this week, which involves vigorous exercise (five push-ups), listening to music based on instruments Bill Monroe didn't like: the flute, the harp, the
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From The Side of the Road… World of Bluegrass admission quiz
I've just arrived at the IBMA World of Bluegrass and I have a short report that mainly has to do with the check-in process. If you've kept up with social media discussions (something I don't recommend), you may recall there was
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From The Side of the Road…. return to live shows haiku
For my band, Labor Day weekend marked the first return to playing in front of in-person audiences. Now, a few weeks later, after more festival dates and some real night-driving thrown in (Bean Blossom to Nashville in the wee hours),
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From The Side of the Road… the rejuvenating power of bluegrass
My band's first show in front of real people since March of 2020 (we did an entire tour with pretend audiences in late 2020) was over the Labor Day weekend at Thomas Point Beach in Maine. It's a wonderful event,
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From The Side of the Road… crossing borders in the age of COVID
As of the Labor Day weekend, I have returned to touring and playing music for people I can actually see. For me this often involves cross-border air travel, and it did this past weekend. I was expecting it to be