There’s a truism in the music world that no part time band ever stays that way for long. Even if all the members agree that the effort will take a back seat to careers or family, if the music is good, demands to go full time always seem to creep in.
Some of the most popular bands in bluegrass, like Seldom Scene and Blue Highway, started out determined to be only occasional touring outfits, but you can see how that worked out.
Just such a group is Sideline, which as their name implies, was intended as a secondary venture for a number of pro players. The genesis came in Steve Dilling’s desire to do some fun shows with friends during the time he performed with IIIrd Tyme out, who take the month of December off from touring. Since the latter part of the year is slow for most everyone in bluegrass, Steve corralled Darrell Webb to play mandolin, Skip Cherryholmes on guitar, Jason Moore on bass, and Justen Haynes on fiddle (Greg Luck now plays fiddle).
All of them worked with other bands, but with Sideline initially relegated to special tours each December, there weren’t many conflicts. But as band relationships changed, and a 2013 album drew positive reviews, some of the guys wanted to start performing more regularly. And so pressures on the group’s founding vision have been felt.
Skip Cherryholmes has given notice with Lou Reid & Carolina to focus on Sideline (Dilling is his father-in-law), and Jason Moore has done the same with Mountain Heart. Today Darrell Webb has announced that he will have to drop out of Sideline as their schedule grows.
He offered this explanation as to why:
“The reason being is I want to concentrate more on the Darrell Webb Band, and with me having my job here at Lumberjack Feud, it just got to where it was taking up a lot of my time, and it was getting really hard on me as far as scheduling time with my family and my other two jobs.
I still love Steve, Jason, Skip and Greg with all of my heart. They are such great guys and I wish them nothing but the best. So for now I’m going to concentrate on the Darrell Webb Band and my job here at Lumberjack Feud.
God bless, and I hope to see everyone at a Darrell Webb Band show soon.”
Webb’s last show will be on the First Quality Bluegrass Cruise in November.
So it looks like Sideline joins the ranks of bluegrass bands with unintentionally ironic names. You go, guys!
