Sadness…

I’ve had the honor of playing shows with Blue Grass Boys, Bob Black, Tom Ewing and Mark Hembree, in a band called (not shockingly) Blue Grass Boys Reunion. Here’s some clips of these boys doin’ there thing…

You can watch the rest on “The Tube”…

Mike Compton was kind enough to have me up for a few songs during his recent show at the Cafe Carpe.

Blue Grass Boys Reunion performed this past weekend in WI, MN and IA. Here’s a cut from Friday night’s show at Leo & Leona’s in Bangor, WI. The lineup included Blue Grass Boys Tom Ewing, Bob Black and Mark Hembree; with myself and Paul Kienitz on mandolin and fiddle.

This was my first time singing tenor with Tom and we had some fun on this one…

I have the honor to be playing with two Bluegrass Boys on these upcoming tribute shows. We’ll be playing the entire Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe record start to finish. Shows are Friday, Nov 6th at Mother Fools Coffee Shop, Madison, WI, 8pm, and Saturday, the 7th at the Richland Center City Auditorium in Richland Center, WI. Now excuse me, I have to practice…

Mike and David are coming to Madison this Saturday at the Wil-Mar Center on the near-east side. These boys are the real deal and as good as it gets. If you’re anywhere near MadTown, do yourself a favor and check them out.

You may have seen a post or two here about my adventures with Mike in Australia. Or perhaps you caught him on tour with Elvis Costello and the Sugar Canes? John Hartford? Maybe you heard his mandolin playing while watching the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. Either way, here’s a chance to see him with David Grier–another monster player and three time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year–in an intimate setting. Oh, and you’ll get a chance to taste the greatest brownie on the planet.

Mike Compton & David Grier
Saturday, October 3rd @ 7pm
The Wil-Mar Center
953 Jenifer St, Madison, WI
Tickets $14.99 in advance, $20 at the door

The boys (and Lorie) celebrated our new President by playing an Inaugural Bluegrass Ball at the Roxbury Tavern. The place was PACKED with folks toasting in a new era. A fantastic time was had by all.

The nausea I feel after being berated by the presidential party conventions has been soothed a bit by my discovery of the following movie on YouTube. John Duffy is one of my musical heroes and if he were alive today, I’d like to have seen him run for president. This country could use a chain smoking, shop teacher with bad pants and a butch cut in charge. In a post-911 world, now more than ever, we need Duffy around. He’s the kind of guy you could (and I did) have a beer with (or 12).

Mr. Duffy… you are sorely missed.

Attendees at this year’s Sugar Maple Festival were treated to a Bluegrass Boy Reunion show featuring Mike Compton on mandolin. Bluegrass Boys Bob Black, Tom Ewing, Mark Hembree were joined by Mike Compton on mandolin, Paul Kienitz on fiddle and Seth Forester on guitar/vocals. Their show was the highlight of the festival and was a fantastic performance by the boys. The tent was rockin’!

I recently bought a Canon VIXIA HV30 HD camera and schlepped it along to our TITSH show this past weekeind. Long story short, the difference in quality compared to my last camera is HUGE. The differences can’t be as easily detected after YouTube butchers them but the QuickTime files tell the tale…