Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman & Burritos

It must have been 20 years ago that I heard a song on The Bluegrass Sound radio program called "Barbara Allen." It was incredible. Back then we would pop a cassette in the boom box and occasionally record a show or song. "Barbara Allen" got recorded, and played back at least a thousand times. It was only in the last couple of years that I figured out who sang & played that rendition - it was The Hillmen. As far as I can tell, The Hillmen only recorded one album. I own it and I love it.

It's always amazing to me how small the musical world is. Turns out Chris Hillman is the leader of that old group. Hillman is a legend in American music for a variety of reasons, most notably as leader of The Byrds, but also because of his work with Gram Parsons in The Flying Burrito Brothers. These guys wrote and recorded Christine's Tune (aka Devil In Disguise), Sin City & many other greats. Gram also played briefly in The Byrds. I've been listening to FBB quite a bit lately. It's great, and fun to listen to something that was pretty raw and innovative at the time it was recorded. Check it out.

Musical updates & such

Been a while since my last post. I went on a trip to Thailand in November. It was awesome! The main problem with that country is its lack of bluegrass music. (Forget the political turmoil that had me stuck there until Dec 5!) Otherwise, it's a great place, especially the people, and the food, and the history. I did run across a Thai dude singing American country music in a pub. He did a good job. Check out the clip on YouTube.

I continue to be pretty obsessed with bluegrass music. Been listening to Tony Rice a lot. I also picked up a Christmas album from Hungry Monks called All Thru the Night. It's an Irish thing. I love it.

I've had this idea in my head for a while now that I need to record some of the songs I've written over the years. This week I got together with Walter Biffle and Bob Sachs. They helped me tighten up an arrangement of a song called "Caroline." It's fun working on music with those guys - real professionals. We still have some work to do, but the first draft came out pretty good. Let me know what you think. I'm thinking of calling the recording Big Timber Project. Let me know what you think of that as well. Thanks!

The Awendaw Trail - Another great bluegrass event venue

YeeHaw Junction played for a Charleston Animal Society fundraiser on Sunday at The Awendaw Trail. It was a fun gig. And a really cool location. The horses seemed to enjoy the music!

Steep Canyon Rangers at The Pour House tonight!

This is one of the best bluegrass bands I've ever seen. Get your tail over to The Pour House tonight, Nov 7, 2008!

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Open bluegrass jam this Sunday at Hungry Monks Music

Message from Biffle:

Bluegrasss and Olde Time Jamm!!

Sunday, Nov. 9th

7:30- 'til it's time to go

@

Hungry Monks Music (Belgrade Ave, West Ashley)

Bring your own refreshments

enjoy yourselves

Old Crow Medicine Show, Greeleyville, etc.

Well, Harvest Fest was awesome again! It amazes me how perfect the weather is every year. Kids and grown-ups always have a great time at this event. Put it on your calendar for next year - first Saturday in November. Within minutes of wrapping up our set at Harvest Fest, YeeHaw Junction loaded the van and headed to Greeleyville for a party at the Eason's. This place is in the country. And the folks there are country folks - down-to-earth, thankful, lovers of life and simple things, and great cooks! This was our second visit to Greeleyville in the last year. In both cases, we all agreed that there has never been a better audience to play for. Thanks for having us!

My friend Bernie sent over an article from the Wall Street Journal last week about Old Crow Medicine Show. I've seen these guys a couple of times and love everything about 'em. They opened for Dave Matthews Band here in Charleston last July 4. It's hard to find anything genuine in our society these days. OCMS seems to have achieved success somehow staying genuine. Their latest album immediately hit #1 on the bluegrass chart and #7 on the country chart. Good stuff.

OCMS Article
OCMS Website

HARVEST FEST - This Saturday, Johns Island

Good times ahead! Bluegrass music, horse rides, hay rides, jump castles, BBQ, Beer, . . . and more.

MUSIC SCHEDULE
11:00 AM - Taped Music
NOON - The Plantation Allstars
1:00 PM - Southern Flavor Bluegrass Band
2:00 PM - Hungry Monks
3:00 PM - YeeHaw Junction
4:00 PM - Blue Stone Ramblers

TICKETS
Gold Pass Holders - FREE
12 & under - FREE
Everybody else - $5

MAP

County Park website

Hungry Monk's Bluegrass and Oldtime Jam is on!

Sunday, October 12th
7:30 pm 'til
@ Hungry Monks Music
1948 Belgrade Ave (West Ashley)
Charleston, SC

Great bluegrass venues of the Lowcountry

Fall is the best, people!

Perfect temperatures, lots of festivals & parties, roasted oysters, shrimping, . . . and lots of bluegrass.

Lowndes Grove Plantation on the Ashley River (Oct 3'08)

Sunset on the Ashley River (Oct 3 '08)

Sun sets on a nice crowd at the Goose Creek Music Festival (Oct 4 '08)

YeeHaw gets ready to take the stage GC Music Fest (Oct 4 '08)

. . . John's Island tomorrow!

BBQ & Bluegrass

I guess they go together. Seems like 60% of the gigs I play are catered by some BBQ joint. YeeHaw Junction has played at several of the annual Bluegrass and BBQ Festivals at Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant, SC. This picture is from the 2007 event, but was posted in the Fall '08 issue of Charleston Home magazine.

Tonight (Sep 25 '08) Col. George DelPorto and his clan are playing at the Hometeam BBQ in West Ashley. Hopefully I will be able to slip over there. It's always fun to grab a cold beer and listen to some Col. George banjo.

Ike, Galveston, Bluegrass

Monthly Bluegrass Jam is scheduled for this coming Sunday (the 14th) at Hungry Monk in West Ashley at 7:30 pm.

Tony Rice is perhaps my all-time favorite musician. Well, . . . a close second to Tim O'Brien. Anyway, He recorded this song many years ago about the big hurricane that hit Galveston, TX in 1900. Without satellite weather tools, the people were caught completely by surprise. It was devastating. Since I live in a coastal community, I really appreciate the song, and the story, and modern weather tracking technology!

Check this out: Tony Rice on YouTube

Just an update . . .

I haven't posted in a while, but Bluegrass continues to be prevalent in my life. YeeHaw Junction had a little practice session last night out at John's Island. It was fun. We kicked off the evening with an energetic rendition of "Fireball Mail" and ended it with a great old-timey number called "Hard Times." We're gearing up for Harvest Fest. What a great event that is every year. You should attend - Nov 1.

Two CDs are on heavy rotation in my car right now - Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot and The Infamous Stringdusters Fork in The Road. (I'm also listening to Sol Driven train a lot. It's not bluegrass, but it is some great music!)

Dunleavy's . . . . again!

I love this place! A full house of happy, neighborhood people socializing and supporting Bob Sachs and the Maniax at Dunleavy's tonight. Every Tuesday Bob is there with Roger Bellow, Walter Biffle and Gary Hewitt. There was a steady stream of music and a classic display of their incredible talents on acoustic instruments. What a fun time.

My friend Steve Johnson is visiting from Maine. I tell him "this is life in Charleston," . . . and it is.

Flatt City at Dog & Duck this week . . .

Flatt City Bluegrass Band will step in for YeeHaw Junction this Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 pm. They are good friends and good musicians. Check 'em out.

Members of YeeHaw Junction were previously booked for this event, but will be attending a wake service for Robbie Owens. Robbie's life was cut short at 17 years old by a fatal car crash this morning. I am incredibly sad for his dear family.

Bluegrass at Dog & Duck, Mt. P - Thursday, July 31 @ 6pm

Public gigs for YeeHaw Junction have been pretty rare this year. So, Thursday night should be fun! Michael Bruner will join us on banjo. Hope to see you there.

Bluegrass Jam in Charleston this Sunday - July 13

Well, my friend Walter Biffle has asked me to host the monthly Bluegrass Jam at Hungry Monk Music in his absence this Sunday. He even gave me beer money for the event! We will definitely be using the center room for the main jam. The decor in there is more festive and lively than the front room. Other rooms available for "old time" music, etc.

Join us!
7:00 PM 'til our fingers bleed
Hungry Monks Music Shop
1948 Belgrade Ave (off Sam Rittenberg in West Ashley)
Charleston, SC

Charleston bluegrass

Well, the four days turned into 5, then a day off, then 6. All good. After a few days of quiet, I was back to Dunleavy's for a fun evening listening to Bob Sachs & the Maniax.

Wow! 4 days in a row of great bluegrass. Ran across a guy named Josh Goforth this weekend. He might be the best musician I've ever met, in my life. Every band at MelFest was solid. We had a great time.

Bluegrass at Piccolo Spoleto this Sunday!

Bluegrass Bonanza
Category: Special Events
Series: Piccolo at The Ponds
Folk singer, Kathie Livingston, emcees this high energy bluegrass event featuring Yeehaw Junction in a picnic-style hoedown at The Farmhouse Shed in The Ponds located near Summerville. This rustic setting provides the perfect backdrop for a family-friendly event featuring music on the upright bass, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and guitar.
Farmhouse Pavilion at The Ponds 326 Hundred Oaks Parkway, Summerville
SCHEDULE	TICKETS
6/1 6:30PM - 9PM	Everyone Free

We're headed to MelFest 2008!

Join us in White Lake this weekend!

http://www.melfestbluegrass.com/

Update for the week

Last week was chock full of good music. Dunleavy's on Wednesday night was great. The weather was perfect for the picnic tables out front. My old friend Brad Harvey is in town. Good times catching up.

Thursday was some YeeHaw Junction band practice out on John's Island, then over to Home Team BBQ to support Col. George and his band Southern Flavor.

Saturday, YeeHaw played an engagement party out in Monks Corner. Boy, that was a haul. And it rained hard on us, after setting up sound equipment, then tearing it down, then setting it up again. Finally played on the front porch unplugged. Now that's fun!

Last night kicked off a new week with the monthly bluegrass jam at Hungry Monks studio. Had a fun crowd there. A wide variety of skills on hand, which is nice to keep us all inspired and moving ahead. I think everyone enjoyed the session; it ran 'til midnight.

Okay, . . . . catch you on the flip side.

Good times at Dunleavy's

So I went to Ireland once. I expected to find quaint little pubs all over the country where neighborhood folks would gather for music and Guinness in the evenings - good music, you know, fiddles & guitars & such. I had a real hard time finding it there.

However, just a few miles from my home, across the creek on Sullivan's Island is just such a place and experience. Every Tuesday at Dunleavy's Pub, Bob Sachs & The Maniax (Roger Bellow, Carroll Brown, Gary Hewitt & others) hang out and play, from about 7 to 10 pm. It's a relaxed and fun neighborhood atmosphere. The music is mighty fine. Join me there sometime.

Charleston Bluegrass Jam

Well, I guess I really enjoyed myself at the Charleston Bluegrass Jam this past Sunday. As I was saying goodbye to some folks on the way out, I felt guilty about "leaving so early." Little did I know it was already midnight. I had been there for 4 hours and it felt more like 1 & a half. Nice job organizing Walter. And thanks again to Hazel and John for sharing your talents and the Hungry Monk facilities with everyone.

I guess we're set to do this thing on the second Sunday of every month from here on, starting at 7:30 pm at Hungry Monk's - 1948 Belgrade Ave. If this changes, I will post accordingly.

Bluegass at The Farmer's Market

YeeHaw Junction will play at Charleston's downtown Farmer's Market on Saturday. For several years now we have played the season opener for this weekly event. It's a lot of fun for everyone involved. There is a lively crowd, good food, etc. Join us!

CHAPSS

Played some music for the fine folks at CHAPSS last night. It was fun. They have a worthy cause and are a nice bunch of people.

It was certainly an off night for me musically / instrumentally. I spent more time making mistakes than playing correctly. Guess I need to practice a little harder.

Weekend Music includes Phil Keaggy

I am on quite a run here with the Charleston music scene. Friday night, caught Triple Lindy and Common Ground. Saturday night I caught the CD release party and concert for Sol Driven Train at The Pour House - quite an event.

And to top off the weekend - Phil Keaggy played downtown at Citadel Square Baptist Church. This guy is unreal. I am blown away at every aspect of his performance. If you ever get the chance, go see this man play. (Here's a sample of Phil on YouTube.)

Thursday night music in Charleston

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of music going on in this relatively small town. Last night, I enjoyed the sounds of The Hungry Monks at Daily Dose, then the Blue Stone Ramblers at Home Team BBQ. The food at Daily Dose was mighty fine, and they have some pretty hippie girls preparing and serving it. These locations are pretty consistent with Thursday night acoustic & bluegrass music. Check it out sometime.

Tim O'Brien plays Asheville

It's been quite a while since I've seen Tim O'Brien live. He played at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on Friday. It was vintage Tim. He is uniquely able to excel in both a group setting and as a solo act. Friday was the solo act. He played guitar, fiddle, Bouzouki, and Banjo - mighty fine. First set was entirely from the new album (Chameleon). Second half was mostly older stuff, including one of my all-time favorites - A Mountaineer Is Always Free.

A surprising number of people came to the show to socialize with one another. I've never understood this. Why pay $20 to get in the door to stand around talking to your friend? Why not just stay home and talk - it's cheaper. More importantly, it's the respectful thing to do for those of us who come to hear the music.

The latest bluegrass in my life