Ed of H gigs; 2019

[edwardofhuncote]

Harwell-Grice Band is playing the Pulaski Radio Show tonight at 7:00. http://www.nrvregionaltheatre.org/the-pulaski-radio-show/

There's a live podcast, but I don't know if you can access it through that link or not... that may just be archived shows. Anyway, the show is structured to play kinda' like thd old Prairie Home Companion show, with a variety of comedy, storytelling, and music. I like the on-your-toes action... you really have to pay attention to the script and the cast and watch for cues to play. Since you're on-stage with a live in-studio audience you really can't have much discussion with the band about what's going on either. They have really nice FOH sound there, and a great crew to work with too, and a cozy Green Room downstairs to hang out in after load-in and soundcheck are done. My nephew might be riding along (roadie?) so maybe those elusive action pics happen tonight/tomorrow. 

[edwardofhuncote]

The show had a couple bumps, but generally went okay... lots of adrenaline, and nerves in-play at the start, and we were missing Brian last night, but Ernie stepped in on resonator guitar. Everyone settled down after a few minutes. Nice thing about the radio show, there's lots of down-time, so I like to just chill out in my chair between tunes. I split the show last night between Series I #77-621, and a '67 Guild Starfire II #BA-1407, both from Club Members here. 

[David Houck]

Watch out!  In that fourth picture, someone set a banjo down on the floor right behind your feet!  Pretty sure that's against the rules.

[edwardofhuncote]

Watch out!  In that fourth picture, someone set a banjo down on the floor right behind your feet!  Pretty sure that's against the rules.

   banjos and trampolines... gotta' be a joke in there somewhere!

True story... that banjo got knocked over out of its stand at a Holiday party we played some years back, and snapped the headstock off. I fixed it, but now Stewart refuses to put it (or his main banjo, a '34 Gibson RB-3) in a stand ever. The banjo in the picture there is a Stelling "Virginian" model, made not far from here. Geoff Stelling is a fairly small builder, but his banjos are extremely high quality instruments.

http://www.stellingbanjo.com/ 

Stew got his Stelling new back in the early 1990's. I think he just assumed it was safest near me. 

[edwardofhuncote]

So many stories lead to other stories... my Gig Thread is really just about me playing music with my buddies, so what the heck... Stew and I go back almost 30 years, so we've got a bunch of them on each other. Here's one:

The Stelling "Virginian" came with a fairly detailed inlay of a cardinal on the headstock, this being the State bird of Virginia. I can't remember all the circumstances of the time, but Stewart somehow got in a hurry on the way out to a gig, and backed his pickup truck over that banjo in the driveway once. Worse still, it was in a brand-new case his girlfriend at the time had given him. Turned out the case saved it. The only damage to the instrument was one of the pearl knobs on the tuning machines cracked and had to be replaced, which just seems unimaginable to me, even today. The case was utterly destroyed, but the banjo inside it was basically unhurt. Stew on the other hand, was a wreck... had nightmares for a month, woke up in a cold sweat thinking that beautiful pearl cardinal had turned into a bright yellow Tweety-Bird. His mistake was confiding that information in me. Of course, the first chance I got to put a Tweety-Bird sticker over the cardinal... guess what happened?! 

[elwoodblue]

hehe...waiting with baited breath 

[edwardofhuncote]

Harwell-Grice Band played a standing gig for Antioch Church in Franklin Co. yesterday evening. Although they try to have the annual cookout and bluegrass gospel concert at the amphitheater right next to the picnic shelter, seems like every year we play there, violent thunderstorms roll in, forcing the event indoors. Sure enough, right on time, yesterday evening the rains came. Everyone still had a good time, and we had brushed up on our gospel set just for it. I took along my first Alembic, 89P5559 a Persuader five-string, and the '67 Starfire again this week for backup.

The day started really early for me; we celebrated my Grandmother's 98th birthday down in Pittsboro, North Carolina about 3-1/2 hours South of home. Got to visit with the other bass player in our family, my Granny's Cousin, Buddy Yearwood, who was quite the weekend warrior back in his day. My Dad has his old 1951 Kay bass now. Buddy thought it was great to see my car all loaded up to go play a show! Granny is sharp as a tack too. She is very hard of hearing, from years of working in cigarette factories and being around noisy machines, but if you're close and she can see your face, she loves to talk. I'm 49, and I can't imagine what it must be like to be twice this age. 98. Wow. If I could have the wit, clarity, and health she has, (which doesn't seem likely) I'd be all-in. On the other hand, she has outlived most of her friends, and almost all of her family. My Dad and his sister, and her Cousin Buddy are about it.

Anyway, load-in for the HGB show was at 5 o'clock so I had to hit the road (I-85 through central piedmont N.C. is more like a racetrack anymore!) by 3 o'clock to have time to get back to the gig. After it was over, I still had an hour to get home. It was a long day, but a very good day.
 
Next weekend we play a local Strawberry Festival. 

*and I have been put on notice; my new tune, "Peggy-O" is in the set... I moved it to the key of E to suit my voice better, and left in lots of 'Phil'. 

[David Houck]

... I-85 through central piedmont N.C. is more like a racetrack anymore!

Yes; I don't enjoy driving that section of the highway, you really have to be watching what all the other drivers in all the other lanes are doing.  Seems that the section around Burlington is the worst.


Nice shot of your grandmother!

[edwardofhuncote]

The ice cream was sweet, the strawberries were ripe, the weather was perfect, and the music was delightful. Harwell-Grice Band closed out the night at the Rocky Mount Strawberry Festival, following the all-chic bluegrass and oldtyme band, Canned Biskits, and the Praise Team from the Franklin County Inner-Faith Fellowship. A great time. I'm hoping someone caught some pictures of us too... I was a little bit busy. 

https://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/news/strawberry-festival-to-be-held-friday-night-in-rocky-mount/article_45dd1b43-fe54-5f09-a099-da267d48e6de.html

[edwardofhuncote]

Harwell-Grice Band has a doubleheader today, so I started early with hydration, medication, and nutrition. This will be a real test... we're on 2-5 at Chaos Mountain Brewery for their 5-year Anniversary party. http://chaosmountainbrewing.com/events/event/5th-anniversary-celebration/

Once again, splitting the day with our fellow hometown favorites, Fiddlin' Billy Hurt, and Five Dollar Shake. Always a blast with those guys around! Wish we could hang out with 'em, but we gotta' load-out and roll to a private party the next county over, set up again and play from 8-12. I haven't played that long a day in a long time.

So, I may be a while on the thread update tomorrow. 

[growlypants]

Good Luck!  ("Doubles", as we used to call 'em, can be tiring...)

[sonicus]

Have a great gig !

[edwardofhuncote]

That was a very looooooooooooonnnng day!

Fiddlin' Billy Hurt was on when we got there. He's got a couple new members in his current lineup, but the band sounds fantastic. I've known Billy, and played music with him for years, and can tell you, there's not a finer example of somebody carrying on the art of fiddle music anywhere around here. Billy has lived it, literally grew up in it. Here's a sample from his latest:

It's unusual for all 6 of us to be on-hand for a gig, but our regular go-to sub, Ernie Power was there yesterday with his resophonic guitar, and jumped right in.

After we played our slot at Chaos Mountain Brewery, HGB had to tear down and hopscotch across the county to play for a private party. I got home well after midnight, brought my Alembics in and went to bed... didn't bother unloading the rest of my gear from the gig-mobile until mid-morning. That last picture from the party gig kinda' says it all. 

*as an aside; my new tune, a Grateful Dead inspired "Peggy-O" is quickly becoming a high point in the set. The bass part is borrowed heavily from Phil's on the 9/3/77 Englishtown, N.J. show. Transposed from A to E. Add a dash of fretless. 

[growlypants]

Well done!

[David Houck]