Author: Matt Merta/Mitch Matthews

Musician and writer (both song and print) for over 30 years. Primarily interested in roots music (Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk). Current contributing writer for Fiddler Magazine, previous work with Metro Times (Detroit), Ann Arbor Paper and Real Detroit Weekly, as well as other various music and military publications. As songwriter, won the 2015 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (Bluegrass Category, "Something About A Train," co-written with Dawn Kenney and David Morris) as well as having work performed on NPR and nominated for numerous Detroit Music Awards.

Categories
Bluegrass Fiddle

Farewell to Fiddler Magazine, I Guess

Back in 2012, I wanted to help my friend, fiddler Becky Buller, promote her solo career. I had become aware of Fiddler magazine about a year earlier, grabbing a copy from the rack at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan. I emailed the editor Mary Larsen if she would be interested in an article on Becky, along with inlcuding my writing resume. Mary got back to me with a request, and it was the start of a decade-long positive relationship with the publication.

I was extremely pleased that the Becky Buller article became the cover story for that issue, and had proceeded to provide an article nearly every quarterly issue since then. While primarily interviewing bluegrass fiddlers, I also produced articles on klezmer, Quebecois, and country music fiddlers, as well as numerous album reviews and survey articles on teaching, instruments, and even handling COVID.

Back in 2022, Mary decided to retire from the editor/publisher end of the publication, and the magazine was purchased by a freelance writer named Narielle Living. The contributing writers of Fiddler were happy that the magazine would continue. Narielle had a strong publishing background, and made the overall look of the magazine receive a more modern appearance. She also had a good business sense when it came to magazine publishing. Unfortunately, Fiddler was meeting the same fate as many other print publications, in that, paper costs and postage were making boutique magazines non profitable, so the decision was made to go online only in 2023.

For some more mainstream publications with a wider scope of readers, online-only magazines can prove survivable, maybe even decently profitable. However, Fiddler was not one of those fortunate ones. The majority readership of Fiddler seemed to prefer print format, particularly since there was tablature for fiddle tunes printed, and it was easy to just put the magazine onto a music stand to practice. Moreover, there is something about print that makes it more comfortable and welcoming to read anywhere at any time, rather than pulling out the laptop, tablet, or iPhone.

It seemed that only one or two online issues of Fiddler were published. I continued to send in my interview and review articles to Narielle. However, by early 2024, I was not seeing any notice in my email inbox that a new issue was being uploaded online. She had updated the magazine website (www.fiddlermag.com/) with cleaner graphics, but nothing to announce the new issue date. Available merchandise consists of different stickers, but no available back issues.

I have attempted to contact Narielle at least a dozen times to get some information on the magazine’s current and future status, but have not received any reply. I have even contacted Mary to see if she has heard anything, but she gets the same non-response. A number of online chatboards dealing with the violin and fiddle have numerous postings about the magazine’s existence, and all answers lead to dead ends.

This is a sad state indeed. I can understand if there is a need to discontinue the publication for any one of a number of reasons, but not providing a statement as to its closure to the contributors and readers is not good. For me, it was an easy outlet for my freelance writing. While the pay vs. time spent interviewing and writing was not that great, it was rewarding to get to know many fiddlers in different genres, as well as keep my writing chops fresh. For readers, this was one of the truly few resources for roots-music fiddlers to learn about the many aspects of fiddling. While there are other magazines that cover roots music in general, and even one or two publications that center on the violin, none covered the subject of fiddling like Fiddler.

This may have been my last opportunity for freelance writing, in particular in the music scene. Fiddler was the perfect outlet for my writing. I will have to re-evaluate my time and commitment to part-time writing, if I should decide to continue. Freelance writing is truly a dog-eat-dog world. Moreover, with print magazines disappearing one by one, online publishing does not provide a steady income, if any income at all. Taking a look at the writing of some online publications, the editorial work is horrendous, and articles look like they were written by a 5th grader.

I so much hate to see Fiddler go, and I keep hoping and praying that this hiatus is temporary, and someone will see how valuable this publication has been to so many fiddlers, both beginners and old-timers, and help to bring it back to life.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Country Music

Recommended Book: Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music

The 1970s through 1990s were a struggling time for traditional country and bluegrass music. Movies like Urban Cowboy were bringing rock, pop, and even disco influences into the country music vein. It was the start of moving country music stars from honky tonks to arenas, with overdriven guitars and light shows becoming the norm. There were a few sparkles of traditional country lights within the realm, but they were few and far in between. The Grand Ole Opry began to lose its charm, with old stalwarts re-hashing past hits to a senior citizen crowd for nostalgic purposes.

The tail end of the punk/new wave movement did show a lot of respect to the spirits of Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, as well as some near forgotten legends like Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Loretta Lynn with speed-driven covers and originals that paid musical tribute. However, it would be at least a decade until the fledgling cow-punk and alt-country sub-genres would blossom into what we now know as Americana music.

So during those dry times, there were a few performers that kept the flame going because their hearts were in the right place. Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music provides a decent chronicle of that time by looking at the musical lives of Skaggs, Stuart, and a number of other musicians from that era and group.

The first chapter is a bit too politically correct for my taste, as while it looks at Skaggs’ poor upbringing in Kentucky, it looks at Stuart’s upbringing as being heavily influenced by the racial tensions in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. While I am sure that there was a lot more bigotry around back in the 1950s, the author Michael Streissguth narrates it as if it was in the blood of every white person in the South. There is way too much coverage of segregation, lynchings, and other racially motivated happenings that have very little to do with the musical influences of Stuart.

Later chapters cover the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the influence of the Moral Majority. Again, it all passes as the author trying to be politically correct and apologetic for being white.

Once the reader gets past that, the flow if the book is quite interesting. Even if you are familiar with both Skaggs’ and Stuarts’ early careers, there are a few things that you may still learn. We all know of Skaggs’ work with Keith Whitley and Ralph Stanley, but there were a lot of inner struggles that he was having to move out on his own, as well as wanting to be known as a serious go-to musician and arranger. For Stuart’s part, his early teen years with Lester Flatt would cement him as a bluegrass prodigy, but the downside is that he really never got to live life as a normal teenager. He spent almost all of that time surrounded by older bluegrass musicians that had their ways of drinking, carousing, and occasional fighting, and his studies were spent in a tour bus instead of a normal high school.

While the gist of the book follows the career of these two modern legends, there is also ample coverage of other artists from that time. These include Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Larry Cordle, and Linda Ronstadt. Bluegrass coverage includes extensive mentions of J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, the Seldom Scene, and the many festivals that were popping up due to the public’s interest in roots music from both the liberal and conservative teams.

If you can get past the PC talk, this book makes for an interesting read, learning how much Skaggs and Stuart were able to keep traditional country and bluegrass alive during this dark time, and become the highly respected statesmen that they are.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Rock Music

Clem Burke RIP

Sadly, another musician that I admired greatly has passed away. Clem Burke, best known as the drummer for Blondie, passed away last Sunday at the age of 70.

While Blondie was best known for the gorgeous lead singer Debbie Harry, the band had some amazing musicians as well. Especially amazing was Burke, who was definitely a drummer’s drummer. He knew exactly what kind of rhythm was required for each song. When I first heard “Dreaming” from Eat to the Beat, I was knocked out! The drumming was out of this world. Keith Moon would have been proud. If one heard it for the first time, one would think that it could not be done by one person. Then the band appeared on Saturday Night Live, and Burke showed that he had the chops and energy to play the song live.

(Apologies for the poor sound quality, I really just wanted to showcase Burke’s drumming)

Then listening to the other cuts, one can hear beats from disco, roots-rock, even jazz-influenced. Burke could do it all. He was influenced by so many drummers, and he soaked all of them in. One would think that, listening to those early Blondie albums, there were different studio drummers on the recordings.

Burke was an original member of the band, and remained with it form its beginning in 1975 until his death. When the band took a long hiatus, he continued working with a number of other artists who held him in high regard. He drummed for a few years with the Romantics, and would later work with Wally Palmer in the garage-rock band The Empty Hearts. Other artists he either recorded with or played live with included The Ramones (his moniker was Elvis Ramone), The Go-Gos, The Fleshtones, Dramarama, The Eurythmics, Pete Townsend, The Plimsouls, and Iggy Pop.

The one time that I got to meet Burke was at The Ritz in suburban Detroit. I am not sure what band was performing, this was in the early 1990s, and he was there with Wally Palmer. I knew Palmer from his hanging out at the Hamtramck bar Paycheck’s occasionally (A story for another time). Anyway, Burke was a great person, who truly loved music. Whatever time period he would have been born in, he would have been a musician of some sort.

His drumming may be copied in the future, but he will never be replaced.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Russell Moore Joins AKUS

Unless you are bluegrass fan that has been living under a rock the past few years, you well know that Alison Krauss and Union Station have released its first album in 14 years, Arcadia, and will be touring to support to album, the band’s first tour in over 10 years.

Most of the AKUS member are returning to the fold, including Jerry Douglas on dobro, Barry Bales on bass, and Ron Block on banjo along with Krauss. One big piece of the missing puzzle is guitarist/vocalist Dan Tyminski. After having a solo side project for a number of years, Tyminski has decided to bow out and concentrate on The Dan Tyminski Band full time.

So who could replace Tyminski? After all, it was his voice that made the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack so successful with his two unique renditions of the bluegrass classic “Man of Constant Sorrow.” For years afterwards, it was mandatory that AKUS perform that song in concert and on numerous television appearances. The song became a staple with bluegrass jam circles, and helped AKUS gain an even larger following of fans not necessarily into bluegrass music.

When I first found out that AKUS was releasing another album and touring, I saw a photo of the band as it is today, and noticed that the one guy did not look like Tyminski. In fact, he looked a lot more like Russell Moore, the guitarist/vocalist for the bluegrass band IIIrd Tyme Out. Reading the accompanying article, I was correct in my thought.

For anyone who is not familiar with Russell Moore, he has been a stalwart in the bluegrass field for decades. He first came onto the notable scene as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. He then formed IIIrd Tyme Out in 1991 with former Quicksilver members Ray Deaton and Mike Hartgrove. Since then, the band has earned seven IBMA Vocal Group of the Year Awards, and Moore has won the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award six times. In 2007, as sole remaining original member and long-time head of the band, the name for the group was updated to Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. If you want to know how good this band is, get one of its live albums, Live at the Mac or Back to the Mac.

So with the opportunity to snag just about any great bluegrass guitarist/vocalist in the format, and there are plenty, why would AKUS choose Moore. My response would be, “Why not?”. Moore is an amazing bluegrass singer, who could easily float between baritone and tenor when needed. While he sang lead exclusively with IIIrd Tyme Out, he also is a genius at harmonizing, learned from his work with Doyle Lawson. He has never really showcased his lead guitar abilities with his band, but from seeing him live (I have, four or five times) he can throw in some tasty licks when required. Mot importantly, as both a band leader and sideman, Moore knows exactly what is needed to make the band sound the best that it can be. He is a workhorse when it comes to personal discipline, and every recording he has been on, as well as every live appearance, he gives it his all.

Will Dan Tyminski be missed? Of course, but all bands in every genre at every level experience personnel changes. AKUS made a wise decision to ask Moore to join the fold. They have already mutually agreed that he will be able to continue work with IIIrd Tyme Out as well. The AKUS tour will continue through early autumn, so while it means intensive touring for the next six months, it also means that all of the AKUS members, including Moore, can bet back to solo projects before the year’s end.

I look forward to seeing AKUS in September when it arrives on the Detroit area. I alo look forward to hear how Moore’s soulful voice will fit in with the band. I am sure that it will sound fantastic as usual.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Acoustic Guitars Bluegrass Music

I Ordered a Cirrus Guitar!

I can mark off another item on my bucket list. This morning, I went to the Cirrus Guitars shop and ordered myself an acoustic guitar made to my specifications!

I had blogged about Cirrus Guitars previously (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/10/28/cirrus-guitars/), and have been thinking about getting a guitar from there ever since. With money that could have spent on a bigger TV or some other item that does not really strike my fancy, I love guitars so much that it was what I wanted to treat myself to. I contacted Mike Franks, owner/luthier for Cirrus, a few weeks back, we scheduled a meeting this morning, and I went to the shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Mike was extremely friendly, and was grateful that I paid for the guitar in full rather than just a down payment. The shop is Heaven if you are a guitar enthusiast like me. Acoustic guitars in every stage of construction line the walls and workbenches. He has a special paint booth, and the whole shop is well ventilated and humidified. He also has a room set up for taking photos of his finished guitars, and a space where he holds small house concerts.

The best part of his tour was seeing some of the guitars that he is making for bluegrass artists. One guitar is a special left-handed model under his M.J. Franks brand of guitars for Jamie Johnson of The Grascals. He is also making a custom dreadnaught for John Bryan of The Grascals as well.

He related a great story of how he once heard an Osborne Brothers tune on the radio that moved him deeply, then fast forward two decades, and Joe Miller of Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Xpress requested a guitar made for him. When it was finished, Franks took it to Nashville to present it to Miller at the Grand Ole Opry. He was then sitting on stage at the Opry when Miller performed with the band, and had that song dedicated to him that evening.

Franks knows how special bluegrass artists are, not only with the care and concern they have with acoustic instruments, but how much they appreciate the people around them, be they fans, promoters, or luthiers. You can see in all of the work he puts in every guitar that his respect goes equally back to the artist.

My guitar should be ready in about three months, and I am in no big rush. I know that I will fall in love with the guitar, simply because I see the quality work that goes into Cirrus guitars. Franks has stated that I should stop by the shop in a few weeks to see the progress. Despite the rainy weather going on today, the day was fantastic for me!

http://www.cirrusguitars.com/

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Mandolin Bluegrass Music

David Grisman at 80

I was reading an article online about a show that David Grisman was doing in Seattle to celebrate his 80th birthday. I had to look twice and research the information, and yes, on March 23rd, David “Dawg” Grisman will be turning 80 years old. Grisman has always been one of my favorite people in the bluegrass field, especially as he loved to push the boundaries of traditional bluegrass to include rock, jazz, blues and klezmer, which critics and fans alike labeled as Dawg Music.

The way that young girls follow Taylor Swift’s every action, my buddy Ken and I always had a keen interest in the bluegrass musicians that gathered in other musical influences to create the Newgrass movement that began in the early 1970s. Along with New Grass Revival, John Hartford, Tony Rice and the Seldom Scene, Grisman made a name for himself with other musical formats while still keeping one foot in bluegrass.

Somewhat of a musical prodigy on the mandolin, though he also played piano and saxophone in his early age. He grew up in the Jewish community of Passaic, New Jersey, but discovered folk and bluegrass while attending New York University. He was a member of Red Allen’s band The Kentuckians, and also recorded with Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard on their early beautiful Folkways recordings. He delved into rock music with former Blue Grass Boys guitarist/vocalist Peter Rowan to form the short-lived Earth Opera. The two would also form the legendary bluegrass band Old & In The Way with Vassar Clemens and Jerry Garcia. His friendship with Garcia lasted for decades. He recorded on the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty album, with standout work on the songs “Ripple” and “Friend of the Devil.” During this time, he also worked with Rowan, Richard Greene, and Clarence White in the band Muleskinner, which disbanded due to the untimely death of White. Only weeks prior to White’s death, the band performed on a local television show in California, meant to be a warm-up for an appearance of Bill Monroe which did not happen. Fortunately, a video of the band’s performance was saved and is available as Muleskinner Live.

In the 1970s, Grisman formed the David Grisman Quintet, which had a revolving membership that included Darol Anger, Tony Rice, Mark O’Connor, and Todd Phillips among others. He recorded a number of Dawg Music albums during this time, which were critical favorites, and are cherished mainly by Deadheads.

The Garcia/Grisman collaborations continued throughout the years, with gems such as Jerry Garcia/David Grisman and Not For Kids Only. A wonderful documentary on their relationship was released in 2001 called Grateful Dawg, directed by Grismans’s daughter Gillian. The film includes a number of live performance by the duo which are near perfection. Probably the best storied collaboration was with the two and Tony Rice. During two evenings in February 1993, the three musicians sat down in Grisman’s home studio and recorded a number of standard folk and bluegrass tunes. A copy of the tape somehow got into the hands of a pizza deliveryman, and within months, the songs form the recording were being bootlegged across the country to thousands of Deadheads. At first angered, including confiscating bootlegged CD, Grisman eventually released some of the recordings in 2000 as The Pizza Tapes (an extended version was release online in 2010).

In 1990, Grisman formed Acoustic Disc, a record label that would specialize in unique bluegrass, folk, and jazz recordings, particularly live performances. Along with The Pizza Tapes, the label has released other recording by Grisman, Rice, Jesse McReynolds, Old & In The Way and Doc Watson. The label’s catalogue is a wealth of great acoustic music, and I personally have at least a dozen releases from there.

Grisman was FINALLY inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2023. This was an honor that should have been given decades before, as his music was what was getting many younger musicians and fans into bluegrass. He never strayed away from bluegrass music, as his love was so deep that he names one of his children Monroe after the great Bill Monroe.

I saw Grisman only once, and it was at an Ann Arbor Folk Festival many years ago when he performed with Doc Watson. There were a number of bands performing at that festival, but that to me was the highlight, as two legends were trading licks and presenting an acoustic format that forced you to pay attention and appreciate it. My only other connection with Grisman is that we both had music played on the NPR program “Car Talk.” His composition “Dawggy Mountain Breakdown” was the shows theme song.

I totally recommend that you get some of Grisman’s recordings. Traditional bluegrass fans will want a copy of one of the Old & In The Way live discs. Acoustic music fans will love The Pizza Tapes or just about any other album on Acoustic Disc (www.dawgnet.com), and I encourage you to check out the documentary Grateful Dawg as well as the performance of Muleskinner Live.

Happy Birthday, Dawg! You have made my musical life, as well as thousands of others, so much more rewarding and enjoyable!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Music Stores

Guitar Center: Times They Are A-Changin’

Phillip McKnight is a YouTuber that produces guitar-related vlogs on his channel. This includes guitar/amp/pedal reviews, as well as critiques of manufacturers and stores, be they brick-and-mortar or online. His recent critique of Guitar Center motivated the CEO of the company, Gabriel Dalporto, to contact McKnight and set up an interview to react to the critique.

I applaud this wholeheartedly. We saw how effective podcasts and vlogs are recently, such as the presidential election. The interview was actually interesting to watch. Dalporto, besides being the head of GC, is also a musician. Just like the CEOs of Ford or GM drive the cars that their companies build, he plays the guitars that his company markets. He knows as a performing musician what is needed when on the stage or in the studio. He walks the walks so that he can talk the talk.

Most interesting in the conversation was that Dalporto realizes that the terrain of musical instrument stores has changed dramatically, especially post-COVID. Low-priced beginner guitars are available through Amazon in a way that GC cannot compete. So Dalporto has decided that GC will concentrate more on mid-line and upper line/vintage instruments, and making them more accessible to customers. He realizes that GC is like a candy store to musicians, but regular musicians, whether pro or amateur, want to get hands on with the better equipment. Dalporto plans to take the locks off of the instruments out of reach and make them playable. He has found in studies that those customers that spend more time in the store end up purchasing more.

Dalporto plans on taking the challenge of competing against online-specific music stores like Sweetwater, which right now has a strong hold on the topic, particularly when it comes to fast shipping. He also said that he is interested in getting questions from customers on how to improve the stores. The comments section in the YT video had some good points, along with people complaining just to complain. I posted my thoughts with two suggestions. One deals with GC executives traveling the country to visit stores outside of California. My second suggestion was more important to me personally.

When I go into one of the local GC stores here in the Detroit area, I notice that the guitar section is about 85% electric guitars and basses, Much of the floors space is dedicated to amplifiers. Acoustic guitars have a separate room, with about a dozen acoustic guitars, two or three acoustic bassed, and perhaps two mandolins, a banjo, and a round-neck reso guitar. Interest in acoustic music, especially in the bluegrass and Americana formats, has grown considerably in the past decade. Particularly, youth and female musician numbers are growing. Yet selection for acoustic instruments is still limited.

I am fortunate in that I can drive about two hours to one of the best music stores to offer acoustic musical instruments in the country. Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan has been one of the best resources for bluegrass musicians since 1972. Yes, the offer shipping to out-of-state shoppers, but if anyone is like me, one likes to try out the instrument and “kick the tires” before purchasing.

GC already has a contract to sell Gibson electric guitars. Gibson makes excellent banjos and mandolins. Selling Fender lower-quality banjos and mandolins will not get that niche customer base into the stores. It would be worth it to at least test-market such an idea at a few stores to see what happens over a few years. Hopefully Dalporto at least considers this suggestion, or at least looks at it.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Drummers Rock Music

Rick Buckler RIP

It is getting depressing that, every week, it seems that I am writing a personal eulogy for some musical artist that passed away the previous week. This past week was no different, but hurt a bit more because of the band the man was in as well as how long it took for the internet press to announce the death.

Rick Buckler was the fantastic drummer for the British punk-rock band The Jam. He passed away at the age of 69 on February 17. Unfortunately, I did not learn of his passing until a few days ago. This is the sad state of the modern press, especially with the speed that news can travel on the internet. Music news outlets like Rolling Stone are too worried about what today’s stars are wearing now instead of teaching today’s youth about where the music came from.

Buckler was an amazing drummer to say the least. Coming out of the mid-1970s British punk-rock boom, The Jam was not the typical three-piece unit. While most trios were just making basic beats and heavy distorted guitars with Neanderthalic thumping bass lines, The Jam gave groove to its speed. I have already praised the work of bassist Bruce Foxton in a previous blog (https://luegra.design.blog/2024/04/06/underrated-punk-rock-bassist-bruce-foxton/). Buckler made the drum kit an actual third musical instrument, not just the sound of someone banging on garbage cans. His fills were perfect, and he accented guitar and bass lines with perfection. Great examples are the band’s songs “In the City” and “Down In the Tube Station At Midnight.”

As the 1970s moved into the 1980s, The Jam’s sound matured, being influenced less by punk attitude and more into The Beatles and Motown. Buckler’s drumming style moved right along with the stylings, from the simplicity of “That’s Entertainment” to the R&B textures of “Town Called Malice.” One could be floored by Buckler’s continuous drum roll in “Funeral Pyre.”

Sadly, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Paul Weller chose to disband The Jam in late 1982, which shocked Buckler. He didn’t speak to Weller for over 20 years, despite a number of public photo and television exhibitions dedicated to the band that they both made appearances. He performed in a few other bands in the 1980s and 1990s, some being semi-tribute bands to the original The Jam. By the year 2000, he pretty much retired from the music scene to become a carpenter and cabinet maker.

The Jam was one of my first loves of the punk-rock movement. They didn’t dress the part, instead going for the suit-and-tie look onstage that was heavily influenced by the 1960s bands The Who and The Kinks. As a bassist, I was enamored by Foxton’s bass playing, and as a frustrated hack drummer, I was blown away with what Buckler was doing on his kit. While I would have loved to see a Jam reunion, it was not in the cards. For Buckler, I am glad that he was able to leave his love of drumming behind and take on another love of woodworking.

Thank you, Rick Buckler, for giving me some of the best musical memories in my youth.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Rock Music

David Johansen RIP

I just got the news this morning that David Johansen, the lead singer for the band the New York Dolls, succumbed to cancer on February 28 at the age of 75. While I was never a big fan of the band, I do realize how much of an influence it had on the oncoming punk rock scene in England, as well as the cult following it had on the wild New York music scene of the mid-1970s.

The band was out to make a statement. They combined R&B rhythms with straight-ahead overdriven guitars and overpowering drums and bass. Their songs were about rebellion, not politically but socially. With that, the members decided to dress to shock, wearing women’s clothing and makeup. The result was indeed shock value, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. Music critics loved the music, but art and entertainment critics looked at it as campy parody. Johansen was often compared to an exaggerated version of Mick Jagger.

The band produced a few albums, and had a memorable single with “Personality Crisis,” but quick, ill-directed fame had the members diving heavily into drugs, which caused the demise. The band broke up in 1975, but would be listed as influential to many bands after that, including the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, as well as graphically influencing dozens of hair-metal bands in the 1980s.

Johansen was too much of an entertainer to just walk away from even the dimmest of spotlights. He also enjoyed listening to jazz vocalists and cocktail lounge music, so around 1980 he took on the pseudonym of Buster Poindexter and performed lounge music around New York City. The persona became a hit, and with early MTV programming taking him and his videos on, including songse like “Hot, Hot, Hot!” and “Is That You, Santa Claus?”, Johansen received much of the recognition that his talent deserved.

He also delved into acting, appearing as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the Bill Murray comedy Scrooged, and co-starring in a remake of Car 54, Where Are You? Johansen’s over-the-top personality fit in with so many comedic roles that he performed, he could have easily worked in the acting end of showbiz a lot sooner than he did.

In the early 2000s, he announced that he was being treated for cancer. In 2004, at the urging of Morrissey, he partially reformed The Dolls for a performance in London. Year by year, members of the band had passed away, with this reunion including only three original members. Johansen was the last remaining living member.

I am currently finishing up reading a book entitled Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil. It consists of interviews with musical artists and scenesters from the late 1960s (Iggy Pop, MC5, Velvet Underground) through the 1970s (the Dolls, Patti Smith, the Ramones, Television) and how the drug-infested, crime-riddled, crazy music scene of that time had an impact on what was to come with the punk-rock and new-wave movement that was to come in the late 1970s/early 1980s. There are a number of quotes from members of the Dolls, and in just a few pages, one can see that the band imploded on itself due to drugs and personality differences. I recommend the book to anyone interested in the rock music movement of that time period.

Sleep well, David. While you may not have had the same impact as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, you definitely were an influence on the music that was to come after you.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Guitar Bluegrass Music

Swap Meet Finds/YouTube Finds

I went to the Livonia Amateur Radio Club Swap Meet this morning. I go every year, and while 90% of the items on sale is related to ham radio, I like to look around to see if there is any guitar/audio stuff I can get cheap, especially vintage microphones. I did pick up an old Radio Shack omnidirectional mic for the collection, as well as a Dimarzio acoustic guitar pickup, both for a few bucks each.

I also picked up an emergency radio, one that powers on solar or hand crank. You never know if you will need it if the power goes out.

I just wanted to cover three bluegrass-related YouTube channels that I came across recently. The first is World Bluegrass Day. This channel has been around since 2012, but for some reason, I only became aware of it recently, despite the number of times I have done searches on YT for bluegrass videos. Over 250 videos of bluegrass performances, interviews, and mini-documentaries are here, all of which are great to watch. One of the most recent uploads is “Jimmy Martin’s Wedding Video (1988).” It’s over an hour long, and the ceremony is strange to say the least. The bride looks young enough to be Jimmy’s daughter, and all of the Sunny Mountain Boys, along with J.D. Crowe and a few other musicians, stood in as his “best man.” More time was spent by Jimmy talking about his touring history than his bride. From what I recollect, Jimmy was never officially married, so this may have been a stunt. Anyone out there want to elaborate? Anyway, the channel is at https://www.youtube.com/@WorldBluegrassDay .

Cody M. Music is another channel that has been around for a while, but I only recently found it. Cody is a graduate of East Tennessee State University of its Old-Time and Bluegrass Music Program. He posts videos of acoustic guitar reviews and beginner lessons, including numerous shorts on easy licks and rhythm patterns. Some of the short lessons are slowed down to half speed so the viewer can learn it a bit more easily. Cody is using this channel to promote his online teaching program that you can purchase as a subscription. Some people wanting to improve on their bluegrass guitar playing may want to check this channel out at https://www.youtube.com/@codymmusic .

Southern Legacy is a true bluegrass supergroup. The members have been in numerous other bands, and get together occasionally for touring. Members include mandolinist Don Rigsby, banjoist Ron Block (of Alison Krauss & Union Station fame), and Josh Williams, my favorite flatpicker, whom I did a previous blog on (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/09/23/josh-williams-bluegrass-instrumental-genius/). The talent here is phenomenal, and I hope that they will be releasing some material soon. They are the cover story of the March 2025 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. While there are a number of videos of this band performing on YT, they also have their own channel at https://www.youtube.com/@SouthernLegacyMusic .

Chew on it and comment.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started