It’s Turntable Tuesday because life is too short not to listen to great music! This week I took a random pull from one of my album shelves and came up with this jewel . This album is a signed one I picked up after seeing this tour performed live on stage. It was a great night watching these two perform together. This is a long story. You might better go get some popcorn if you want to finish or just go listen to the podcast if your eyes are tired and you are curious.
For those who may not know who these people are and I say that if you are under a certain age or not tuned in to certain music genres, this is Steve Martin who is the same guy who has been on NBC’s Saturday Night Live so many times he holds records. The same guy who has starred in movies, and the same guy who plays banjo. Steve was the guy who I used to emulate on a high school stage as a comic back in the late 1970’s. I have photos of the arrow through my head just like his.
All that said I have another story about Steve I will share later in this article. Edie Brickell. Does this name sound familiar? Anyone remember Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians? A cool band…Edie is also the longtime wife of Paul Simon. There are many connections there so it is easy to see how these two ended up working together.
Before going any further with the vinyl story I want to insert a quick story from several years ago when I was on the stage crew for Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Steve came into the back stage area to play the set in the afternoon and there was a small crowd around back there. He was very focused on what he was doing even carrying his two banjos over to a table and opening them up to get them to ambient temperature. It was a sunny North Carolina afternoon in the mountains during late April. The temperature was nice but would soon start to cool as dark approached. Steve tuned up and jammed a bit with the Steep Canyon guys who he is very close friends with. Our stage crew stood back and made sure anyone getting too close was reminded to maintain some distance so they could focus on what they were doing. The show played later and Steve returned from the stage. That is when it got very busy in the backstage area. This was a weekend with top bands from Rock and Roll, Country, and Bluegrass music. I honestly never saw a crowd that large flood the backstage. This man is so popular with the audience anyone with half a credential wanted to get close. About that time all the stage hands and Wilkes Country Sheriff Deputies put our arms over each other’s shoulders and formed a walkway of two lines to hold the crowd back. A GMC Tahoe was backed into the stairway from the loading dock and we literally had our human chain providing cover for Steve to walk the short distance from the green room to the vehicle. What a scene that was!
This album came into the charts on the Billboard 200 albums and went all the way to number one on the Bluegrass charts not mention number 2 on the Folk Music charts. It is a very nice album with some real talent all over it.
What are YOU listening to tonight? TURN THAT TV OFF! Crank up your local speaker or support your local musicians! Buy media and stop the streaming vampires! Don’t let your favorite artists get bled by the Corporate Dracula Castles! Make vinyl the king once again and feed your favorite bands.
Until next time, I’ll see you, down the road.