Re: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters
At 12:35 AM 1/30/99 -0500, Nancy wrote: Hey ya'll, been quiet and lurking past week, but had to let you know about this cool band I saw tonight Dry Branch Fire Squad. I have not been this entertained in days... Any of you familiar with them? Comedy, ham bonin, bluegrass, fine pickin, singin! Since Weisberger's asleep at this ungodly hour ... yes, Nancy, you've stumbled upon a well-known, highly-regarded bluegrass institution who, despite their fine recordings, probably wouldn't be a household name if not for their relentless touring. Which actually does relent during the school year, since Ron Thomasson (the frontman/mando player) is a high school principal (Do I have this right, Jon?) But for the past 20 or so years they've hit the boards every weekend and all during the summer. Suzanne Thomas (the dark-haired singer/guitar/banjo player) has carved out a very repectable solo career for herself, mentioned frequently on this list. Though the entire band has incredible chops, they are often noted more for Thomasson's ingenius and hilarious between-song banter. He is so entertaining, one tends to forget how truly great and soulful their tunes can be. Yep, they've got it all. Of course, if you've seen them enough times, you realize that Ron's schtick is eco-friendly, i.e., he tends to recycle a lot of material. Bluegrass usually makes me nervous, I think we should explore this further, Nancy. Erin
Re: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters
Hey Nancy- I do enjoy Dry Branch Firesquad also. I am a B-grass dj at WDVR-FM in NJ and this band is one of the most requested. I didn't know much about the music until last year when the station owners wanted a b-grass show! Being raised in the great state of TX, I cut my teeth on all those trubadours from there. So since I have had this show, this countryboy has realized that there is Great twangin in the Bluegrass genre! I sure do miss my country roots though! RW Shamy -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 12:36 AM Subject: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters Hey ya'll, been quiet and lurking past week, but had to let you know about this cool band I saw tonight Dry Branch Fire Squad. I have not been this entertained in days... Any of you familiar with them? My boyfriend has all their records and knew everything about them. Bluegrass usually makes me nervous, but damn, they were good. Broke up all the 90 mile an hour solos with some funny jokes, and great long winded stories about farming, naked beaches, politics and everything else inbetween. Comedy, ham bonin, bluegrass, fine pickin, singin! Tomorrow night going to catch the last set of Iris Dement after I finish an acoustic thang I'm doing Any of you songwriter twangers want to come to Memphis and play? I am doing two songwriter in the round things a month now, and would dig some Paul Burch, Ex-hubbie Jim Roll types to rock the joint some, or as much as possible on acoustic. I do one downtown that is a "low dough" gig, but the newest one at this east Memphis yuppy suburbia bar is a cool payin thing, plus you get to (or have to as some may say) hang out with me! Can come do the radio show one afternoon, gig the next night, sleep on the couch, let my boyfriend cook for us If any of you are passing thru Memphis, let me know when and if it is on gig day, I would love to have ya!!! Here is one of the jokes that the band told earlier it is better live, but here goes. "I thought honky tonk was the sound you got boppin a white guy on the head" Back to my cocktail. Nancy
RE: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters
Lessee, Erin said: ... yes, Nancy, you've stumbled upon a well-known, highly-regarded bluegrass institution who, despite their fine recordings, probably wouldn't be a household name if not for their relentless touring. Which actually does relent during the school year, since Ron Thomasson (the frontman/mando player) is a high school principal (Do I have this right, Jon?) I dunno, though I suppose I could ask. He's been a teacher forever, and may have been kicked upstairs since the last I knew. I hasten to add that this is a bit misleading, though, as we're talking about rural Ohio schools. Ron and his wife raise horses (she organizes shows), so he spends a fair amount of time every day pitching hay. Suzanne Thomas (the dark-haired singer/guitar/banjo player) has carved out a very repectable solo career for herself, mentioned frequently on this list. Well... she made a very good solo album last year, but it's her first one. Prior to joining the Squad, she worked for a long time with the Hotmud Family, a sort of old-time/bluegrass band that had a couple of records out on Flying Fish, and a couple of records on a local label before that (now, there's some prime candidates for CD reissue). She and C. E. Jones (Jones Leva) had a duet act called the Kentucky Warblers going for a while, too, in between, plus she also played in a country-rock bar band between the demise of the Hotmuds and her recruitment by the Squad. IMO, she adds quite a bit to the band. Though the entire band has incredible chops, they are often noted more for Thomasson's ingenius and hilarious between-song banter. Opinions about their chops vary somewhat, I'd say, and on a member-by-member basis as well - not that I've ever heard anyone dis Suzanne's, I hasten to add (and that's all I'm going to add) - but there's no doubt that Ron's storytelling, or whatever you want to call it, is front and center. Bluegrass usually makes me nervous, I think we should explore this further, Nancy. Forget exploration; we need an intervention. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters
is a high school principal (Do I have this right, Jon?) I got the impression he was a farmer
Re: Dry Branch Fire Squad / need twangin songwriters
Nancy says: acoustic. I do one downtown that is a "low dough" gig, but the newest one at this east Memphis yuppy suburbia bar is a cool payin thing, What east Memphis yuppy suburbia bar is this? Dina
