Banjos & Such @mayor@banjo.town

It looks like I've probably got a "living history" style gig at an Old Home Day* celebration this fall, where they've decided to do a US Civil War theme, and want some period-appropriate music.

It's been a *long* time since I did a specifically civil-war focused thing and I definitely have mixed feelings about it now. The town in question is a tony Boston exurb, though, and I don't *think* their historical society would be going for a full-on reenactment with local dipshits pretending to be confederates like it's a sports team.

When it comes down to it though, I'd rather people remember the visceral sound of a low-tuned fretless banjo and bones (if my old partner in crime is available) playing real arrangements from the time period than a shitty 2nd south carolina stringband wanna-be outfit playing 'Dixie' and 'Bonnie Blue Flag' on modern steel strung instruments. Maybe I can find or write a pamphlet about banjo and cultural appropriation to distribute.

* Old Home Days are a mostly (I think?) New England thing that amounts to a town holding a small country fair for current and former residents

The final Antietam Early Banjo Gathering was seven years ago. I was lucky enough to attend the last five of them from 2011-2015, and for as long as I live I will yearn to be in that big old threshing barn on this last weekend of June.

I miss it, and my oddball adopted banjo family, so much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKv_1chZyj8

@smbsy

Honestly a cheap little tripod and my phone’s wide-angle lens would probably scratch most of this itch in terms of having a mic close enough to get decent sound (phones really are pretty good these days) *and* get video with out having the camera up my nose

I know it’s about 80% gear-chasing instead of just doing the thing, but until such time as I have the luxury of a space where I can leave a recording rig set up *and* use that space at all hours without worrying about disturbing/waking anyone, I’m thinking about getting something like a zoom h1n for ad hoc stuff

@calcifer @Aleums my favorite “why are you wearing a kilt/skirt” retort is “what else am I going to do with it?”

@sexybenfranklin @infernusgoatus warezwolves not swearzwolves

You know what? This tintype of my dork-ass self is cool as hell

@futzle I am going to watch this over morning coffee tomorrow! But in the meantime I have to share the amazing Scott Bradlee “Saturday Morning Slow Jams” version of the Transformers theme: https://youtu.be/oRRgsYvnPxs

@louisajr why thank you ☺️

(Trying hard not think about how good that limited edition purple tolex Glenn Hughes Orange Crush bass amp would look on this)

@alex fwiw from this non-dad, I think you’re crushing it

(Oof, that reverb is absolute overkill when re-combined with the video, knowing the actual size of my living room. Back to the DAW before I post this one to IG/YT)