Is live trad. country on the comeback trail?

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 24 Aug 2000 7:29 am

I just played with a country band at a club in Calgary last weekend and played a lot of 10 year old country hits. I fit right in cause that's the last time I listened to the radio regularly. They did Good Hearted Woman, Merle stuff, and I asked the leader, a young cowboy-looking guy around 30 if he had any trouble selling it from bar to bar, and he said "No, in fact we're doing well cause there's not many bands on the circuit that can do country well." Maybe the tide is changing up here in the Great White North. I sure hope so. This is cowboy country, for God's sake.

Ray Jenkins · Post by **Ray Jenkins** » 24 Aug 2000 9:54 am

Go John Go!!!

Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 24 Aug 2000 12:10 pm

"Good Hearted Woman" is old?

That's newer than 90% of the songs done by the bands I play with outside of Fort Worth. We play the top 50 or 60 -- the top songs of the 50's and 60's!

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Jim Smith
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-

Blane Sanders · Post by **Blane Sanders** » 24 Aug 2000 3:27 pm

Hey john, Sounds like a fun gig.I can't figure out why more bands do'nt try that aproach. I'm between bands right now, and have been staying busy just sittin in, and I sometimes wonder if I'm playing in a "country band" or a "variety band"! When I play in a good "Traditional Country Band" there's always good croud responce,IMHO there would be more "LIVE COUNTRY MUSIC" if there were more REAL COUNTRY bands performing, instead of the variety bands maskerading as country bands! When is the last time you heard of a Rock Band playing "George Jones or Merle Haggard?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Aug 2000 5:06 pm

IMHO, when "line dancing" goes away completely, and the "kids" have another genre to focus on, the music you love will return.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 24 Aug 2000 5:12 pm

Big Balls of Cowtown in Fort Worth only wants old western swing, two step shuffle music, and waltzes. Their radio ads say there's a $50 fine for anyone caught line dancing!

Some of the bands I play there with do songs older than even I have heard of!

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Jim Smith
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 24 Aug 2000 7:08 pm

You lucky Dawgs!!

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 24 Aug 2000 7:26 pm

Donny: I couldn't agree with you more, at least in the idea that line dancing was a big part of killing country music and killing the clubs. While there are other reasons as well, how many clubs have closed or changed platforms because the owner/manager couldn't afford to have all those coke suckers nursing one drink for two hours and crowding out those plain folks who just wanted to get up and hug their honey on a slow dance?

How great if the music was again the focus instead of the mirrors where the line dancers can preen and check themselves out. Don't get me wrong, groups of co-ordinated dancers in colorful outfits are a sight to see, but how about the rest of us?

bill ramsey · Post by **bill ramsey** » 25 Aug 2000 2:12 am

95 percent of what we play is traditional country. wouldnt play the other 5 percent if i didnt have to. wouldnt have it no other way. merle-jones-conway-stonewall-alan-etc. bill ramsey and the PURE COUNTRY BAND. and proud of it.

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Quesney Gibbs · Post by **Quesney Gibbs** » 25 Aug 2000 3:09 am

I have played in many line dance club and you can believe that the coke suckers are there to be seen by other coke suckers. The band is nothing but a live jukebox and mostly ignored. Maybe that's a little eagoistic on my part but that's the way it is. Hopefully it is going to die out soon and we all can get back to real music and the likes of the hat acts will fade away.

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 25 Aug 2000 10:24 am

This sounds very encouraging.It would be nice if when I get back from China next July, I can play and sing the music I've loved all these years.Keep the musical home fires burning, John.
All the best,-Andy<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Andy Greatrix on 25 August 2000 at 11:25 AM.]</p></FONT>

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 27 Aug 2000 8:08 pm

We only play Classic and Traditional Country Music. I am the steel player(the only lead player.) I only play guitar on Johnny Cash type stuff.

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The Young Steelkid

Randall Harrington · Post by **Randall Harrington** » 28 Aug 2000 12:43 pm

Hey jim you have to pardon these guys that
think retro George Straight is some realy old stuff. I think they missed the boat on the other woman, Im not crazy yet, so on and sofourth .ya know country!

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 28 Aug 2000 2:06 pm

A fun gig it must be. I too play in a band that plays better than 50% traditional country. I love it, but I also like to play the new stuff. If there was no steel on the record, tough, I just improvise.

Bill Ferguson

See ya in St. Louis, come by the soundbooth.

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"Stop worrying about what makes a steel work and concentrate on how YOU make it sound"

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 28 Aug 2000 7:51 pm

Jim Smith
I too enjoyed playing the country music of the 60's and 70's. I am glad to see them mentioned here.......al

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 28 Aug 2000 8:08 pm

Hey Randall, we do The Other Woman all the time. We start the night usually with Charley Pride's I'm Just Me or Crystal Chandeliers.

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The Young Steelkid

richard cochran · Post by **richard cochran** » 29 Aug 2000 4:51 pm

Hey Ya'll,
The band I steel for plays "Invitation
to the Blues, and I never go around Mirrors.
Hows that for traditional? Dick

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 29 Aug 2000 7:34 pm

"Thanks for sending something I can't use." Country music and Ray Price at his best. Now it best describes any "hot" country music station.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 29 Aug 2000 8:05 pm

Hey Mr Cole. Having spent 33 years in Western NY, playing in areas you describe, and also in the Pennsylvania area reachable from there, it's good to hear things are poppin there. What are some of the clubs in the areas, not that I'd recognize many having been gone 25 years.

My fondest memories are of Buffalo/Niagra Falls, tho we were'nt playing country at the time. It's nice hearing from someone from the old stompin ground.
Ken