June 20th, 2006
In between our songs, we often need to let the banjos and fiddles cool off a bit, ever since that unfortunate conflagration at the South Grange. No lives were lost in that fire, but we take a few moments these days to interject cooling commentary after incendiary songs. The Band, as usual, thinks Skeeter’s just fannin the briquets of his own ego, which is true, but like most truths, it ain’t the WHOLE truth. Some of these philosophical reveries from concerts past should convince you of that. CLICK ON OUR SUBCATEGORY FOR DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS UNDER CONCERT COMMENTARIES FOR WORDS OF SOUTH END WET POWDER WIT AND WASTED WISDOM
June 19th, 2006
The South End String Band
on the front porch
June 18th, 2006
We’re a real xenophobic band of yahoos, especially in these security conscious times. We’re gonna break a vow of silence here and put a contact number or two out to you, but we’re counting on you NOT to divulge this information to our ex-spouses, the IRS and the rest of a surveillance happy government. We know you won’t let us down.
If you’re wanting to book the band, call us at 360-387-9131 or 360-387-9395. If you want to buy a CD, check out the info we got under CD sales. If you want to make a complaint, call our 24 hour hotline: 360-I Hate Banjo.
For our fan club, we’ve put out the following disinformation:
Now I know some of these stringpluckers look familiar … and if so, before you use your cellphones to call Homeland Security, let me allay some of your fears and introduce these graduates of the Elger Bay Institute of Pickin and Grinnin. Double majors all.
Wende Hilyard’s our nightingale back there. She sings any sweeter and we’ll be throwin away our banjos and sqawkboxes and learnin the old folk tunes of my parents’ era — or most of the band’s era.
Rebecca Fletcher’s on hammered dulcimer and lately mandolin. Personally I’m worried the mandolin won’t hold up to much hammering, but it ain’t my money….
Monika DeNasha’s on clawhammer banjo and 6 string guitar. Half these instruments are hammered apparently. The band, you can judge for yourselves…..
John Muhler’s the shy guy on washboard, spoons, Buddhist temple balls, acorns, spinnin wheels, cutlery, chainsaw, exhaust manifold and kitchen sink. We got to get to the dump pretty soon. John’s getting a little overextended…..
Paul Platis is on a couple of his 3 dozen guitars. Among musicians there’s a disease called G.A.S. GAS. Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. Paul’s practically an alternative energy source.
Chaim Bezalel’s on 6 string guitbox and 277 string autoharp he claims was the first radio on tourin machines prior to Marconi and the advent of Chuck Berry. Which is why we call him the Professor of the Band to his face. And Gilligan to his back.
Bill Gum’s our violist. He’s from Montana and as you know, those boys think 6 inches is a yard and Texas is a suburb of Butte. We don’t try to argue with Bill any more.
Erich Schweiger’s our violinist. He makes em too. Sort of our South End Stradivarius. Or Schweigervarius. If Bill had one, he’d think it was a cello.
Me, I’m Jack Archibald on the banjo, the quiet one in the Band. I just try to bring a demeanor that’s a thoughtful counterpoint to all the racket.
June 18th, 2006
Hi buckaroos, if you can’t find our two bestselling bootlegged cd’s at a fine south end mercantile near you, you can go to bigquack.com or cdbaby.com and order them online. We make a whole lot less profit, the local mercantiles go broke and before long we’ll be at the public trough waiting for government handouts. Probably beats workin.
Big Quack is the studio where we recorded these not quite platinum platters and Mark Dodge is the record-producing fellow who herded us thru the intricacies of studio sessions and acted as referee during the many fights and namecalling. We appreciated his generosity so much we have a link on the homepage to make it easy to find him as well as some of his other stable of fine local artists.
If you ARE local, try these fine South End retailers before you go to Wal-Mart: Tyee Grocery, Copy This Mail That (at Camano Plaza), Plaza Market, Elger Bay Grocery, Snow Goose Bookstore in Stanwoodopolis, Gallery in the Loft at Terry’s Corner, Hugo Helmer Music in Mt. Vernon and the Rexville Store on the way to La Conner.
