When I was a kid, traveling rarely included an overnight stay anywhere. I remember Mama would beg Daddy for what seemed like months, to go to the coast - a 3 1/2 hour drive from our little home in Dale, Texas to Port Aransas. But finally, without any notice at all, Mama would wake me up early on a Saturday morning and say, "Hurry! Get ready! Daddy's taking us to the coast!" I remember being so unbelievably excited to be going somewhere. Anywhere! But especially to the coast. That drive down seemed like 8 hours long instead of 3 1/2. When we finally arrived, Daddy would drive right up on the beach to the water's edge (do they even let you do that anymore?) and we'd pile out and head for the water. After playing all day, sand stuck in every crevice of our body, we'd pile back in the car and drive straight home. That ride back seemed like 3 1/2 DAYS!
Growing up in Texas meant that we had to drive a long way to get anywhere. 4 hours here, 8 hours there, just to see family was commonplace. Daddy had a routine: put the ice chest in the car, put the family in the car, and head out. There were no thoughts of stopping at a McDonalds for anything. If we had to eat or go to the bathroom, a roadside park was the stop of choice. And I'm not talking about the nice "rest areas" with indoor plumbing. I mean a Road Side Park - where you literally parked beside the road and if you were lucky, there was a picnic table with a cover over it. And the bathroom? The bathroom was a wooden a-frame ladder that carried you over the fence to a path that led you behind a mesquite tree (shrub) where if you were REALLY lucky, no one else had been before you in the last week.
Occasionally Daddy would treat us. He'd stop off at a big grocery store - the biggest he could find because the ones in our town were not so big and Daddy loved a BIG grocery store - and buy a block of cheddar cheese, a stick of summer sausage, and a quart of milk. That meant when we got to the roadside park, instead of the regular bologna or salami that we usually ate on these excisions, Daddy would pull out his "old-timer" pocket knife, open it up, wipe it on his pants leg, slice the cheese, slice the summer sausage, wipe it off on his pants leg again and put it away. And the quart of milk was passed around to all of us to drink from. It's funny, as an adult, I can now afford to stop at Logans for the occasional 6oz sirloin with salad and all-you-can-eat rolls, but I swear, the memory of that summer sausage and cheddar cheese is making my mouth water like it was just yesterday. I can almost feel that hot Texas breeze rush across me as I sat at on that roadside table. How I wish I could go back in time to that very moment when a stop off at a roadside park in south Texas was the biggest treat in the world to our little family. But that was then…
Marrying a professional road musician was a real learning experience. His bag was always packed and sitting against the wall in our bedroom. I finally asked him after about 6 months if he was planning on going somewhere and he laughed and said, it's just easier to never unpack. Fast forward to when he and I started traveling together in our own band. It was my first taste of true road life and all of a sudden, I knew exactly what he meant. Even though our bags are now tucked away in closets when we're home, we still keep them stocked and ready to go at a moments notice.
Today I've been getting our clothes ready and ironing shirts for Blake as he is the MC for a large bluegrass festival in Auburn, Alabama this week. This is the first time I've packed for a festival in 13 years that our band isn't actually playing and it's been a different experience for us. Usually, we'd hit the road and play a couple shows at a festival and then head for the next town for the same routine. It's been rare for us to stay at the same place for more than 2 days with our band. But this time, Blake is working 4 days so we are preparing to set up shop at the same place for the duration. And, we will be staying in an RV on-site. Aside from a few short (and humorous) months when our band traveled in a Class C, I've not ever camped out for any length of time in an RV. It'll provide all the luxuries of home including a kitchen, TV and living room and I have to admit, it'll be nice to be staying somewhere other than a motel. Not only are the accommodations going to be different, but we're taking our time on the trip down and are planning on stopping off at the Ikea store in Atlanta - something I've been wanting to do for a couple years now. And it will be nice to reconnect with a lot of folks we've become friends with over the years, both fans of our music, and friends and colleagues in other bands. But oddly, the thing I am looking most forward to about this trip, is finding a great big grocery store where I can buy a stick of summer sausage and a block of cheddar cheese, then hopefully find a picnic table at the campsite where I can recreate a little part of my childhood and reflect on how far we've come. But really, how good I had it.
The only thing I won't miss - is the lack of indoor plumbing!
Public Relations for Music Industry Professionals!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
On The Road This Week!
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme OutWednesday 5/21 - Nashville, Tennesse
Music City Roots
Thursday 5/22 - Coeburn, VA
Ralph Stanley Music Festival
Friday 5/23 - Snow Camp, NC
Little John's Mountain Music Festival
Saturday, 5/24 - Floyd, VA
Chantilly Farm Bluegrass Festival
The Spinney Brothers
Wednesday through Friday 5/21 - 5/23 - Branson, MO
Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass & BBQ
Saturday 5/24 - Hillsboro, OH
Amvets Post 61 Bluegrass Festival
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
5/23 - Curryville, MO
Back 40 Bluegrass Festival
5/24 - Branson, MO
Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass & BBQ
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Thursday 5/22 - Hillsboro, OH
Amvets Post 61 Bluegrass Festival
Friday 5/23 - Coeburn, VA
Ralph Stanley Music Festival
Saturday 5/24 - Nashville, TN
Grand Ole Opry
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
For Your IBMA Awards Consideration…
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Joe Mullins - Banjo, Vocals
Duane Sparks - Guitar, Vocals
Mike Terry - Mandolin, Vocals
Evan McGregor - Fiddle, Vocals
Randy Barnes - Bass
Album - Hall Of Fame Bluegrass
Recorded Event - Hall Of Fame Bluegrass
Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins
Song - “Wild Mountain Honey” (Arthur Smith)
Gospel Performance - “I’m So Happy”
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Michael Cleveland - Fiddle, Vocals
Josh Richards - Guitar, Vocals
Nathan Livers - Mandolin, Vocals
Glenn Gibson - Banjo, Dobro, Vocals
Tyler Griffith - Bass, Vocals
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Wayne Benson - Mandolin, Vocals
Justen Haynes - Fiddle, Vocals
Keith McKinnon - Banjo, Vocals
Blake Johnson - Bass, Vocals
The Expedition Show
Blake Williams - Banjo, Vocals
Wayne Southards - Guitar, Vocals
Kimberly Williams - Bass, Vocals
Alex Hibbitts - Mandolin, Vocals
Album - Stormy Horizons
Song - "Stormy Horizons" (Iris Franks & Ira Louvin)
The Spinney Brothers
Allan Spinney - Guitar, Vocals
Rick Spinney - Banjo, Vocals
Gary Dalrymple - Mandolin, Vocals
Terry Poirier - Bass, Vocals
Album - No Borders
Recorded Event - "I Wish That I Could Have Met Carter" with Ralph Stanley II
Recorded Event - "I Wish That I Could Have Met Carter" with Ralph Stanley II
Song - “Grandpa’s Way Of Life” (Mark “Brink” Brinkman)
Song - “I Want My Dog Back” (Tom T. and Dixie Hall)
The Spinney Brothers May News!
Summer Tour Kick-Off
We had a wonderful visit to the Little Roy & Lizzie Music Festival in Lincolnton, Georgia and want to thank ALL of you for making our first appearance at this event such a success! It was the perfect way to start the month of May and our subsequent Summer Tour! We've been busy behind the scenes getting ready for a very busy touring season when we make our first appearance at numerous festivals and events in Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, New York, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas & Arizona. Take a look at our website's Tour schedule for a complete list of performances and if we happen to be in your area, be sure to come out and say hello! (Photo Credit: Gene Bavis)
IBMA Voting Begins This Week!
It's that time of year when Professional members of theInternational Bluegrass Music Association begin the balloting process for the IBMA Awards. We were honored to be a 2013 nominee and were thrilled to be part of the awards and World Of Bluegrass Conference in Raleigh, NC. During the eligibility period for the 2014 Awards (April 1, 2013-March 31, 2014,) we've traveled nearly 200 days across the US and Canada with 125 performance dates and we released our sophomore project on Mountain Fever Records, No Borders. We've loved every minute of it and hope we've represented bluegrass well.
No Borders (released May 7, 2013)
#1 January & February - BU's Top 15 Bluegrass Albums
10 months on chart and currently #6 (May)
No Borders has also produced 2 chart-making singles:
"Grandpa's Way Of Life" (Mark "Brink" Brinkman)
#1 in February '13 - BU's Top 30 Songs Chart
Has spent 11 months on chart thus far
"I Want My Dog Back" (Tom T. & Dixie Hall)
#10 in May '14- BU's Top 30 Songs Chart
Has spent 7 months on chart thus far
We would appreciate your consideration of The Spinney Brothers and our music when making your selections for this year's IBMA Awards.
New Music Coming This Fall!
We are happy to announce the final details of our next CD are coming together nicely. We just had a photo shoot with the wonderful Johanna Matthews and are excited to begin work on the graphics for the project as well as a new look for our website. We're expecting to release our first single in late summer and the full project in October. In addition, we'll be sharing information on our fall Maritime CD Release Tour over the next few weeks. Stay tuned to our website for all the details!
Fan Photo Of The Month!
This month's Fan Photo comes from Shauna Pratt from Nova Scotia. This was our first time to meet Shauna and we appreciate her support over the years!
If you've got a photo you'd like to share, please post it on the band's Facebook and we just might choose it for a future "Fan Photo Of The Month!"
Friday, May 9, 2014
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out May News
Coming This Month!
Saturday, May 10th - Benton, KY
Bluegrass On The Square - 6:00pm ET
Thursday, May 15th - Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival - 3:50pm & 7:50pm ET
Friday, May 16th - Sevierville, TN
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass - 8:00pm ET
Saturday, May 17th - London, KY
Laurel County Shrine Club Bluegrass and Gospel Festival - 3:00pm & 8:00pm ET
Wednesday, May 21st - Nashville, TN
Music City Roots - 7:00pm CT
Thursday, May 22nd - Coeburn, VA
Dr. Ralph Stanley's Memorial Bluegrass Weekend - 9:20pm ET
Friday, May 23rd - Snow Camp, NC
Little John's Mountain Music Festival - 7:30pm ET
Saturday, May 24th - Floyd, VA
Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival - 8:00pm ET
Saturday, May 30th - Syria, VA
Graves Mountain Festival of Music - 7:10pm ET
Track Us using the BandsInTown app!
On The Air!
Tuesday, May 20th
8:15pm ET
Judith Burnette hosts Russell Moore
Listen Worldwide at www.blueridgecountry98.com
Have you seen our website lately? It's had a bit of an overhaul with new photos and a new look. Check it out at www.IIIrdTymeOut.com!
While you're there, head over to our STORE for a look at our new merchandise including t-shirts, license plates and stickers!
This month's shout-out goes to Dodo Versino who contacted us via Facebook all the way from Rome, Italy. He posted, "Hi boys, this is our version of Will soon be done, heard in the web from IIIrd Tyme Out. Greetings from Rome!"
We were honored that Dodo shared this great video of his choir singing "We'll Soon Be Done With Troubles And Trials" and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! (Click video box at left)
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers Release "The Last Parade" Today!
Band Debuts Single at Grand Ole Opry and Announces Donation To The Patriot Guard
May 6, 2014 (Xenia, OH)—Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers are pleased to announce their newest single, "The Last Parade," is being released worldwide today! Written by Steve Bonafel, "The Last Parade" is in honor of Sgt. Nickolas Carnes of Dayton, KY who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007, and recounts the writer's thoughts and feeling as he attended the soldier's funeral. It is available for digital download via Airplay Direct for radio programming, and can be purchased via iTunes and Amazon. "The Last Parade" is the first single from the band's upcoming Rebel Records CD, Another Day From Life, set for release later this year.
"This past winter we had finished arranging mostly new songs for the next JMRR CD release," explains Joe Mullins. "Then, I received a demo of "The Last Parade." It was SO moving - a fantastic song! We HAD to add it to our new recording. We were so taken by the way this song delivers a wonderful message about a very touching and tender theme." The single was produced by JMRR and includes Mike Terry (mandolin), Evan McGregor (fiddle), Duane Sparks (guitar) and Randy Barnes (bass) with the vocal arrangement featuring Duane, Joe and Mike.
"Our goal is to reverently deliver the song to honor those who have made the supreme sacrifice and to thank their families," continues Mullins. "Freedom is not free and those charged with defending it and families who suffer the loss and heartbreak will hopefully be comforted by the song."
The band performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, May 2nd and were honored to debut "The Last Parade" from the hallowed stage. In attendance, were songwriter Steve Bonafel andMrs. Wray Jean Carnes, mother of Sgt. Nicholas Carnes for whom the song was written. The audience was virtually silent during the performance but erupted in a standing ovation when the last note was sung. Grand Ole Opry member Connie Smith interviewed Mullins from the stage at which time he announced that 100% of the proceeds from the digital download of "The Last Parade" through Veterans Day will be donated to The Patriot Guard, a support group available in all 50 states to honor fallen heroes at a family's request. The Patriot Guard Riders is a 100% Volunteer, Federally registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization which ensures dignity and respect at memorial services honoring Fallen Military Heroes, First Responders and Honorably Discharged Veterans.
"The Last Parade" is available for digital download at iTunes and Amazon. For more information on The Patriot Guard, visit www.patriotguard.org. For more information on Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers including upcoming performances, please visitwww.radioramblers.com.
###
High Resolution Files:
Media Contact for Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers:
East Public Relations, Kimberly Williams
931-808-8083
Media Contact for Rebel Records:
Sabra Guzmán, Radio Promotions Director & Tour Support
434-973-5151
Friday, May 2, 2014
Tune-In Alert - Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers Return To Grand Ole Opry Tonight!
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will return to the Grand Ole Opry for their fourth appearance since debuting on the hallowed stage in July 2013. The band will perform this Friday, May 2nd during the 7:30pm CT time slot and will debut their brand new single, "The Last Parade," being released worldwide next week on Rebel Records. In addition, the band will make a very special announcement surrounding the release.
Join the band in person at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN by purchasing your tickets at www.Opry.com or listen online at www.opry.com/wsm.
For more information on Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, visitwww.RadioRamblers.com.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
EPR Artists Hit The Road This Weekend!
Friday, May 2nd - Grand Ole Opry - Nashville, Tennessee
Listen Online at www.opry.com/wsm for new music and a big announcement!
Opry begins at 7:00pm CT
JMRR perform during the 7:30pm CT time slot.
Saturday, May 3rd - Simon J. Graber Community Building - Odon, Indiana
Concert starts at 7:00pm
www.RadioRamblers.com
Friday, May 2nd - Song Of The Mountain Bluegrass Festival - Louisburg, North Carolina
Concert at 8:00pm ET
Saturday, May 3rd - Boxcar Pinion Bluegrass Festival - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Shows at 4:00pm and 9:00pm ET
www.FlamekeeperBand.com
Thursday, May 1st - Little Roy & Lizzie Music Festival - Lincolnton, Georgia
Shows at 2:30pm and 9:15pm ET
Friday, May 2nd - Little Roy & Lizzie Music Festival - Lincolnton, Georgia
Shows at 1:30pm and 6:00pm ET
Saturday, May 3rd - Red Barn Indoor Bluegrass Festival - Winchester, Ohio
Shows at 3:00pm and 8:45pm ET
www.SpinneyBrothers.com
Friday, May 2nd - Mr. B's Bluegrass Festival - Woodford, Virginia
Shows at 3:35pm and 9:00pm ET
Saturday, May 3rd - Sweet Grass Music Festival - Charleston, South Carolina
Shows at 3:00pm and 8:30pm ET
www.IIIrdTymeOut.com
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