Maggie the Christmas Dog!

My neighbors have seven dogs and they spend half the time over at our place. We love them like our own. One of their dogs is an American bull dog named Maggie. All the dogs around here love Maggie because she is so motherly and nurturing and loves to play. She loves to sit by me outside when I play the guitar and whenever she isn't home with her owners, they know where to find her. She was missing for several weeks and there was no sign of her anywhere. I was afraid that coyotes might have gotten her.. we do live out in the country and she would be no match for coyotes on her own. My neighbors were hoping that maybe someone just picked her up and that she was ok in a new home. It wasn't like her to wander too far away and I had my doubts we would ever see that dog again but I prayed that God would bring her back. 

A couple of days ago I got a call from my neighbors saying that Maggie had been found a good ways from these parts..by a family that took her into their home and that Maggie had made herself at home with their dogs and was fine. The folks that found her had seen the pictures of her around town and recognized her as the missing dog and called them to come get her. My neighbors had offered a reward for Maggie for several hundred dollars and had to talk them into taking it. They did so reluctantly. Several days later, they called my neighbors after Maggie was back home and told them how they were in bankruptcy and desperate for money. They had been so depressed about having no money to even buy Christmas presents for their children. That reward money would enable them to do that now. It was truly a blessing for them. 

God used Maggie to help that needy family out and now Maggie is safe and sound back home with her loving family.. just in time for Christmas!

henandoah’s last 2 shows for 2008

Shenandoah’s last 2 shows for 2008

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Shenandoah’s last 2 shows for 2008 
Category: Music

NOV 21, TEXARKANA, AR - Shooters Sports Bar, NOV 22 - LULA, MS Isle of Capri Casino

Shenandoah, along with Jimmy Yeary's friend, singer/songwriter, Tyler Farr, boarded the "Hillbilly Hotel" for the last time in 2008. We made our way to Muscle Shoals, Al, where we picked up Mike McGuire and Jim Seales. We then cruised on down to Texarkana, Arkansas to play the Shooters Sports Bar.

We arrived at the club mid-morning and did the hurry up and wait thing for several hours before we finally got into our soundcheck. The way the room was set up with the small stage and the PA so close, it was hard to hear because of the bass subs under the stage. It was very "boomy and bassy" and made it hard to really hear each other but we knew we had to get through it and make it work...the show has to go on!

Old time buddy, Mike Cole just happened to be in Texarkana for business and found out that we were gonna be playing that night...so he showed up and hung out for the evening.
For those of you who don't remember, he was "Bubba" in the "If Bubba Can Dance" video. It was great to see him again and I know it was a "blast from the past" for him also. Another one of our good friends, Tammi showed up, with a girl friend of hers ...it was great seeing her again as well.

We got to pick our dinner from the menu they offered us..I got the Shooters, homestyle cheeseburger and a Bloody Mary that was awesome...others got chicken strips, shrimp 
and salads... the food was good and as usual, i stuffed myself a little too much ..more than I liked to before show time.

After eating, our runner took us back to the hotel...Mike Folsom and Jimmy Yeary went to work out... they always make the rest of us look so lazy and the rest of us went to catch catnaps and clean up.

Showtime was at 9:30 and we played for 75 min or so, to a rowdy crowd and I know I can speak for everyone in the band...it was nothing but a huge roar for us on the stage. I felt sorry for Bart Barlettano, our sound man, because he had to mix the band from up in a booth, up high, way off to the far right of the stage. It is so hard to deal with the ever-changing acoustics of a room when you are not in front of the act. Kudos to Bart, once again, for working near miracles in the science of making a show work in the worst of conditions. Thanks also goes out to Byron Cumbie, our monitor and merch man, for going way beyond the call of duty as usual...putting up with crazy hand jesters and strange looks from the stage, almost reading our minds and giving us what we need to hear.. while we are on stage. All in all, considering the audio nightmare we endured, the audience and owners of the club were pleased.

After the show.. autographs were signed, t-shirts were sold and pics were taken and even our lead singer's shirt was signed by none other than myself..that was a rare moment that I think Jimmy Yeary is still surprised over and still not fully realizing the added value that signature has brought to that piece of apparel. 

When the last pic was taken, we climbed aboard the bus and hung out with friends till Mickey Riley, our driver showed up. We said our goodbyes and took the bus to the hotel, where we spent the night. We would be heading out at 7 am the next morning for Lula, Ms.

We arrived around 1:00 pm in Lula, Ms at the Isle of Capri Casino and had about an hour to go to our room before load-in at 2 o'clock. Mike Folsom and I wound up eating at the buffet before soundcheck because the crew did not have the stage ready for us at the designated time. As usual, the food was excellent and I stuffed myself with salad, shrimp, chicken, roast beef, tilapia, green beans, turnip greens, wild rice... I could go on but I won't...shame on me..really for being such a pig but I knew that would be my only meal for the day..so I went all out!

After eating , Mike and I slowly made our way back to the Flamingo Ballroom to do our soundcheck. We were just in time.. everything was set up and the rest of the band were onstage waiting on us. We finished soundcheck around 4 pm and had till around 6:45 to chill in our room or gamble till we had to be back to do a meet and greet. I didn't gamble this time because I wasn't feeling lucky..when I don't have that feeling.. I usually end up giving it all to the casino... if I throw money into a slot machine.. so I resisted! By the way, our bus driver, Mickey, did win a nice jackpot and was going home to the wife with a smile on his face. Good for him. Before I headed up to the room, I went out back to the bus to get something and noticed two casino employees "torching" dice .. they were holding a blow torch to a set of dice and toxic black smoke was rising up from them.. I always wondered what casinos did with old dice.. I guess the gaming laws require that to be done..you don't see that everyday. I then walked through the casino and took the elevator to my room and chilled out for an hour before showering. ..while Mike Folsom went down to the workout room... which he informed me had a treadmill that was stuck on the highest incline...lol I bet he did get a workout !!


We all met on the bus parked out behind the casino, around a quarter till seven and walked into the ballroom to meet with several folks... we talked with them and a casino employee took pics of each with the band..we then had pictures taken with a few of the casino crew. Jim Seale's gal, Donna and some friends of hers drove down to see the show and so did our old lighting director and road manager, Tony and his wife Jo. It had been, I think, around seven years since he had worked with us and a great time was had before and after the show remembering and rehashing old road stories with them. 

Shenandoah took the stage at 8 pm in front of an almost sold out crowd. At one point in the show, Jimmy Yeary needed a guitar tuner because his was broken or wasn't there..I wasn't exactly sure what the exact scenario was but Jim Seales asked if anyone in the audience had a guitar tuner and of course they laughed...then he asked his girl, Donna and lo and behold if she didn't get one out of her purse and march it up to the stage and give it Jim for Jimmy to use.. we were all amazed as well as the audience. Who carries a guitar tuner in their purse!! :) I thought it was a great show and the audience was very enthusiastic and I was happy they had such a good turnout for our last show of the year.

After the show, they had an autograph table set up right outside the ballroom and we had quite a long line of folks waiting. After signing, we sat on the bus for about an hour visiting and then we pulled out and made those white highway lines disappear, until the bus pulled into that Tennessee Kroger parking lot Sunday morning.

2008 was a good year for Shenandoah..we had a lot of great shows, even with the bad things that sometimes go along with life on the road like, late arrivals, engine troubles, gear problems, etc, alot of good memories were made and we treasure them and are thankful for the talents that we share with each other and the folks that take time out of their busy lives to come share the music with us. I personally want to thank all of the fans, the rest of the band and crew for all that you do. God willing, I will you see you in 2009.

Yep, Another country music adventure was had by all last year.

Down the Road...Stan Munsey

Fun in the Deep South!

Fun in the Deep South  Category: Music OCT 19/08 NATCHEZ, MS Shenandoah at the River Balloon Race/ Oct 21, Laurel, MS South Mississippi Fair Bus call was set for 11 pm, Sat night and everyone showed up but Mike Mcguire and Jim Seales. We would be picking them up in Muscle Shoals, Al on the way down to Natchez, MS. I brought some chips and great salsa from the Harris Teeter grocery store and we munched on that, till one by one.. we drifted off to our bunks around 3 am. We had to get some shut eye because of an early load-in and soundcheck Sunday morning. Nine am came quickly and we awoke to a gorgeous Mississippi morning in Natchez by the river. As we got off the bus, we could see one of the old, Southern mansions across the road..that this town is so famous for. The stage was ready and the crew were waiting as we walked up to do our soundcheck. After soundcheck our runner, Hannah drove us to the Isle of Capri Casio/Hotel, in her cool convertible, with the top down. Once at the hotel, Mike McGuire, Jimmy Yeary and myself caught a shuttle down to the casino boat where we had a big lunch at the buffet. When I got through piling my plate up, it looked like Thanksgiving. After eating we climbed the big hill like stuffed, old men and caught the shuttle back to the hotel. The Tennessee Titans game was on and they were winning big time and the Titans won..makin' their record for the season so far, 6 and 0... Go Titans!  Hannah picked us up in front of the hotel lobby at 3:30 and took us back to the bus at the venue. A zydeco band was rockin' the crowd. As soon as I climbed on the bus, Jim Seales asked me if I would go get him a pepsi... he said there was a tent outside by the stage, where I would find some. Well, I found a tent and asked one of the ladies standing behind a counter for a pepsi.. she handed it to me and promptly asked for 2 dollars. I told her that I was with Shenandoah and was getting it for our guitarist and did not have any money on me. She then asked me if we had an agreement to get free drinks... I told her that I was sure we did..as we always got free drinks provided. She stood there for a minute contemplating this and I stood there looking at her, when she said, I think you ought to pay for it.. I said nothing..and held on tight to the drink...finally she sighed.. I raised my hand and waved and walked away with the pepsi..it had been like a Mexican standoff..I told the story of my strange exchange with the lady to Jim and the guys on the bus ... they laughed and pointed out that I had gone to the wrong tent. There was another tent that had coolers with drinks for us on the other side of the stage that I had completely missed. I had gone to an innocent vendor and had essentially "stolen" a pepsi from her! I felt ashamed ..really bad..but since Jim had already started drinking the pepsi and offered no compensation for me to carry back to the lady..I just let it go. Me..the dummy, in action again lol.. Shenandoah went on at 4:45 and played a 75 min set to an enthusiastic crowd of folks and I noticed a lot of them were singing along with the words. I could see hot air balloons in the air and folks everywhere. It was a fun show. That was the first "Country Day" they had ever had at the balloon race and the promoters were pleased that it was a success..We were too..being the first act to play it. After the show, we took the bus back to the hotel and parked it in the back of the lot. We would be staying in Natchez till early Tuesday morning, as we had a day off before our show in Laurel, MS. Some of us stayed on the bus that night , while Mike Folsom, Jimmy Yeary and Mickey Riley, our bus driver stayed in the rooms in the hotel. Jim Seales and I went down to the buffet on the casino boat and I ate so much that I was miserable for hours..I don't know what got into me..well actually I do...a fried chicken breast, a big piece of fish, mixed vegetables, a cut of flat-iron steak, 8 shrimp, a slap of roast beef, a hunk of mashed potatoes and gravy, a big serving of corn, a spoonful of carrots, mustard greens, lots of "dirty" rice and cornbread! Jim Seales was buying that evening..so I ate like there was no tomorrow. After my awful display of gluttony...Jim Seales went to his bunk and Bart Barlettano, Byron Cumbie, Mike McGuire and myself stayed up watchin' tv, strummin' on guitars and discussing politics and what not..till late into the night. On Monday, the next day, Mike Mcguire, Mike Folsom and Jimmy Yeary took their golf clubs and headed to the golf course green for a day of fierce competition amongst themselves. Bart, Byron and myself walked downtown to the square in Natchez.. looking at the old antique shops and civil war mansions..in an old deep south setting nestled under huge trees that have been there before the Civil War..Natchez has a lot of flavor it inherited from New Orleans..which was only a little over two hours away..After walking for awhile..we realized we were hungry and found a little cafe..I had a margarita and cajun boudin. We finished our meal and walked back to the bus..where we found McGuire, Yeary and Folsom telling stories about who won the golf game..they were all lying.. all three of them! lol Yep.. take some sticks, a bunch of little holes in the grass and buckets of balls and that's what ya get.  Someone suggested bowling for the main evening activity and so Mickey, our bus driver came down and drove us all in the bus to the Rivergate Bowling alley..Jim Seales and myself did not participate in the actual tossing of bowling balls down the lanes. We stayed on the bus and I started a song on my guitar and I think it has great potential. At one point , Jimmy Yeary came out and retrieved Jim S. and got him to come in, where they sang "Two Dozen Roses", (without any musical accompaniment), to the woman's bowling league and then signed autographs.. I'm sorry I missed that but was way too wrapped up in my creative endeavors to join them.  After the bowling adventure, we took the bus back to the parking lot behind the hotel and some went to rooms and some stayed on the bus...At one point , later that night..a security guard made us call our bus driver and wake him up..he had to come down and move the bus to another part of the parking lot and face the generator the other way..as the noise was annoying some of the guests and they had complained.. 3:30 am..there was a knock on the bus door, so Bart went to see who it was .. I followed him and it turned out to be our good friend Tammy..who had driven all the way from Oklahoma to see us the next day in Laurel, MS. We helped her bring a cooler from her car which contained homemade stir-fry, grapes and fresh strawberries. Bart and I talked with her till almost 5 am and then helped her get settled into a top bunk. We pulled out of there at 8 am and Tammy followed us in her car to Laurel, MS, where we would be playing the South Mississippi Fair. Oct 21, Laurel, Shenandoah at the MS South Mississippi Fair We arrived in Laurel, MS to find another beautiful day..with a bright blue, crisp October sky.. Tammy parked her car and rejoined us on the bus where we all hung out till our 1 pm soundcheck. After that, Debbie and another runner took us all to a nice restaurant in downtown Laurel. They had a couple of long tables setup for us and offered us anything we wanted on their menu. We noticed there was a small stage set up where they had name acts perform from time to time..they had pics of some of them on the back of the menu. I'm not sure we could fit on that stage but it would be fun to play there sometime. The runners, local Sheriff and Shenandoah had a blast ..with great conversation and great food..I had the Ribeye, salad, loaded baked potato and a nice Merlot. Everyone at my table shared fried green beans, cheese toast and fried mushrooms for appetizers. When the feast was over, we took pics with the Sheriff outside the restaurant on the street before heading to the hotel to get cleaned up. We only had an hour to get showered and back to the gig..so we had to really hustle. Show time was set for 7 pm and we played to a small crowd of around 500, in a venue that you could tell was fairly new. I had some technical problems with my monitor mix during the show, when the drums jumped in volume to an intolerable level but Byron Cumbie came to my rescue and helped to alleviate my problems. Kudos to Byron! The audience was appreciative. After the show..the usual autographs and pics were taken and Tammy said her goodbyes and went back to the hotel...where she would spend the night in one of our rooms and leave for Oklahoma the next day..for a 9 or 10 hour drive. We pulled out of Laurel around 10:15 pm and headed down the road. We stopped in Tuscaloosa on the way, so Jim Seales could pick up a guitar he had purchased and then we dropped Mike McGuire and Jim off in Muscle Shoals...on our way back to Nashville. We arrived back in Nashville around 7 am and unloaded the bus and once again, I'm pretty sure a country music adventure had been had by all. Down the Road...Stan Munsey

A Patriotic Moment!

A Patriotic Moment  Category: Music OCT 2/08 LOUDONVILLE, OH : Shenandoah at the Loudonville Street Fair Shenandoah had a leave time.. Wed night/Thurs morning at 1 am and Mickey Riley, our bus driver, drove the "Hillbilly Hotel" to the charming little town of Loudonville, Ohio. For those of you who don't know...that is the name we affectionately call the bus. We even have a song entitled, "Hillbilly Hotel". Once again, some of us stayed up too late and slept in till around noon Thursday. That's ok..cause' we always have intellectually stimulating conversation in those wee hours. :) At least some of us do. lol I finally climbed out of the bunk and stepped off the bus...in my tee shirt. I was hit with a chilly surprise...it was darn right cold! I knew it would be even colder once the sun went down and that thought..sent shivers through me.. I don't play my best when my fingers are frozen but the show must go on..at least I had a long sleeve shirt with me. The street we were on looked like one right out of a Norman Rockwell painting..and the Fall foliage framed it perfectly. People were milling about in their coats and hats and gloves ..reminders that Winter was just right around the corner...and were looking at me curiously.. as I stood there in my summer attire. Right across the street from where the bus was parked, was the American Legion building and just a stone's throw down the way was the stage. Bleachers were set up for the anticipated crowd. We were all about our own affairs.. playin' the hurry up and wait game..Jimmy Yeary went for a run and came back to the bus describing a beautiful old cemetery he had discovered.. built right on the side of the hills..he said it was something to see. Jim Seales was taking a nap and Mike Folsom, Mike Mcguire, Byron Cumbie, Bart Barlettano and myself watched TV.  Our soundcheck was set for three that afternoon but we ended up loading in a little earlier and getting a head start on the ordeal.. I say ordeal because.. I always have and always will .. hate soundcheck but it is a necessary evil.  After soundcheck..dinner would be served to us in the American Legion building..That was around 5:30.. We were pretty darn hungry... as we had not eaten all day. They ushered us in and served us rib-eye steaks, salad, rolls, baked potatoes and deserts. The steaks were cut and prepared by a local guy and he knew what he was doin' for sure. They also had homemade pies..apple, peach, oatmeal, key lime..you name it! Becky..our good friend and promoter of the Kenton National music festival..in Kenton, Ohio showed up and surprised us. She ended up dining with us at the table. While we were eating, we were introduced to the cook and to several fair board members. Two soldiers just back from Iraq sat at the table with us and were responsible for serving the wonderful meal. Later on that night..on stage..they would be opening up a box that contained an American flag that had been sent to the town from Iraq. One of the soldiers was the former police chief and the other one had been over there...nine times..Wow.. true American heros and patriots.. We were proud to be in their company. After dinner, Jimmy Yeary, MIke McGuire, MIke Folsom and myself were driven to a log cabin nestled in the woods..where we would have just a little over an hour to clean up. On the way there I noticed the cemetery Jimmy had seen earlier in the day on his run. It was beautiful. Once at the cabin..we hustled to get ready by our pick up time at 7:15. It was a very nice, spacious cabin with several bedrooms and baths..our bus driver was asleep in one of the rooms...so we had to keep it down..sometimes that's hard for me..lol We arrived back at the bus around 7:30 and prepared to do our thing..we had a small meet and greet at 7:45. Right before we hit the stage...the two soldiers we had met earlier..were introduced onstage and they opened up the box and took out that American flag that had been sent over from Iraq..they were a shining example of the selfless spirit that defines what our brave men and women are doing to keep us free. These soldiers are constantly putting everything on the line. It was indeed a moving and patriotic moment! We hit the stage at 8 pm and performed to a very healthy-sized crowd..all sporting winter attire..didn't blame them.. it was downright cold to us Tenn and Alabama boys also. I will say that after several songs..I took off my long sleeve shirt..because..believe it or not..I was sweating.. I am quite active when I play. The audience stayed for the whole show and we appreciated that..in spite of the chilly temps and a historic vice-presidential debate on tv. After the show.. pics were taken ..pics were signed...hugs were given and we said our goodbyes to our friend Becky and all of the other folks who were so gracious to us in the fine town of Loudonville. Back on the bus..we watched what was left of the Palin/ Biden debate as we rolled down the highway.. towards the music city of Nashville. We arrived back at the kroger parking lot .. a little after 6 am... knowing that another country music adventure had been had by all. Down the Road...Stan Munsey

Fried Chicken, Shrimp, Fish and Froglegs

Fried Chicken, Shrimp, Fish and Froglegs 
Category: Music

SEPT 20/08 Shenandoah in ELDORADO, IL at the Independence Co. Fair

I don't do getting up early in the morning well...never have..especially with only a couple of hours sleep. Shenandoah was scheduled to leave Nashville at 8 am, Saturday morning, the day of the show and my neighbor dogs decided to serenade me outside my bedroom window.. most of the night before. I had to get up at 6 am to get to the bus but Mike and Jim had to get up a whole lot earlier, since they were driving up from Muscle Shoals. We were all pretty tired already.. as we pulled out of the parking lot and started the short, three and a half hour drive to Eldorado, Illinois. I ate my egg mcmuffin and hit the bunk and managed to get about an hour of sleep before we arrived in downtown Eldorado. The bus was parked right beside the stage and before anyone got off, we watched Alabama stomp Arkansas on the tv. Great game...

When I walked off the bus, I could see there was alot going on. At that moment.. a parade was happening. After the parade, they had several performers singing and performing on other smaller stages and at one point , they had the high school band playing in front of the main stage...which also had other local musicians joining in with them. There was activity everywhere and the town was alive and buzzing with excitement...the kind you can only find at a small town street festival. 

The main stage PA system was brought in by a local church and all the crew were volunteers. I thought it was great that these guys donated their time and gear for four days to help make this event a success. They were really a nice bunch of guys and I enjoyed talking and hangin' out with Barry and Joey and the rest of the crew.

Before soundcheck, I sat on the stage and swapped songs with singer/songwriter, Joe Michael. Joe has got a new record and he and his manager played me some of the tracks off the project..I thought it sounded like today's radio and wished him luck. 

I suddenly felt very weak and shakey and had to get on the bus and grab some of Jimmy Yeary's fries to keep from passing out..my eyes got blurry and my legs got weak..as I was operating on almost no sleep and two red bulls on an empty stomach. My blood sugar felt like it had really dropped..it's amazing what just a little bit of food can do for you. I felt better and we did our soundcheck and Joe Michael was asked by the promoter to get up and play some of his songs on the spur of the moment..because they had somehow ended up with about an hour and half lull..with no music going on..so he performed and killed some time.

Four o'clock that afternoon, we were taken to a small family restaurant and to a back room that had been set up just for us. They seated us at a long table ..took our drink orders and soon we were chowin' down and digging into some good ol' hometown fixin's. The feast included..fried chicken..shrimp, fish and french fries and various deserts. I noticed on the fish platter..there were , what looked to be like fish with butts and legs.. Jimmy Yeary told me it was fish but I quickly took it off my plate and returned it to the platter..I knew I had come very close to actually putting a frog's butt and legs in my mouth..Wow..that was a close one...That almost happened! I hear they are delicious and lots of folks love em but I just couldn't do it. I told them about the frog or maybe it was a toad..that used to show up on my back patio last summer and sit next to me while I played guitar..and I would feed it dog food..of course no one believed that story at all..even tho' it is true_ Anyway, I couldn't eat..one of his kind...lol 

After dinner..Byron Cumbie, Jim Seales and myself were taken back to the bus in Jan's cool, pontiac convertible..with the top down..I took off my ball cap and let the wind work its magic in the few hairs left on my head..while the rest of the band went to the hotel to clean up. I was too tired to clean up and opted for catching a nap in my bunk.
While on our way back, Jan, (our runner) and a very nice lady..told us that they had purchased the building directly behind the main stage and were in the finishing stages of having it ready for us..complete with showers, kitchen..lounge area..to be used for events like this..they had left fans on to dry the walls but one of them had a short and burned the building down. I felt bad for them and it was bad timing but at least no one got hurt. They were gonna present an award to the local firefighters that night on the main stage..for their efforts in fighting that fire.

Once back at the bus..instead of taking my well intentioned nap.. I wandered around backstage and talked with a lot of the crew..I love hearing road stories and generally just hanging out and hearing about other people's lives..that's part of the allure of this traveling roadshow for me.

The cover band that opened for us played a fairly long set and one of their guitarists was getting up there in years..and was still having the time of his life...not missin' a lick_ Still doin' what he loves..it was obvious.

Shenandoah hit the stage at 9 pm and played to people..as far as the eye could see..the rain had passed and it couldn't have been a nicer evening for a country music show. We finished.. signed autographs and took pics before John Gee steered the "Hillbilly Hotel" in the direction of Nashville.

On the way out of town..we pulled into a Hardees ..the girl behind the counter took our orders and gave us all a plastic square with a number on it... I'm not naming names but I think it was Mike Folsom who shuffled all the numbers..like a deck of cards.. when she started calling out numbers ..no one had a clue..what food went to who and what number went with the order.. anyway..I could tell she was getting a little frustrated but she kept her smile.. Yeah.. we had fun at Hardees..you would have had to have been there_

We arrived back at the Kroger parking lot at 3:30 am and unloaded the gear off the bus. Mike and Jim headed back to Muscle Shoals and the rest of us headed to our homes in the Nashville area. I got to the house around four-thirty am and was very tired..having been up almost 24 hours.

Tired and "whupped"..I do believe, once again.. another country music adventure had been had by all.

Down the Road... Stan Munsey

Shenandoah Almost Carried Away by Mosquitoes in Mississippi

Shenandoah Almost Carried Away by Mosquitoes in Mississippi

Sept 6/08 GREENVILLE, MS Shenandoah at the Delta Balloon Festival Mickey Riley...Shenandoah's bus driver...pointed the "Hillbilly Hotel" in the direction of Greenville, MS after leaving Castlewood, VA the night before.. We arrived at the venue at 2 pm Saturday afternoon..after having a wheel break on the bus around 4 am and getting lost on the way! We got there and that is all that matters. There was a lot of flooding all around us.. those poor folks had been pounded by the rain and wind for the last few days..as a result of Gustav and it had taken it's toll on the four day festival. We were told that most of the vendors had pulled out.. only a few balloons showed up..all the rides taken down and attendance had been basically no one. The night before..all that had shown up was the band and crew...a real shame_  The good thing was..it was a beautiful day Saturday and folks would be able to come out without fear of bad weather...and hear a country music show. The staff and workers there were not very hopeful ..they feared that too many roads were still flooded and folks would stay home again but we were all gonna keep our fingers crossed. We did a soundcheck around three o'clock and it went fairly quick..I like the quick ones...Afterwards..I ran over to where they were selling hotdogs and grabbed me one before we went to the hotel to get cleaned up. We would not be eating till around 7 pm..so I wanted to get something in me to hold me over. Our runner, Lisa.. took Mike Folsom, Jimmy Yeary and myself to the hotel but after we were on our way..we realized that none of us had a clue ..as to which one we were staying in_after several calls we finally got the info we needed and headed to the Comfort Inn... (in what was not the best part of town) but the hotel had beds and showers.. and that's all we needed...although I don't think we had any internet service._ Lisa gave us a brief overview of the town's history on the way..told us about the Delta National Forrest located just 20 miles down the road... B.B. KIng's new ten million dollar museum..also located close to their town...Greenville also has the Kermit the Frog museum...interesting stuff.  Lisa came back and picked up us at 6:30 and when we arrived back at the bus...barbeque, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and rolls were unveiled under the VIP tent...all was good but the highlight for me was the potato salad...great stuff! Jimmy Yeary sat across from me while we were eating and stayed on me to go up with him in one of the hot air balloons..he.said.."I needed to Live a Little"... part of me really wanted to do it but another said..maybe that isn't such a great idea..I had heard going up wasn't bad but the landing could be ..well...interesting...anyway.. the powers that be..the folks flying the balloons ..determined that there was too much wind to take em' up that day..so I didn't have to make that decision whether to go up or not...saved by the bell. :) A good friend of Mike McGuire, along with her daughter showed up and hung out with us on the bus before the show... we had met her earlier in the year in Batesville, MS It was good to see them again..we all sat around and watched some college football on the bus tv...that is...till the bus generator went out and we were forced to sit in the dark till show time...Fun...Fun  Shenandoah show time was at 8 pm and when we got off the bus to walk to the stage...we noticed that a good sized crowd had actually turned out ..we were pleased as were the promoters...We played our hearts out but were almost carried off by the swarms of mosquitoes that had converged on us and the audience. I guess all of the water standing around from the flooded fields and roads only made it worse. I remember the darn things were all over my neck during the show.. we were all constantly slapping and scratching..tryin' to keep those blood-suckers off of us..the crowd was going through the same hell as we were. I'm not sure which was worse..tryin' to get the monitor engineer's attention throughout the show or fightin' those hordes of flying, bitin' beasties_ When our set was over...we signed autographs..sold merch and took pics with the crowd and then ran to the bus to get out of the mosquito infested night air.. The bus was filled with the little vampires..as someone had left the driver's side window open.. We did battle all night. All in all..despite the itchy bug bites...it was a pretty good night and I'm confident that another country music adventure had been had by most. I pray that the good people in Mississippi don't have any more devastating weather..anytime soon. Down the Road....Stan Munsey

Shenandoah Drummer Gets on Treadmill in Castlewood,VA

SEPT 5/08 CASTLEWOOD, VA Shenandoah at the Russell County Fair

Shenandoah left Nashville, at 2 am from the Kroger parking lot with no additional guests this time. It was just the band ...along with Bart Barlettano and Byron Cumbie, (our FOH guy and Merch man). When we leave at such a late or early hour..however you wanna put it..we always end up staying up way past our bedtime..I think it was around 5:30 am when most of us hit the bunks. 

We got to the Russell County Fairgrounds around 10 am Friday morning and most stayed in their bunks till soundcheck. The countryside was beautiful in Castlewood...lots of lush green hills and a great view from the stage. It was a nice day with low humidity and blue skies. It was nice to not have to battle rain for a change.

They brought us pepsi's and cokes and pizza to the stage right before soundcheck..and we went through that pizza like we hadn't eaten in a week. Something about soundcheck makes us hungry. Soundcheck went very well for a change...with no technical problems.

After soundcheck, Jimmy Yeary, Mike Folsom and Mike McGuire went to workout at a gym..while Bart and I just went to the motel room...Bart was exhausted from working ridiculous hours all week on projects in Franklin and Nashville... so he napped..while I worked out with the TV remote. We were told that Mike McGuire actually got on the treadmill...very historic moment!! In all my years out with Shenandoah, I've never seen Mike McGuire exercise. I wish we had some video footage ..I want to see documented proof he actually worked out. :) Of course..I really shouldn't say anything..as it's been quite a while since I've done anything close to what could be called exercise.

Amy, our runner, picked us up at 7 pm and when we arrived back at the fairgrounds...they had supper ready for us...Earlier in the day..each of us had marked on a menu what we wanted.. I ordered pork tenderloin, potatos, green beans and a dessert...I enjoyed the meal but always hate to eat so soon before a show. It can make you slugglish onstage or make ya wish for a porta-potty.. lol

Shenandoah took the stage at 8 pm and did the usual 75 minute set and the audience seemed to be into it...it was a good turn out and great temperatures for an evening show. After the performance, we signed autographs and took pics for about an hour before heading to the bus. 

When the runner brought our bus driver back to the bus..we headed out immediately..as we had around a 14 hour ride to get to Greenville, MS...to play the Delta Ballon festival. 

I would say another country music adventure had been had by all in Castlewood, VA

Down the Road...Stan Munsey

What the Beatles Meant to Me by Stan Munsey

When I was six..I lived in New Orleans and I was crazy, nuts about the band that had invaded America...the Beatles! I remembering asking my parents.. if they would buy me Beatle boots and a Beatle wig..lol I got the boots but no wig. I remember sitting in the Tulane student apartment building, behind the old sugar bowl stadium..I believe it was on a Sunday night..watching the Ed Sullivan show with my Mom and Dad..and seeing the Beatles perform.... that moment changed my life forever. I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up...play music in a band ..and be just like the Beatles. The Beatles came to New Orleans and although I did not officially attend the concert.. we drove by.. out side , where they were playing.. in the park..as I remember...you could hear the screams and every now and then..some music but mostly screaming... it was magic to me.. I do believe..to this day.. that they changed the culture in so many ways ..in ways we couldn't imagine at the time and redefined our pop melodic sense.. God did make my dreams come true and allowed me to share the talent he gave me.. with so many people over the years and I thank God for that... The Beatles were the band..that opened the door for me_ Stan Munsey_

August 30/08 Shenandoah/ Kenton National, with guest Marty Raybon

August 31, 2008 - Sunday

August 30/08 Shenandoah at Kenton national, Kenton, Ohio Jimmy Yeary and the whole Shenandoah gang, met at the kroger parking lot at 1 am to head for Kenton, Ohio to play Kenton National. Jim Seales gal, Donna was aboard as well as Billy Ryan and drummer, Keeley lane and guitarist, Rod Riley.  We were a loaded bus as we sucked up those white lines on the highway, marking those miles off to Kenton. Everyone except Rod, Jim Seales and Donna stayed up till very early in the morning talking..telling road stories..listening to Billy Ryan's material and whatever. This was to be Shenandoah's third year in a row to play Kenton National..which is a huge deal... a giant flea market in the woods..where thousands of folks flock to every year to sell and trade guns, knives, dogs...you name it. It's an all out party that goes on all day and night! It is a week long event and on the weekend they have a concert. This year they had bluegrass entertainment on Friday night, which included, Dr. Ralph Stanley & his Clinch Mountain Boys, Marty Raybon, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road. Saturday night included, Billy Ryan, Marty Raybon, Shenandoah and Darryl Worley.  We got to the venue.. a huge field with a giant stage and P.A. rig, complete with two large video screens on either side and scrambled off the bus to grab some grub underneath a big tent behind the stage. They were cooking burgers, dogs and bratwurst and had other good stuff like potato salad, pasta salad, baked beans, fruit..on and on...good eatin'.  After eating lunch, we rambled to the stage and Marty Raybon, Shenandoah's original singer, walked up on the stage and hung out with us for a while. It was quite a nostalgic experience for all of of us ..Marty picked up an acoustic guitar and he and all the gang...Jim Seales on acoustic, Jimmy Yeary on acoustic..and the rest of us... sang old Shenandoah songs for at least 45 minutes..It was great.. Marty had not been on stage with Shenandoah since 1997..since his last show at The WildHorse Saloon in Nashville. Wow..both Shenandoah lead singers...past and present singing on the same stage.. Marty told a couple of old stories from back when.. one being the famous cheeze dip story.. when I put some cheeze dip in the microwave and then stepped in the bus restroom.. our road manager had lengthened the time it was heating.. when I exited the restroom.. I took the bowl out of the microwave and stuck a chip in the dip and promptly stuck that sucker in my mouth. Big mistake... it burned the roof off in my mouth and I made a sound that Marty said.. sounded like a train whistle..lol I know we were all thinking about Ralph Ezell and knowing he would have loved this reunion. We had known for a while that the promoters of the show had asked Marty to stay over from Friday night and sit in with Shenandoah for several songs on Sat. We knew it would be a special treat for the fans as well as for Marty and ourselves but it was historic and classic.. our time together.. on that stage before soundcheck and we thank Byron Cumbie for getting great video footage of that emotional moment in time.  Marty Raybon and his bluegrass band did a short set, and after that, Mike Folsom and myself only had about a half hour before we were to go on with Billy Ryan, along with super guitar picker, Rod Riley and kickin' drummer Keeley Lane.. so, I grabbed a quick bite for supper..a steak, and a salad..wanted to get something to eat..in case there was nothing after the show. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, Billy frequently opens for Shenandoah and occasionally sits in with us and sings a song or two.  ..  Billy Ryan hit the stage at around 5:30 and with Bart, Shenandoah's FOH man at the helm... we rocked em' pretty good for 35-40 minutes. The audience loved Billy and we all had fun backing him up. I thought we all played well.  Shenandoah went on around 7:30 and did a 75 min show and Jimmy moved the crowd to silence as he did, "You Never Know"..the song that he, Mike McGuire and Billy Ryan wrote after Ralph's passing. Jimmy always puts his heart and soul in the delivery of that song and it gets everyone..everytime. Towards the end of our set, Jimmy Yeary left the stage and Marty Raybon came out. He sang, "Ghost in This House", "Two Dozen Roses" and "Church On Cumberland Road" and treated the audience to that old magic that came from being reunited with the rest of Shenandoah.. I thought to myself.."it's all coming back to me now"..with maybe a tear in my eye..as that high lonesome moan of that familiar voice rang through my headphone mix. It had been 11 years since I had heard that voice as I played those classic songs.  I didn't get to say goodbye to Marty after the show but I know he was as pumped as the rest of us were..he did good and it was fun for all. We wish him the best in his music and travels ..as we continue down our own path. Shenandoah has always managed , by the grace of God, to find those special people..who fit like a glove and take Shenandoah to new places..like the talented Jimmy Yeary and Mike Folsom and we look forward to our future travels with them. Darryl Worly put on a wonderful show and was so gracious to us..what a nice guy..he comes from our neck of the woods..Savannah, Tn and graduated from the University of North Alabama ..where I did also. He got on our bus and played us his cut of the song,"You Never Know"..it was great and looks promising to become a single off of his new CD. Everyone keep your fingers crossed.. that it's a big ol' hit! I know Ralph must be smiling down...being the inspiration behind the song_ Tradition for the past three years..is..after the show... riding in the back of golf carts with deputies driving us through the woods...where the thousands of folks are camping and selling and trading their wares..everything you can think of..lawn mowers, tail pipes, guns, knives, you name it....folks sittin' around bonfires..dogs laying around..garbage cans stacked high with beer..people milling about all night long..drinkin'...playing guitars..telling stories..it has to be seen to be believed..we even saw a girl dressed sort of like a nun..yes a nun.. and we heard she had some "bad habits".. After the ride through the woods..we arrived back at the bus and said our goodbyes to Darryl and a tired but satisfied bunch headed back to Nashville. On the way back we watched video footage of the days activities...the impromptu sing along with Marty sounded great..Billy's show was captured as well as the Shenandoah show...we climbed into the bunks somewhere around 2 am I think... and drifted off. The "Hillbilly Hotel" arrived back in Nashville around 7:30 am Sunday morning and once again , Mickey Riley had gotten us home ..safe and sound. I want to thank Mike Allen and his brother Marty for their professionalism and attitude. Always a pleasure to work with them. Thanks to Becky and Lurline and all the hard working folks at Kenton for having us. Thanks to all for giving me a wonderful time this weekend. Yep...Another country music adventure had been had by all... Down the Road...Stan Munsey

AUG 23/08 - REIDSVILLE, NC - Shenandoah at the Nissan Dealership Promotion

AUG 23/08 - REIDSVILLE, NC - Shenandoah at the Nissan Dealership

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Shenandoah, along with former member, Curtis wright and up and coming new artist/songwriter, Billy Ryan.. left the Kroger parking lot at around 12:30 am Friday, August 22. Most of us stayed up till the early wee hours just hanging out. We arrived in Reidsville, NC at the Nissan dealership around 11:30 am and headed inside where they had set up a"green room ", with drinks and a deli tray. I've seen very few actual "green" rooms in my day...most are NOT green..why is that ? I think we outta always have a can of green paint with us...Hmmm. 

The stage and PA was already set up and ready to go and we started soundcheck around 1: 30 but it proved to be another exasperating experience for all..seems like there were patching problems and we had to endure a two hour troubleshoot. There are two things about this life on the road I don't particularly enjoy..I wish we could skip the soundcheck and I wish we were self-cleaning creatures...so we didn't have to rush to get cleaned up for a show...just push your belly button and you're clean and ready to go...lol
Yep..I know it.. I am insane! The one thing I did enjoy about the hellish soundcheck was playing "Under the Kudzu"... a song we hadn't played in years but decided to bring back to the show..possibly as a candidate for an encore. Jimmy Yeary, along with Mike Folsom's high harmony brought new life to it. 

After soundcheck we ate a bite and at 3:30, Jimmy Yeary, Mike Folsom and myself went to the hotel. We had three hours to rest up before we had to be back at the bus...a rarity. It was nice to have a bed to fall into for a little while. While I rested ..Jimmy Yeary ran. When I feel the urge to exercise..I lay down till the urge goes away_I gotta stop that and get back to my near perfect physique.

We arrived back at the venue around seven and the opening act, Ghost Riders were already into their set. They were a southern rock group whose members were from other well known bands from that genre. They were missing their keyboardist, as he got stuck in Florida..due to the crazy storm that had hit them a couple of days earlier. Even without the keys, I thought they were good. They rocked hard and loud. ..

When their set was done and they were off the stage..a man walked up to me and asked me to do him a favor. I was told that Shenandoah's show time had been changed..so he asked me to get onstage and announce to the crowd that we would be on 45 min later than planned..and to tell the audience to move their chairs closer to the stage.
I did just that..with everyone on the Shenandoah bus looking out the window at me...wondering what the heck I was doing. Not only did the audience ignore my request to move closer to the stage but the guy who had given me those instructions... was not the one in charge. lol What can I say... :) I still can't believe the audience didn't do what I told them..the audacity! lol Ok then...sit far away from the stage_I got on the bus and saw that our good friend Lyn had made the trip to see us and brought with him, the very good, mouth-watering Parker's barbeque..his wife, Harriet couldn't make the trip this time. We missed seeing her but enjoyed hanging out with Lyn. 

Shenandoah did hit the stage about 15 min later than originally 
planned..at 8:15 that evening and did a 75 min set. After the show we mingled with some of the crowd and talked to the opening act for a little while..exchanging phone numbers.etc 

The "hillbilly hotel" pulled out of there around 10:30 and we headed down that ol' road towards Music City...watching several episodes of "The Office"..and the video of the night's show ..which Byron Cumbie had shot. 

We got home at 7:30 am and one by one..we piled off the bus and into our cars.

Another country music adventure had been had by all.

Down the Road...Stan Munsey

Aug 15/08 Shenandoah at the Watermelon Festival in Russellville, Al

AUG 15/08 RUSSELLVILLE, AL Shenandoah at the Watermelon Festival

Leave time for Shenandoah was set for 9 am Friday morning, August 15. Jim Seales would be picked up in Alabama on the way to Russellville. Mike Mcguire would meet us later that afternoon in Russellville at soundcheck. Meeting the bus in Nashville was myself, Jimmy Yeary, Mike Folsom , Bart Barlettano, his daughter,Chelsie, Billy Ryan and his girlfriend, Amanda. Byron Cumbie, our merch man would not be on this run. We all had to get up that morning around 6 am to get to the bus in time..."musician's hours"...right! lol  I wanna thank my wife Donna for meeting me at the bus with an egg mcmuffin. :) Way beyond the call of duty. We arrived in Russellville around noon at the Russelville Suites and parked the bus. We had an hour and a half to kill at the motel, so we all walked down to the Dairy Queen and got a bite to eat. Burgers and fries for everyone. After stuffing ourselves, we departed for down town Russellville to load in and do soundcheck. It was another hot, humid day and we found the stage to be uncovered...which proved not be a good thing, as the clouds were starting to build up..filling us with the dreaded thought of rain. We had already lost several pieces of gear a few weeks back due to water damage. I found my top keyboard to be in non-functioning order and took it to the bus, using only my main board to drive my other synth modules...frustrating to say the least. After soundcheck, we were taken to the nearby Baptist church and fed salad, pasta and various types of pizza and bread sticks. Several members of the opening band joined us at the church for the late afternoon feast. After eating, Chelsie, Jimmy Yeary and myself got a ride to the motel to get cleaned up. We had two clean up rooms and found that each had a hot tub. That is always a nice surprise. When I got to the room, I took a quick catnap while Jimmy hit the workout room and then the hot tub. I should have taken advantage of the relaxing jets but passed this time...putting priority on the nap. We arrived back at the bus at around 7:45 pm and found the bus to be filled with friends and various band family members. My family showed up to see Shenandoah, as they only lived about 45 minutes away. With the help of my good buddy, Wayne Counts, of Counts Bros music and The Midnighters..we moved their chairs to a location where they could see me and the band...about four rows back center stage. It is always great to have my family show up..it is a rare treat because Shenandoah doesn't usually play close enough to allow that to happen very often.  At 8 o'clock, the opening act started their set, which included Shenandoah guitarist, Jim Seales and other various musicians from the Muscle Shoals, Al area. Among those were Donnie Carpenter, a talented fiddle player we had all known for years...who later set in with Shenandoah on Next to You, Next to Me. They treated the huge crowd of thousands to lots of great cover tunes..that they truly made their own. This was the first time that Jim Seales had ever opened up for himself! History was indeed made. After Jim Seales and the opening band finished, Shenandoah hit the stage at 9 pm and it had already started raining. By the end of the first song, Janie Baker's Love Slave, the gear was getting pretty wet and so were we. I had a hard time keeping my fingers on the keys and was constantly wiping them off with my shirt. The crowd showed no signs of leaving and we plowed through our show with the rain coming down. It never quit completely but did lesson to a degree where it was somewhat tolerable. I got off the stage in the middle of the show and stood with Ralph Ezell's brother and wife as Jimmy Yeary did the song, "You Never Know". We hugged each other with tears in our eyes..this was the song that was inspired by Ralph, the original bass player who passed away last November. It was a very moving moment for all. We did about 75 minutes and after the show, the rain soaked audience cleared out fairly quick..no long autograph lines that night. I walked my Mom and Dad, Aunt Betty Anne, Uncle Richard and Aunt Martha to their vehicle.. which was parked quite far away and bid them goodbye and thanked them for coming to the show. It was so great to see them..I was sorry they had to endure the rain. I made my way back down the street to the bus and ran into several old friends I hadn't seen in years, including Mary Carter Young.. a talented singer who was like family to me. I bet it had been at least fifteen years since I had seen her.  With the bus loaded, we pulled out of Russellville around midnight and with post show hunger kicking in...pulled into Arnold's truck stop and got food to go. Jimmy Yeary got a ride back to Nashville with his girlfriend and of course Mike Mcguire and Jim Seales stayed in Alabama. The few of us left on the bus arrived back in Nashville at 3 am. Shenandoah would like to thank our families and all our friends for the great show of support and for sitting through our rain soaked show. You mean a lot to us. I would also like to personally thank the wonderful, up and coming duo, "The Redheads" for making the trip down. I feel I should mention that the music world lost two greats recently...Jerry Wexler and Isaac Hayes..they will be missed.  Yep, another country music adventure was had by all. Down the road...Stan Munsey_

JUL 26 - HALE, MI - Shenandoah at the Iosco County Fair

We headed out of Nashville for our long trip to Hale, Michigan around 10 o'clock with just the band onboard..no extras. It was a good 14 hour drive.

We arrived the next day to find great temperatures and low humidity. We like that.

We sound checked that afternoon and I stayed on the bus till he show. Shenandoah did a 75 min show to an almost sold out crowd and had a blast.

After the show, in the autograph line.. a young lady talked to Mike Folsom and myself about how much Jimmy Yeary's delivery of the song, "You Never Know" touched her and gave her new hope. The song was penned by Jimmy Yeary, Mike McGuire and Billy Ryan. She was telling us how life had really taken a turn for the worse for her..losing jobs, deaths in the family, thoughts of suicide, depression..etc I was really moved knowing we played a part in changing her life that night. You never know who God is gonna put in that autograph line. It reminded me that we are ministering to folks up there on that stage and have been given a gift by God. I am thankful to serve him in that way.

The bus was loaded and we headed back to Nashville, Tn

Another country music adventure had been had..once again by many.

Down the Road...Stan Munsey

AUG 7-9 /08 DEERBROOK, WI Shenandoah at Fuddfest and Big Country Days in Chapin, IL

AUG 7-9 /08 DEERBROOK, WI Shenandoah at Fuddfest and Big Country Days in Chapin, IL

Shenandoah left from a new location... a diffierent Kroger...since whoever owns the Kroger parking lot in Franklin decided to stop letting musicians leave their cars overnight. No more buying snacks for the bus from that store! They lose...

We headed out for Deerbrook,WI and Chapin, IL around 11'o'clock , Wed, August 6th.
Billy Ryan was aboard this time and had good news about a new record deal in the works. We are keeping our fingers crossed for him.

We arrived in Deerbrook on Thursday to find the weather was perfect..the storm they had the night before had cooled things down quite a bit..blue skies and very little humidity. We were thankful. Fuddfest looked like it was gonna be fun. Fuddfest started out as a birthday party nine years ago...now it has grown into a permanent stage facility and big venue with name acts every year.

Soundcheck was around three o'clock and proved to be a tough one with technical problems from the drum station. I always hate it when things don't run smooth but with much diligence, problems were solved. Bart always saves the day.

After soundcheck, food was brought to the bus and we enjoyed baby potatoes, ribs, chicken and other goodies. We then made it over to a VIP tent and did a meet and greet around 5 pm. We met the "MotherFudder" and other staff and I accidently signed a fellow's shirt..he turned his back to me and I assumed he wanted my signature on the back of his shirt..Ooops...lol but it was all good_

Several of us wandered over to Chris Cagle's bus area and chatted with various members of his band before our show. Mike Folsom had played with their drummer years before and they were catching up on old times. I had met their keyboardist, Jeff at an artist relations pre-namm show event earlier in the summer. It was good to see him again. They were gracious enough to pull out a lawnchair for me to sit in , while we chatted in front of Chris's bus. Nice guys.

Shenandoah took the stage at 6 pm and we gave our best for 75 minutes to a large, enthusiastic crowd. Jimmy Yeary at one point, told them to stand and yell out "we're having a good time and happy to be here"..or something close to that effect. Then he told them to sit down. :) I love it when an audience takes directions well. :) At the end of our show, Jimmy was presented on stage with a very cool, neon sign that said, "Shenandoah...Cumberland Road". We were honored. When our set was over, we signed autographs and took pics out front before Chris Cagle and his band went on.

A couple that had gotten married on stage with Shenandoah 13 years ago, spoke to us after the show and gave us the picture that was taken from that night. In the picture was Shenandoah, complete with Marty Raybon, Ralph Ezell, Donnie Allen and the bride and groom. We all looked so much younger in the pic. We wished them many more years together and were glad to have been a part of that moment years ago.

Several of us stood or sat on the side of the stage to watch Chris Cagle, who went on at 8 pm. He and his band put on a high energy show and worked the crowd very well. Our bus pulled out before his show was over but we got to see most of it. We headed on down the road about 20 miles..where we would park the bus for the night.

We slept on the bus that night in the motel parking lot.. as our rooms would not be ready till the next day. Before retiring for the evening, Mike Folsom, MIke McGuire, Bart, Byron and myself went to the motel lobby to get some munchies from the vending machine. Shelley, who was the front desk clerk for that evening.. saved us from the junk food monster and was kind enough to fix us all the waffles we could eat..complete with butter and syrup. We flipped coins to see who would get the first waffles up. McGuire ate the first waffle! Shelley went way beyond the call of duty and we appreciate her hospitality and conversation. In our opinion, Shelley needs a raise. They are lucky to have her. 

Friday was our day off and one by one we headed up to the motel room to clean up or get on the internet..or just fall into a bed bigger than the bunk. Before going to the room, several of us ate breakfast around 9 am at a place right down the road. The rest of the day would find us wandering back and forth between the bus and the room.

There was a field and woods behind the motel parking lot and I took advantage and put a chair out there in the middle and worked on several songs. Byron Cumbie, our merch guy and resident photgrapher... snuck up and shot some video of me in the field performing, "I Love Livin' in the Country", a song about how it feels living in the boonies. My guitar was out of tune and my hair was a mess..making me look a little like "Beetle Juice"..lol They are threatening to put it out on you tube. Oh boy..
.. 
Around 5 pm , we walked down the road and ate at the Country Kitchen.. a nice little family style restaurant. All of us got the buffet except Jimmy Yeary, who ordered pancakes instead. Once again Jimmy freaked, insisting that I had talked to him while having food in my mouth...now..would I do that? Mike McGuire finshed off his buffet with a rather large chocalate shake..it looked good but I was already stuffed.

That night, Bart had to fix a belt that had come loose on the bus before we could leave for Chapin, IL. With the belt fixed, we pulled out of that motel parking lot at midnight and were on our way to do our Sat. night show.

Chapin, IL_ Big Country Days_Sat. August 9

Saturday, we arrived in Chapin, IL to play the "Big Country Days" show. It was a pretty day and a wonderful little town but it was hot and the humidity was brutally high. Before setting up the gear, we were taken to a large wooden buliding where we were served bread, green beens, baked beans, potato salad, barbeque and buffalo. It was good and we ate our fill. On the walls were many pics of all the acts that had played there over the years...everyone from the Larkins to Garth Brooks. Some of the staff was telling me that Garth still talks about all the trains that came through Chapin, during his show. We were told to expect several trains bellowing through our show also. Oh well...what can you do...

The stage was concrete and only the back part was covered..which meant none of us were under it. I felt like I was baking and thought I could hear a faint sound...like bacon cooking...lol Sound check proved to be another frustrating experience...this time major keyboard problems arose and not being able to resolve them..I had to use completely different sounds. That's always fun but I was thankful I had a way around the source of the problem. The show must go on. The heat may have been a factor in the top keyboard failure. Bart was also having to deal with major PA system headaches..so all in all..another soundcheck that lasted way too long.

After the torturous soundcheck was over, our opening act, Borderline set up their gear and did a line check to get ready to go on around 5:30. We got to talk to them for a little while before their show..as they told us stories about some of the recent acts they had opened for...they had recently worked with Lonestar. They were big fans of Shenandoah and we appreciated their kind words.

Around 6 pm, Billy Ryan, MIke Folsom, Jimmy Yeary and Byron Cumbie caught a ride back to the motel to get cleaned up. McGuire, Jim Seales, Bart and myself stayed behind on the bus. I ended up shaving and washing my hair in the sink on the bus..too lazy to fight the "crowds" with limited time at the motel.

Shenandoah worked the crowd from 8 o'clock till 9:15 and came back to do one encore. After the show, we signed autographs for a very long line of folks who seemed to really appreciate us being there. Small towns really let you know how they feel.
When the last one in the autograph line was gone , we went back into the building where we had eaten earlier and signed more stuff..pics, posters, etc. We also got a picture with the opening act, Borderline. We had fun and thanked the good folks from Chapin, IL for their hospitality and for having us.

With the last pic signed and the bus all loaded, Mickey Riley pointed the Hillybilly Hotel in the direction of Nashville. We watched a creepy, psychological thriller called "The Village" till 3 am and hit the bunks....only to wake up in Nashville around 7:30 am.

Yes once again, another country music adventure had been had by all.

Down the Road...Stan Munsey

une 28/Shenandoah in Somerset,Ky_ Somer-Blast

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Shenandoah rolled out of the parking lot at the wee hour of 2 thirty-ish am in the morning... making the trek to Somerset, Ky to play Somer-Blast. We had a full house onboard.. including Bart's daughter, Chelsie, Jim's gal, Donna K, Mike Folsom's friend, Greg..a photographer, Mike McGuire's nephew, Ryan and Byron Cumbie.. (to sell merchandise)... who had traveled with us regularly in years past. Great to have Byron back out again. We were packed in there like sardines...but in a good way_

We arrived in Somerset early in the morning about four hours later and parked the bus and slept in till load in. The nice folks at the venue had brought hot coffee and breakfast for us around 10 am, waiting on us at the bus door. The feast included eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, hash browns, milk and juice and a couple coolers full of water and various soft drinks. 

After chowing down on breakfast, we loaded in and started our soundcheck. We finished around 1:30 and they had lunch ready for us on the bus..chicken sandwiches and burgers. These folks did not want you to go hungry. We like that attitude. Soundcheck always makes us hungry. We also got a visit from our old bus driver and friend, Gary Jasper and his wife Mary. Gary drove for us for several years and it was good to see him again.

After lunch everyone but Jim Seales, Donna and Byron went back to the hotel to rest up and take showers. While at the hotel, the pretty day outside took a serious turn and a severe thunderstorm erupted. This continued till we got back to the venue around 6:45. Upon arriving, we saw many folks leaving because of the weather and they were thinking about canceling the show altogether. The stage and all of the gear had gotten pounded by the torrential rain but the crew had managed to get it covered. 

Then it was time for supper..tons of hot wings and sauce..very tasty. The sky finally cleared and the show did go on and our opening act, Cowboy Crush kicked major butt..as they always do. They truly are a great band and deserve much, much more than this biz is handing them. The crowd that we thought was not coming back..due to the earlier weather activity...did come back and many more showed up. I would say attendance was around ten thousand.

We hit the stage around 9:15 and had to check all of the gear to make sure nothing was fried because of the rain. A few bugs had to be worked though before we could actually start our show... some issues with Mike's drum module and monitor board channels going in and out...obviously water related. We made it through the show and had a very large, enthusiastic crowd that made it all worthwhile.

After the show and the autograph signing, we were all treated to a spectacular fireworks display.

We climbed aboard the "hillbilly hotel" around midnight and arrived back in Nashville around 4 am..in the pouring rain. We were all tired from a long day but it had been fun...despite the weather delays and technical problems and once again..another country music adventure had been had by all.

Down the road... Stan Munsey

Stan's Wild World Down the road... Stan Munsey  June 14, 2008 - Saturday   JUNE 13/08 FAYETTEVILLE, NC ,Shenandoah: The Doghouse Bar & Grill  Category: Blogging Shenandoah rolled out of Nashville around 1:15 am and started the journey to Fayetteville, NC. This time we had Jim Seale's son, Jake and his friend Mike along for the ride. It was good to see Jake again...it had been quite a while since he'd been out with us. Bart, Mcguire and myself played songs and hung out in the back lounge till early hours, (what's new)... while the rest of the crew watched some comedy in the front. We arrived at the Doghouse Bar & Grill 1:30 Friday afternoon and proceeded to load-in. It was a wooden stage set up in a patio/courtyard setting behind the bar and restaurant. It was another scorcher.. the sun baked down on us ..like we were sittin' in a skillet and the humidity sure didn't help. Reminded us of the last two outdoor shows we had done. That's how it is in the South. * (We also had good friends Lin and Harriet come hang with us.) While the sound company finished running lines, Jake picked up Jim's guitar and astounded us all . The progress he'd made in the last year on the guitar and bass was simply amazing. Like Father, like Son..it is definitely in the DNA! In the parking lot next door, bikers were doing stunts that were quite entertaining as well as loud. I could hear em' over the band mix..even with headphones on. We got a little video footage of the some of the tricks they were doing..so check it out on myspace.com/shenandoahfans We finished sound check and dinner was served in the restaurant at 5' o'clock. We ordered whatever we wanted. I got the chicken fingers platter and a salad. Bart got a rib-eye..I wish I had ordered that... When my plate showed up..I was shocked! There on that platter, was probably 3 lbs of chicken...maybe more..I wish I had gotten a picture. Each "chicken finger" was the size of a big chicken breast and there were, I think, seven of them! I also figured the number of french fries was probably in the hundreds. Maybe they were cleaning out their chicken inventory. After a good twenty minutes I managed to actually eat all of one of the chicken "fingers"... thirty fries and I was Done...Full..Finished! Jimmy Yeary put the rest of what I left, on the bus to be consumed over the next few weeks. lol Wow..they must have taken a good look at me and decided I hadn't eaten in a while. After the dinner adventure, everyone but Jim S. squeezed into an SUV to go back to the hotel for a little r&r and showers. Folsom and Yeary got a little exercise in while the rest of us lazy ones watched tv before cleaning up. Yep, there's always one or two to make the rest of us look bad. :) Our ride picked us up at 8:30 and we headed back to the venue. We had a pretty cool opening act that played covers like Steely Dan's , "Reeling In the Years" and other great classics... it's always nice to have a good band open up for you. Shenandoah hit the stage at 9:30 and rocked the place for a sweaty but energetic 75 minute set. After load-out we signed autographs and took a few pics with the fans. Our driver showed up and we took the road around midnight.  Jake put in a creepy movie I had never heard of called, "Silent Hill" and it was one of those that was quite disturbing at times. I got up at one point to go up front with the driver and managed to step in the deli tray that had been put on the top step...not the usual designated area for such items. That was a first for me.. and maybe all of mankind...to place a tennis shoe square in the middle of lunch meat and crunchy green lettuce. Mike Mcguire and Bart seemed to get perverse pleasure out of that moment and arrived on the scene immediately with video camera in hand. The exact words to capture the sensation of marching through a deli tray with Nike's are hard to come by but you can hear more about it on Shenandoah's myspace and facebook pages. When the movie was over, one by one... we made the long trip down the hall to our bunks.. drifted off to la la land and arrived in Nashville at 9:30 am. Our driver, T.J. made good time. Once again, as we unloaded the bus.. I think we realized..another country music adventure had been had by all... Down the road... Stan

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June 5th Corsicana, TX/ Shenandoah at the Palace Theater

June 5th CORSICANA, TX Shenandoah Show at the Palace Theater  Once again the bus we affectionately refer to as the "Hillbilly Hotel", left Nashville around 12:30 am with a slightly smaller crowd than what we had last week. No guests ..just the band and of course, the driver. A lot of us were dealing with the seasonal allergy and sinus crud , so once we hit the bunks for bed, it sounded like a symphony of coughs and snorts all night. We arrived at the venue Thursday early afternoon, which was an old theater built in the 1920's. We love those old theaters. The first thing I noticed was an old toilet sitting on the sidewalk across the street. Immediately the wheels started turning in my head and before long our drummer and bass player had the same exact thought... go sit on that toilet! I was the chosen one. I walked across the street and perched myself down upon it while cars were passing by giving me curious looks. Not only was I sitting on the town's beloved toilet but I was an outsider.. a total stranger. Mike Folsom and Mike McGuire got some still photos and video of the moment and I will say, just for a minute, I owned that toilet. As Bart, our sound engineer would say, "that just happened". :) We're always on the look out for different things to document in our travels and that was one for sure. I got to meet the man who owned the building that the toilet was sitting in front of. He told me that there was a phone booth on it's side on top of the building. I really wanted to check that out but I quickly got caught up in the day's busy schedule..load in..soundcheck..eating food, showering..etc There was a little cafe down at the end of the block and Todd, who I believe was the owner, was extremely gracious to us. He offered us anything we wanted.. a place to hang..coffee..whatever. The place had a great vibe and an old wooden door which had hundreds of signatures .. various celebrities..authors, athletes, actors and artists. Shenandoah now has a presence on that door. I met several of his employees..one of them was named Mary Jones..sweet lady..I had a great Aunt named Mary Jones.. I told her she resembled her and she did. Mary and her friend slipped out of the cafe a little later and into the theater to check us out while we sound checked. They were excited we were there. After soundcheck and eating, the band gathered in the alley next to the Palace theater. Our mission... to take some new, much needed photos. The fans were already lining up outside. Bart used Folsom's digital camera to do the honors. He did a wonderful job directing the casual photo shoot and took some pics we really like. Jimmy Yeary, our singer, was especially proud to have his head on his own body in the new pics. Long story.. don't ask! lol Later on, Shenandoah hit the stage and Bart not only manned the front of house mixing board but managed to get some more still shots of the band. It was a good show and a receptive crowd. We loaded out and left Corsicana, TX headed for  Georgiana, AL to play the Hank Williams Sr. festival on Friday. Mike Folsom tweaked and fiddled and fooled around with all the new photos on his computer till the wee hours of the morning.  Once again, another country music adventure had been had by all. Down the road...