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