Asleep at the Blog and Asleep at the Wheel

Me & The Bride

          So I missed an entire month of blogging.  I am not sure if anyone noticed, but it's true.  There are three reasons for this lengthy break.
   The first reason is that my birthday was at the end of September. Any of you that know me, know I need to celebrate my birthday until everyone around me is sick of hearing about it.
   The second reason is that my friends Abbi and Matt got married in early October and you know how time consuming other people's weddings can be.
   The third and final reason was due to a personal change in my acknowledgement of Columbus Day.  I made the switch over to Indigenous People Day, rather than the traditional Columbus Day and I found that gave me a deeper meaning of the Holiday.  In fact, during a celebration toast to Indigenous People Day, a nearby Micmac Indian came over and gave me a hug for my thoughtful cheer. It did not take long for this change to impact my life. Okay, let's get to a recent show that I took in.

Asleep at the Wheel

I saw the band Asleep at the Wheel at one of my favorite places, the Bull Run in Shirley, MA.  These folks play a brand of music called Western Swing.  I would think Country should be part of that description as well, but I do not name my own musical categories yet.  There cannot be too many Western Swing bands still around, although I do not really have verification of that fact.  Apparently they are carrying on in the tradition of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, who were big in the 1940's with this Western swing thing.

Katie Holmes

     Ray Benson is the leader of the band and has been in charge since the band started in 1970.  They have won nine Grammys and recorded a total of over 25 studio and live albums.  I have seen the band a few times over the years and was surprised to see they changed up their lineup recently. They added Emily Gimble on piano and vocals and she can really belt out a tune. Also new is Katie Holmes on fiddle and vocals and she is talented and perpetually smiling. Gone is stalwart fiddle player, Jason Roberts, who has his own band now.

The man to watch perform however, is Eddie Rivers on the steel guitar and occasional saxophone. He is a captivating performer on his steel guitar. Second to that would have to be singer Ray Benson's ball-juggling that ends with him catching the last ball in his cowboy hat.  You cannot put a price in that type of entertainment.


                   

     Perhaps their most famous song is their rendition of "Get Your Kicks (On Route 66). "  An interesting little fact about their history with that song is that they have recorded and released different versions of that song four times in four different decades.  That's pretty cool. A couple of other songs that they perform in their concert that you may have heard are "Don't Fence Me In" and "Hot Rod Lincoln."  "Miles and Miles of Texas" and "Big Balls in Cowtown" are a couple of other Asleep classics.  The show always ends with "Happy Trails to You".

I would recommend seeing Asleep at the Wheel if no other reason than to checkout their unique style and fabulous musicianship.