Bluegrass music pikin

[prevost82]

That is a crazy schedule !!!!

Ahhh .... life on the road... I do miss it at times. I see your keyboard player has a Hammond XB2 ... I just sold my XB2 and bought a Hammond XK3c PRO system with the lower manual ... just like a B3 only it weighs 80 lbs each manual weighs 40 lbs. Have him check it out ...big difference in sound over the XB2. If you get up to the northwest shoot me a line ... would love to see your show.
Ron

[captain ron]

  I'm counting on my Eagle to carry me and the boys a few laps round the U.S. You can check our crazy schedule at my website- michalbaileydotcom. Come on out and bring your bus!!! I'd love to see it.

I bet you know Motor City Josh. He always has a schedule like that. I'd like to have your booker and contacts

[rgrauto]

Hello Songman,  I have heard of Mr. Cox , but I can't recall his first name.
There are several musicians in this and surrounding counties that have played with some famous singers and bands. A friend of ours, brother-in-law
J.Bonnette ,played on road with T. Tritt ,but I'm not sure if he still does
( you know musicians).  Also, talking about music people in the area, this fall we were playing at Sugarmill Campground and during a break ,I was talking to
this guy and said he really enjoyed the music and I asked him was he a musician.  He said he played drums for Brooks and Dunn. So naturally we
invited him to play a couple of songs, Honky Tonk Woman and Fireman.
He did an excellent job. I can't remember his name right now, I think Dan something?  And to answer your question, yes there is a bunch of good
musicians in this area.   
                                            Glen

[Songman]

I know Jon Bonnette very well. He was also in Travis' original band but has been gone for quite a few years. He was the one I was thinking of when I said Douglasville. He used to live down there. But I haven't seen in since he left Travis. At least about 7 years. Tim Passmore used to play fiddle for Travis. He lives down in Blue Ridge.

Trey Gray used to play drums for B&D. Not sure if he still does or not. I've been out here on the wrong side of the country for a while so I'm sure a lot has changed.

[michal]

   Hey Charley,yeah, I know Josh,Great Player. I would love to have an agent too man!!! I do most all of the booking myself,I'm sure you know that routine,It's a full time gig all its own.I get a couple gigs here and there flipped to me by an agent,but I could sure use help with that one....lol.. Whats the name of your band?

[Linda-XL40-FL]

Bluegrass on keyboard?  Jeff Little comes to mind.  Watch one of his performances at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RLIgFP5EHk&feature=related

and, accompanying Wayne Henderson, at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fer4GuEaRjg&feature=related

[NJT5047]

For more "piano bluegrass" check out the Red Clay Ramblers. They played both celtic and bluegrass (and anything else they wanted) with a piano in the band.  Their music was great.
Not sure they're still active.   
Doyle Lawson Band has (had) an excellent keyboard player that played in some bluegrass.
I believe the piano picker has moved on in the last few months.
Cheers, JR

[michal]

hey prvost 82,Yeah he loves his Hammond stuff. Tony Karem is his name. Great guy,great player. He's not a full time member of my band however,we travel as a three piece nowadays,the piano money goes in the fuel tank!!...lol.

[prevost82]

Yea ... I get that line from you guitar players all the time ... LOL
Ron

[NJT5047]

hey prvost 82,Yeah he loves his Hammond stuff. Tony Karem is his name. Great guy,great player. He's not a full time member of my band however,we travel as a three piece nowadays,the piano money goes in the fuel tank!!...lol.

Looking at your gig schedule, I'd say the "piano money"...and guitar money, and drummer's money's going into the fuel tank.   
Keep us posted on what it costs to drive that Eagle from the Right Coast to the Left side of the US.  Gads that's gonna be expensive!   However, it will be a comfy way to travel.
This is probably redundant, but be sure and check that Eagle out carefully before you light out for your '08 tour.  You don't want to drop any gearboxes or diffs...or anything else.
A guy with a pretty good 'metal band did the same thing with an MC9 earlier this year.  They managed to travel from the northern midwest to LA, and across to Florida, back to New York.  They were in a shop at almost every destination.   Don't know how many gigs they missed...if any. 
If you know a good driver/mechanic/soundman (or anything else that someone with smashed fingers can do in a band), be sure he's onboard. 
Sorta like the Green Grass Cloggers (anyone remember them? One of the guys is still a busnut), and Donna the Buffalo.  They are musician-bus mechanics.  I've watched the Green Grass Cloggers replace brake shoes and a drive axle on their bus between shows. 
I always thought their skills were pretty cool.   
Donna the Buffalo band did the same sort of 'work, but they bought a newer  bus...relatively.  Reckon they're doing less work now.   They had a 50s or early 60s vintage GM.  I believe they have an Eagle now.  Those guys (and busnuttette) can work on a bus. And they play really cool music.
Cherryholmes band traveled for 6 years all over the US in an old GM...now they have a new Prevost 45'.  Very upscale for a Bluegrass band.  Jerry Cherryholmes worked on the GM...between shows.
Good luck on your trips!  Looks like you're doing a great job of booking.  Ya'll have an enviable schedule for a band!  Nice website too!
One other little thingy, if you have private coach insurance, resist the urge to sign the bus.  Keep it looking like a hobby home.   If you have commercial bus insurance, be sure that whoever drives the coach has a bus CDL.  If you are on private insurance you ever get stopped...tell them you're on the way to "Burning Man"...and got lost!   
Just carrying CDs for sale makes the coach a commercial venture. 
 
Cheers, JR



 

[usbusin]

Cherryholmes band traveled for 6 years all over the US in an old GM...now they have a new Prevost 45'.  Very upscale for a Bluegrass band.  Jerry Cherryholmes worked on the GM...between shows.

Yes, we have known the Cherryholmes since they started.  A phenominal family!  And, yes they traveled "all over the US in an old GM".  That old GM was ours for 16 years before we sold her to Jere.  For what the bus looked like, visit our GM4104 blog:   http://usbusin.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas to all on the board.

Gary D

[michal]

   Thanks for the info,Jr. Much appreciated. Yeah,it's titled as a motorhome,insured that way as well.As much as I would love to put a logo on her,I'm resisting just for that reason. Hopefully my Awning gives me that- "mom and pop" look and keeps me off the radar a bit. I didn't know that about the cd's though.Good info there.I'm the driver and I'm the (learning quickly) mechanic as well.And the booking agency,songwriter,bandleader,philosopher,shrink,mediater,and personal trainer as well....lol......which brings me to my current list (pretty short right now). I still haven't figured out the correct way to check my coolant level. Also my furnace seems to be filling the inside of the coach with carbon monoxide(detector goes off). Those are current projects,any tips???    Oh and I've been reading that I should run straight 40 wt in my 8v71. Any thoughts or comments? Anyone?

[prevost82]

Is your furnace propane? If so check the fire box and see if it has any holes in it or the exhaust pipe. Yea ... use 40w CF2 oil. I don't know what the coolent system on an Eagle looks like, but if you have an expansion tank ... I run mine with about 2 to 3" from the bottom of the tank when it's cold ... I use a chop-stick to measure it. Maybe one of the Eagle guy can give you better insight on that question.

Ron

[captain ron]

I have Logo's on my bus and a paid logo on my bus and have not yet been hassled. I passed the same DOT guy 3 time in one day in Iowa without any issues but I still worry about it some times. I am registered as a MH and live in my bus and stand by my right to paint and decorate my home any way I choose. I also carry CD's for sale but would never admit to it to them. I would hate to have to go through it but I believe it would be a winnable battle in court.

I do a music/comedy show and it's just me so I am the guy that wears all the hats also.
charleydavidsonshow(dot)com

[NJT5047]

I do a music/comedy show and it's just me so I am the guy that wears all the hats also.
charleydavidsonshow(dot)com

What about Sporty?  He wears a couple of hats too...guards the coach, major babe magnet too! 

Michal, sorry but I don't know Bo about an Eagle cooling system.   Your manual should show the proper method of measuring coolant level.  Most coaches have a sight glass of some sort. 
40wt single viscosity motor oil is correct.  Something on the order of Rotella "T" 40 wt.  or Delo 100. 
I'd suggest a coolant block heater too.  Pan heaters are minimal for quick starts. 
As Ron says, if propane...probably have a rusted firebox...or the exhaust is loose, incorrect, or damaged.  The term "furnace" sounds like an RV style unit.  A Proheat or similar could be pulling exhaust from the burner back into the bus. 
If you are using the bus HVAC, you could be pulling in exhaust gas from a broken exhaust manifold or pipe.  If you have doors in the rear, set all the CO detectors and see which end goes off first with the doors all closed.  The bus HVAC blower could be creating a vacuum in the bus body and sucking in engine exhaust??  That would be noticed in the rear area first. 
By isolating the various sections of the bus, you should be able to ID the source of the CO.
Generator exhaust can be pulled back into the bus too. 
If you have a ducted propane heater, unless the problem is obvious, I'd replace that sucker.  RV LP heaters are not expensive, and don't have a great long life with constant use.
You could be short some band members!  Keep the CO detectors working!
If you find yourself near the Charlotte, NC area (headed to SUNNY Florida!  ) and need a place to crash (or make repairs) for a few, I've got plenty of room to park a bus...or several.  No neighbor issues here.  The horses don't seem to mind!
Charley, same for you...!
Michal, there's a sort of "rescue" board that you should become familiar with.  You'll find locations of busnuts that can offer assistance of varying forms.   Local knowledge can be sooo useful at times.
You could just get Dallas' phone number.  He's a good "clearing house" for information.   You need to have some Eagle owners numbers for quicky info on common failures.   I have some knowledge about MC9s, but that won't help you much.
Dallas!!!  What's that internet emergency network called? 

Best, JR   Wishing I was in Florida getting ready for Arcadia!!!  JR's sad now.