The Steel Guitar Forum

Alan,

The stage was cleared off when we got to the Ryman. I saw the Fender back stage up against the wall.

The opening group, Amos something or other, cleared the stage off when they left. The Fender was still backstage.

Elvis Costellos guitars were brought out next, he did a half hour and the stage was cleared again. The roadies then brought out Bobs bands gear parking the Fender directly in front of Bobs keyboard where it remained until the end of the show. It was never used, other than for a music stand.

Yeah, the steel guitar exists simultaneously at two opposite poles. Here are it's two most famous contexts:

1. Oh you play steel guitar? Isn't that what Robert Randolph plays?

AND

2. Oh you play steel guitar? Isn't that what Bob Dylan uses for a music stand?

Will, a few years back I went to see Dylan in Paris. Ther was a stringmaster on stage. They used it one song at the end of the show and that's it.
I thought he could use it more.
Bernard