The Steel Guitar Forum

My wife has a regular monthly get together with other women she knows where they play a game called Bunko. It's more of an excuse to socialize than anything else. In talking to my wife about the Stacy Phillips Dobro® workshop held this past weekend at Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, she suggested that I consider starting a Dobro Club with a similar structure.

Basically the idea would be that we get together once a month at someone's house and work out some Dobro® tunes. The meeting would be held at different members' houses each month. The hosting member would provide light snacks (anything from pizza to appetizers) and people would bring what they want to drink.

We'd agree on a set of tunes to focus on ahead of time, or choose a topic of interest (changing strings? modal improvisation? reverse slants?). We could break up into several different jam sessions or a single jam session, going around the room with each person having a chance to solo (and provide backup). The idea would be to share ideas in a mutually supportive group. All levels from beginners to advanced would be welcome.

What do you think? Has anyone ever done anything like this before? I could certainly offer to host the first meeting if there's enough interest.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

This is certainly common among the Uilleann Pipe players when I went momentarily insane and tried to play one. It is a great thing. Do it.

This is basically what my monday night jam is: a bunch of guys getting together every monday night at the local bar. We've been playing the same set of tunes for years now so everyone pretty much knows what to play.

Brad-I'm interested in this-though living on the very northern tip of what is considered the Bay Area, a bit north of Santa Rosa- could be problematic depending on location of meetings and/or jams (as far as a "regular basis" concept).

It would be cool though, to utilize the format that is employed for the San Jose steel guitar jams, and keep it acoustic only with resos: Band-In-A-Box for the backup, and folks take turns playing a break. And what would make that even better would be to have charts on a screen from Powerpoint.

I actually thought about organizing a dobro jam with the above format after last year's San Jose steel jam in April-but as we all have heard: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

------------------
Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 23 October 2006 at 08:56 PM.]</p></FONT>

I've had a couple of responses from people on the edge of the Bay Area like you, Mark. I plan on including you guys in my email just so we can gauge the interest. I completely understand the inability or any unwillingness to travel two hours to play for two hours.


------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Fabulous idea. Sign me up!

-eric

I live in Oakland and work in San Francisco. Sounds like a fun idea to me.

Bunko sounds interesting. Can I join!!!!!!
George

Hey Brad,

I was there too. I had a feeling you were there (I'm thinking you were the one who turned me on to these great ProPicks). I don't know why I didn't say anything, I guess I didn't want to embarrass myself in case it wasn't you. Silly!

Anyway, I would be interested in this club too. My time is limited (I have two small children), but if the stars align correctly, I should be able to make it.



------------------
Steve Pierce

slightly off topic but I thought I would throw it in......there is a country jam night at McGraths pub in Alameda each week on Wednesday. It's on Lincoln about seven blocks from Webster.

They also have a bluegrass jam on Mondays. I've heard Monday is packed each week. There are a lot of accoustic players that show up. Some guys with dobros and the like do show up on Wednesday just to play something different. An occational steel player will show. I went twice and there were two of us playing steel and at least one dobro. The volume is kept low and there is singing as well.

Call to confirm, I haven't been there in a few weeks.

Steve

Hey Brad, I am a new player of both lap steel and Reso. I would be very interested in joining this group. I have been playing less than a year and think a group like this is exactly what I need to move forward in my self taught adventure.

I've created a new group on Yahoo! called SFDobroClub. The group is private (meaning only members can see what's in it) and lightly moderated (I have to approve your first posting).
Please go here to sign up.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Sounds like a great idea. Sign me up.

Ian

Count me in. My daughter lives in SF so this will be extra incentive for me to go up and visit. Thanks! <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Charlie Wallace on 25 October 2006 at 09:33 PM.]</p></FONT>

Yep, the McGrath's bluegrass jam on Monday's is usually so crowded it has to split into two, one in each room.

I didn't know about the Wednesday country jam. Every week?

-eric

...so how do we make this happen ? Someone needs to be the co-ordinator and collect together the addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of those interested and then work out a venue which suits everyone.

This should be fun even though I'm not really sure what a meeting of the SF Dobro Club will be like.

Brad has set up a SFDobroClub Yahoo group (see his post above). Anyone interested should join the list. We're already discussing the details of our first meeting.

I added my name to the list but the website is confusing. I had to sign up for Yahoo and the code name I made up is now being used as my identity, so someone will soon be wondering who the hell is Joe Brasenell...

I think communicating via this forum would be a lot easier.

Knock knock. Where did we get to ?

Alan,
I saw your message in the SFDobro Yahoo groups. I suspect you didn't see the responses. I noticed that your email address in Yahoo Groups doesn't match the email address in the Steel Guitar Forum. I'll send you some information via your Steel Guitar FOrum email address.

Thanks, Gary. When I signed up for Yahoo they gave me a Yahoo address, which I don't need and don't know how to access.

I got your email about today's meeting. Unfortunately it was too late, as I'm already committed for today. Let's create an email mailing list and get together regular meetings, and notify people about a month ahead.

(Joe Brasenell was my granddad. I use his name as an alias on eBay.)

Well, I think our first "meeting" went quite well. We had eleven guys show up, and we sat around and picked. We did the typical jam session thing - one solo per person all around the room, with anyone who didn't feel up to playing on that song able to pass and let the next person go on.
A couple of people brought regular acoustic guitars, so we had at least one rhythm instrument (in addition to our chucking away on resos).
Now comes the fun part - how do we maintain and extend this into a viable ongoing organization? Our next meeting will be in January in Danville, CA.


------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

I think our first meeting went extremely well. What a great bunch of people and what a fun time! Plus we got to hear a selection from Brad's solo dobro transciption of the complete works of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Thanks, Brad, for organizing it.

oops,
I guess I missed it.
Dp<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Phillips on 07 November 2006 at 08:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

I only found out about the meeting a couple of hours before it was scheduled. But next time I'll make sure I'm there.

Yes, people need to bring other instruments. You can't make up an entire band with Dobros. You need guitars and banjos and mandolins.

Did you tape the meeting ?

Sounds great. But, I live in a small studio apartment and would not be able to host a jam.