The Steel Guitar Forum

This recently came up on my Facebook feed. I didn’t see this show live and I had friends diss it at the time. Watching it now, I’m gratified to see how much Scotty liked Buddy’s playing. Scotty was a true ambassador for the pedal steel! Buddy is hanging back in this performance.
https://youtu.be/sVec0LIESqQ

I was not there that year, but I have watched this entire vid.
I wish they would have treated it more as a Steel Convention set featuring Buddy, and not a standard Grateful Dead Tribute Band set.
One other year I was there several of us including Neil Flanz and JB Arnold and I think Brad Sarno went over to Cicero's to hear Buddy with the band Stir Fried. That was fun!

I was there. My friends all left, but I stayed for the entire set. I was pretty familiar with his work hearing him on some Dead music and having some NRPS LPs around so I knew about what to expect. I think he just did his thing and I'm pretty sure he brought the accompaniment with him and he wanted people around him who knew the music.

I thought it was good of Scotty to invite him to showcase his ideas of what steel guitar and music was all about. It was a memorable experience and I was glad to be in attendance.

[Excerpts clipped in part from an old thread]

Mike Perlowin wrote:

Jerry Overstreet wrote: the year that Buddy Cage played the last Sat. nite slot in St. Louis, I was flabbergasted at the mass exodus from the ballroom shortly after he began. I was almost embarrassed for him. I'm guessing that many people weren't aware of his rock background and probably some were put off by the Deadheads and tie-die posse.

I was there and saw the show. Scotty told me later that he predicted that a lot of people would walk out, and deliberately scheduled Cage to go on last, so that the people who only wanted to hear country could leave and not miss anything.

He also told me that some people were furious with him for even having Cage there at all, and several demanded their money back.

But I think some of that was due to Cage's own attitude. I think Cage projected a certain amount of in-your-face hostility. If you recall Jerry, his lead guitarist wore a woman's dress. That alone was guaranteed to offend many people. I enjoyed the music, but I felt that Cage had contempt for the people attending the convention....

Wanted: Lamest jam band within driving distance of St. Louis. Requirements:
* Sing badly.
* Lack musical imagination.
* Play two-chord songs interminably.
Special consideration given to applicants who can't figure out the chords to "Hello Mary Lou."
Address applications to Buddy Cage.

It's interesting to scroll though the video, skipping ahead quickly, and seeing the number of empty chairs increasing. That must have been disheartening to the band. On the other hand, they probably expected it.

The male guitar player wearing a tie-dye skirt was perhaps the last straw for country fans. I was there, and remember the rush for the door by about a third of the audience. Scotty was onstage and grooving with it all, bless his heart.

I was there, stayed to the end and recall Scotty requesting "Hello Marylou". The next day, after receiving complaints from some of the patrons, Scotty said it`s a steel show not a country & western show.

Andrew Roblin wrote:Wanted: Lamest jam band within driving distance of St. Louis. Requirements:
* Sing badly.
* Lack musical imagination.
* Play two-chord songs interminably.
Special consideration given to applicants who can't figure out the chords to "Hello Mary Lou."
Address applications to Buddy Cage.

Just to point out how diverse this forum is: I'd pay to see that band!

I play with a couple of groups that cover Grateful Dead tunes. Just because I like it doesn't mean traditional country is bad.

I've played in Grateful Dead bands too. I still enjoy that music when played well. The band with Buddy was, IMHO, dreadful. And for them to be onstage with him and unable to play "Hello Mary Lou"--one of the best-known tunes by the New Riders--boggles the mind.

I was there also, and appreciated that Scotty had brought in something a little different. I actually thought that the band was real good. Also thought that most of the attendees would have trouble getting past the guy in a dress. I have trouble with that myself, even though I work in the Haight Ashbury in S.F.! But when you think about it, it's just how we're programmed and a little silly to worry about.

Anyway, at that time I was thinking of recording "China Cat Sunflower" for my album "All Hat No Cattle." I reached out to these guys, who were called "Earthbones" and were from Indianapolis. They recorded some tracks and left room for me and it ended up on my album!

Joe

Joe- I like that story. Is that album on vinyl?

I'm glad to finally see a video of that show.

Wish I could've seen it live.

Buddy is the player who inspired me to learn to play pedal steel guitar.

Joe , I have that cd of your’s, love it! Maybe your next foray should be titled’ All Cattle, No Hat’ Just a thought!

I stayed for the whole show and it was the first time I was able to sit in the first row after everyone cleared out. Great show. Got to talk to Buddy the next day who turned out to be a really nice guy.

Hi Tom,

No, not on vinyl, although I do have three earlier albums that are. Nowadays it's a real quandary for guys in my age group when we make an album. We realize that streaming is the thing, but some folks want a hard copy. Our crowd were the last to give up vinyl and switch to CDs in the '90s and they're not going back to vinyl! But, all the younger guys want vinyl (and a few of us older LP collectors). Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know. Here's China Cat Sunflower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u3jCtj ... el=Zumbody

Joe

Buddy was a really nic guy and a great player who influenced me a lot. I was there when he played his set, and I kinda' have some confusion about how I felt at the time. I couldn't believe how fast he cleared the hall. I almost felt as embarrassed as he (might have) felt. I met him afterward, I was in the bar with Emmons, Bill Lawrence +wife, and Crawford...you get the idea. Pretty much the discussion before he got there was all about the genre you play in and content that pertains to the audience. Again, being young and dumb, I played the 'they don't know what they're listening to' card. To my utter amazement, all at the table(between a lot of beers and laughs) agreed with me! I couldn't wait to tell Buddy. And, typical Buddy Cage, he didn't give a crap. All the real players at the convention knew he filled a slot with his instrument that was innovative, had a great tone, and people liked to listen to. I was a real fan.

Buddy was a really nice guy and a great player who influenced me a lot. I was there when he played his set, and I kinda' have some confusion about how I felt at the time. I couldn't believe how fast he cleared the hall. I almost felt as embarrassed as he (might have) felt. I met him afterward, I was in the bar with Emmons, Bill Lawrence +wife, and Crawford...you get the idea. Pretty much the discussion before he got there was all about the genre you play in and content that pertains to the audience. Again, being young and dumb, I played the 'they don't know what they're listening to' card. To my utter amazement, all at the table(between a lot of beers and laughs) agreed with me! I couldn't wait to tell Buddy. And, typical Buddy Cage, he didn't give a crap. All the real players at the convention knew he filled a slot with his instrument that was innovative, had a great tone, and people liked to listen to. I was a real fan.