The Steel Guitar Forum

After seeing Dale and Ricky on the Opry TV show, which was great, I got to see the real thing at the National Folk Festival in East Lansing, MI last night. They opened the festival and were well received. Great tunes, with a lot of stylistic diversity - swing, country, outlaw. Ricky sang harmony, to boot. Steel guitar, and honest-to-goodness country music. Ricky played a lot of things that grabbed my ear.

Dale and crew are the real deal. See’em live without hesitation.

My band The Weepers played at the bar (Harpers) across the street after the festival. Ricky was in the crowd, and we got him up for a tune, Blue-Eyed Boy, a double-time fiddle number. Ricky did great, played both necks on my Fess D-10 (wish I could do that!), navigated his way through all the knee levers (I have 8, way too many for me).

BTW - Ricky is real tickled by all the feedback he got on the forum about the Opry show. That was a big moment for him.

Robert Stone, the producer of the much-lauded Sacred Steel, was chatting with Ricky and introduced himself. He is ecstatic at the success of the Sacred Steel series. Robert is a non-pedal player.

What a great time! Today, Doc Watson, Dale Watson, Johnny Gimble and Hot Club of Cowtown, Fiddle Traditions. Can’t wait…

Cheers,
Drew Howard


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Yes, Dale Watson is the real deal I didn't think so before, but now I do. Ricky gets braged about his playing alot on the forum and he deservs it, what a fun time the Mrs.and I had. I let the Mrs. know about Ricky before the show, and after one time around the dance floor she said. "He doesn't look like a steel player he's to cute". I don't know were she gets this stuff from.

Dave Novak

Hey Drew is was great meeting you finally too and sittin' in with your eclectic band was fun; ya'll sure sounded cool and the Fessy plays great; but the pedals are tooooo narrow.....ha. kept missing them when I'm used to my big wide pedals on the bud
Hey Dave; thanks for the kind words and we did have fun up there; and tell your wife I'm not as cute up close.......ah....ha
Thanks for listening and appreciating what we do; and what a great festival ya'll had up there.
Ricky

I really enjoyed hearing Ricky Davis play and meeting him. Great playing Ricky and a really good band. Too bad you didn't have the SS Hawaiian with you. I'd love to see that baby.

Drew, it was nice meeting you and getting you and Calvin Cooke together. Sorry I didn't get to hear your band.

Did any of you catch the country "brother duets" with Dudley Connell and Don Rigsby Sunday at noon? Randy Kohrs of Nashville did a fine job with them on non-pedal steel and reso.

For 2002-2004 the National Folk Festival moves to Bangor, Maine. Last weekend in August. You can get the latest updates at www.nationalfolkfestival.com Always a great event.