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Topic: Pedal Steel Front Page |
Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 31 Jan 2005 1:09 pm |
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Imagine my surprise when I looked at our University newspaper today (The Penn State Daily Collegian) and find myself and our front man on the front page. It was our new band's premier gig, at a benefit for local musicians without health insurance. I'll guarantee you, pedal steel doesn't usually get this kind of coverage around these parts - here's the link. Now, I'm not complaining, but if someone could finally get my name spelled correctly, I mean, I teach here. 
Edited 2/2/05 to use the archive front page link.
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MSA Classic D-10 8+4, Sierra S-10 3+4, BMI S-10 3+4 plus assorted six-stringers;
Peavey LTD 400, Line6 Pod 2.0 + Ampeg BA 112, '64 Fender Deluxe Reverb, '69 Dual Showman Reverb + EVM Cabinet
[This message was edited by Dave Mudgett on 02 February 2005 at 09:49 AM.] |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 31 Jan 2005 1:14 pm
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| You brought back memories for me. I used to play the Rathskeller in State College back in the 70's. The only place I know that sold beer over the bar in cases: I think a case of 7 ounce Rolling Rock bottles was something like $7.00. |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 31 Jan 2005 1:18 pm
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| Happy Valley Rocks! (from a Pitt grad). Nice job! [This message was edited by Ray Minich on 31 January 2005 at 01:19 PM.] |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 31 Jan 2005 1:23 pm
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A) cool
B) newspapers don't lie or err so get used to it--that's how your name is spelled.
C) my only time in State College was in the late '80s on a trout fishing expedition hosted by a fellow, last name Carson, first name I don't remember, who was a major league fly fishing dude & guide. Fantastic limestone stream dry fly fishing experience.
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 31 Jan 2005 1:24 pm
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| Yep, the Skellar is still there, largely unchanged since the 70s, but a case of Rocks is more than $7 now. Played there many times, as well as most every other watering hole anywhere near these parts in the last 15 years, mostly on guitar till the last few. Lotsa places, lotsa students, I'd like to turn some of 'em on to steel. |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2005 1:50 pm
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The first winner out of State College in memory.
Guess what I am not a PSU or Joe P fan.
Please smile ---- it's all in fun.
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix)Desert Rose Guitar, Southwest Steel Guitar Association, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Association
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 1 Feb 2005 6:07 pm
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| Yeah, Joe's controversial. He's compiled one of the best records ever in college football without turning his team into a semi-pro club. He was an English Literature scholar at Brown, and he expects his athletes to be students. I've taught some of them, I'll vouch for that. What a concept! |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 2:27 am
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My son attends Penn State and he called to tell me that there was a steel guitar on the front page. Rare indeed. Way to go!
Tonya Brown and my wife were friends. They were both discovered the same way--I heard Stacey singing the blues while she was tending bar and Mark Ross discovered Tonya that way.
It was weird, but Stace called me to tell me that Tonya passed while I was sitting at the interesection of rts 61 and 49--the original Robert Johnson crossroads! Then my wife had a dream that Tonya came to her and gave her a message for Pete, a very dear old friend of Tonya's, who Stacey didn't even know existed until we were in Alley Cat Music reminiscing with Mark one day.
The year after she passed, we were at Billtown Blues Fest and no one had any Queen Bee CDs to play in rememberance of her except Stacey. She took it to the sound guy to play and right after that, they announced that she won some drawing they were having! There was a strange connection between those 2 girls--both had about the same background, both sing the blues. One was black and the other one is white, but they sure are soul sisters.
Queen Bee was the best thing that ever happened to the blues in PA. Great band. We miss them. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 10:04 am
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| Webb,it is indeed a small world. Let me know if you're in town. I crave interaction with other steel players, there's only a handful within a 50-mile radius. Actually, I started Alley Cat Music with Mark in 1995, but sold my end in 2000 or so to go back to academia. You're right, we all miss the Queen Bee. The Blue Hornet Band, sans Tonya, played at this same show. They'll only come out for something like this. We've lost too many good musicians here the last few years, we'd like to have less need for this kind of show. |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 12:42 pm
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Dave, small world it is. I'll let you know when I'm coming out next. I wish I would have known about that show; I would have made it a point to be there. My son is planning on staying right through grad school there and he's a Jr now, so we'll have a beach-head established there for some time. He's a pretty good singer-song spinster himself. Works at Otto's.
You're right about steelers being an endangered species in these parts. I played for about 5 years in the early 80's -- cut my teeth on all the Rusty Young, Buddy Cage, Bobby Black stuff. I played keys from then until about 2 years ago when I dusted the old Fender off for a reunion tour with my old country rock band and rediscoverd my old childhood sweetheart. I'm really hooked this time.
Do you guys have a website? Maybe we could plan on visiting some weekend when you're playing around town.
Webb
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MCI D10 8+5, ZB 11/10 8+3 Early 30s Dobro, Harmony Lap Steel, ad infinitum
[This message was edited by Webb Kline on 02 February 2005 at 12:44 PM.] |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 1:59 pm
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| I only started practicing with these guys 3 weeks ago, no website yet. But I'll put something on my website, which is http://www.cse.psu.edu/~mudgett/. There's a link to some music stuff. It looks like we're going to play Tuesday nights at the Phyrst for a while. But there will be weekend gigs which come up, I'm sure. |
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Colm Chomicky
From:
Kansas, (Prairie Village)
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 3:22 pm
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Great photo. I'll be back to the Penn State Area late April for Spring Homecoming. Hope to catch your band at the Phyrst or where ever you are playing come Springtime.
Those 7 oz Rolling Rocks are called 'green grenades' by some |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 5:32 pm
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Dave, the plot thickens! I've known Chris Kehr for a long time, although I was on the road when the Stone Poets were around and never had the pleasure of seeing them. And Chris Que, who Kehr played with in Recipe and now as the Low Dogs is my drummer Ike Eisenhower's son-in-law. Amazing bass player I might add. I've jammed with him a number of times.
Webb |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 7:01 pm
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Oh boy, here we go. I just got an email from Kris today, his new Low Dogs website is up. The Stone Poets is what really motivated me to take the jump on Pedal Steel. I went down to hear them after they'd been together for several months, and said to myself, geez, these guys need a pedal steel. Nobody available here, I had just picked up an Emmons S-10 3+1 starter at a guitar show, so I talked to Kris, inquired if he might like a steel player. He said, "You know one?". I said, "Well, no, but I have one and I think I can learn." I showed up to a gig after messing around for a week, but brought my B-Bender Tele just in case. It was rough for a while, but I did pick it up, talk about pressure. The B-Bender was gone after a few weeks, thanks to Tim McCasland's video. We were sorry to lose Kris to Asheville and The Recipe, but when he's in the area, I often play with him and whatever unit he has. He's a tremendous songwriter and bandleader - I really don't know a more musically open person, sure did me a lot of good. The Poets got together, cold, last February after a 2-year hiatus, for the bass player's 50th birthday party, and, really, nobody missed a beat. I played with Kris and Q in November when they were at Zeno's, first time out for my BMI. You're right, Q is a fine bass player.
Webb, Colm, please let me know when you're in the area, we should definitely get together. Sittin' in is cool with us. I've got several steels. |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2005 10:10 pm
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Dave, I'll surely do that. I'm near Bloomsburg, so that's not too far of a trip. I used to get out there quite a bit before my son started there because Dave Sarge does most of my repairs. But, now I have the kid run the stuff out and back for me.
I'm an improv player, so that would be fun. |
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Colm Chomicky
From:
Kansas, (Prairie Village)
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Posted 3 Feb 2005 5:17 pm
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| Dave, I'll email when I book my next PA trip. I typically make a trip in April, July (Arts Festival), and October (before the snow sets in). I graduated from Penn State back in 1977, and its always fun to get back there. |
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