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Not a Spectator Sport

I love this quote from the Kruger Bothers about moving to North Carolina:

“It’s like the state motto, ‘To be rather than to seem,’ ” Uwe says. “The music is like that for real here. You drive around and see people playing on their porch, which you don’t see anywhere else nowadays. The whole state is kind of like that image of Ireland, where the whole pub starts singing. Music is not a spectator sport here.

http://www.ourstate.com/kruger-brothers/

I was born and raised here and thats been my experience. If someone is having a get together, you bring your guitar (or banjo, or dulcimer, or harmonica... ). I remember visiting my cousins in Oregon as a teen and my aunt & uncle threw a small party. The whole vibe felt kind of weird and I realized later that night that it was because no-one was making any music. Its simply not a party if there is no live music.

I guess some folks or some sub-cultures just don't value music or musicians.

And that puts me in mind of those great lyrics from Lovin' Spoonful's "Nashville Cats":

Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred twenty one Mothers from Nashville
All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight If one of the kids will
Because it's custom made for any mother's son to be a guitar picker in Nashville
And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about the music and the mothers from Nashville

I know Nashville isn't NC. But, in a way, it is

- Bob

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Comment by Madurobob on March 30, 2012 at 5:04am: Ah, yes... Fayette-Nam we used to call it back in the day. Hay street was a pretty wide open place back then with all the troop rotations.

We had fun as teens driving down there and partying for a weekend, but, yeah, I wouldn't call it indicative of the resat of the state.

Comment by Uncle John on March 30, 2012 at 2:55am: I would like it too. About all I know of NC is Fort Bragg. Did not do any playing or real singing there. I remember a marching cadence I liked. It went:

Two more weeks of boots and brass. (platoon echo)

Then Fort Bragg can kiss my ass. (platoon echo)

Am I right or wrong? (platoon: You're right!)

Are we weak or strong (platoon: We're strong!)

One, Two, Three, four,,, One, two, THREE FOUR.

Comment by Madurobob on March 30, 2012 at 2:21am: Perhaps NC is somewhat unique that way, especially towards the western side of the state. Or, perhaps its a regional thing borne out of a traditional lack of any other form of entertainment and a Scotch-Irish ancestry that brought with it a strong folk music tradition. Whatever it is... I like it.

Comment by Uncle John on March 29, 2012 at 11:54pm: Huh. Wish we had more of that here. Actually my town and county in Iowa is big on music and football. One of the best high school bands you've ever heard or seen. Great vocal program. Lots of good musicians and singers. Going to our open mikes would shock people - GOOD performers.

But going to a get together and bringing your axe or playing on the porch? Not so much.

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