Enjoy this May 2, 2009, classic Ryman Auditorium broadcast with the bad boys of bluegrass, Sam Bush Band, and chart-topping country singer Brad Paisley, as well as duo partner Andra Suchy. Listen to the show.
Highlights include talk about the history of country music and the Ryman, leading into a poem about Nashville (see below), a few duets with Andra Suchy, including “I’ve Been a Long Time Leaving” and “Brokedown Palace.” There’s Brad Paisley on “I’m Still a Guy” and “Sometimes the Answer is No,” Sam Bush picking on “Mama Tried” and “Tennessee Tumble,” plus the two joining forces with Pat Donohue on “Stealin’ from Chet.” We learn what’s up with Guy Noir, Café Boeuf, Catchup, Cowboys, and the latest News. Join us for two hours and enjoy this country throwdown.
In Nashville spring has made its entrance
With azaleas, dogwood, rhododendrons.
They’re planting, mulching, weeding, tilling,
Hoping things will grow, God willing.
Meanwhile, up a busy street,
Beautiful, poured from concrete,
Rising from a flat green lawn,
A replica of the Parthenon,
So as to leave you little doubt
This is the Athens of the South.
And in addition to scholarship
There is Bobbie’s Dairy Dip —
A soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone
To which Nashvilleans are prone,
After enjoying Meat and Three —
A staple here in Tennessee,
Hot fried chicken dripping grease,
Biscuits, greens, creamed corn, a piece
Of chess pie like grandma made,
And iced tea or lemonade.
Soon comes summer and high humidity
And people enduring their own fluidity
When people turn red, itch, and peel,
And burn their hands on the steering wheel.
So enjoy the month of May,
Get outside and seize the day
And enjoy the bounty
Of Davidson County.
It may not be Athens but still
It’s good enough to be Nashville.
And I knew a man who traveled to Venice, he
Couldn't wait to get back home to Tennessee.
More about our guest performers:
When Brad Paisley was about eight, his grandfather gave him a guitar and a piece of advice: “Anything that’s going wrong in your life, you can pick this guitar up and it’ll go away.” Seems grandpa was right. Brad is a gifted songwriter who often captures humorous slices of life and memorializes them in song. He is a three-time Grammy winner, inductee into the Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Association’s 2010 Entertainer of the Year.
Sam Bush was just 11 when he got his first mandolin. By the time he was 17, he had won the title of National Junior Fiddle Champion for three years running. And he had made his recording debut, Poor Richard’s Almanac. Founder of cutting-edge bands like New Grass Revival and Strength in Numbers, he has also been the go-to sideman for Lyle Lovett, the Flecktones, and dozens of others.
Andra Suchy spent her childhood on a farm near Mandan, North Dakota, the daughter of two talented singers. By the time she was in grade school, she was traveling around, doing concerts and festivals with her family. These days, she performs with several groups in the Twin Cities area. She also has worked as a backup singer and as a jingle singer on commercials for White Castle, Target, and more. Battle Cat is her most recent release. Read our full guest interview with Andra to learn more about her musical background.
Garrison’s return to the “little town that time forgot and decades could not improve,” but upon his arrival, he finds things have indeed changed.
Lake Wobegon is having a boom year thanks to millennial entrepreneurship — AuntMildred’s.com Gourmet Meatloaf, for example, or Universal Fire, makers of artisanal firewood seasoned with sea salt. Meanwhile, the author flies in to give eulogies at the funerals of five classmates, including a couple whom he disliked, and he finds a wave of narcissism crashing on the rocks of Lutheran stoicism. He is restored by the humor and grace of his old girlfriend Arlene and a visit from his wife, Giselle, who arrives from New York for a big love scene in an old lake cabin.
Read the first chapter >>>
Boom Town is available wherever books are sold. Autographed copies are available on our website.
Get the book >>>
Download a Kindle copy >>>
Listen via Audible >>>
The most comprehensive collection of songs and sketches from the archives of A Prairie Home Companion. It’s a who’s who of artists who have graced the stage to perform live on Saturday evenings. From favorites like the Everly Brothers and Chet Atkins to Los Texmaniacs’ performance in 2014, we’ve chosen more than 87 memorable acts. Also includes one CD of highlights from the weekend-long 40th Anniversary Celebration live from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Listen to a “Bird Song” >>>
Purchase the 40th Anniversary Collection >>>
Note: “Bird Song” was written by Heather Masse and she performed it as part of the 40th Anniversary Festival with her group The Wailin’ Jennys. Heather will be joining Garrison and A Prairie Home Companion for the “America the Beautiful” show in Spokane, Washington, on May 30th. Join us for a celebration of our great nation.
Who is more important than the one who brought you into this world? Garrison wrote this wonderful poem for all mothers, featuring the wisdom and rules that have helped us get this far.
Mug is microwavable and holds a generous 11 oz. Comes in a set of two, because you probably know at least two cool moms in your life.
Features the words “I’m a Mother” on one side and the below poem on the other:
Don’t put yourself down
Mind your p’s and q’s
A smile gets you more than a frown
Never buy cheap shoes
Too late smart, too soon old
One door opens when two doors close
If you don’t want to catch cold
Wash your hands before picking your nose.
Keep your mind on what you’re doing
Life is not fair
Close your mouth when you’re chewing
And always wear clean underwear
Time brings all things to light
Your mama told you and she was right.
Buy now >>>
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