Chuck yeah! (Photos by Tony Contini Photography)You may have remembered some older posts about my run-ins with Chuck Ragan, the folk punk icon with over 20 years touring experience. I acquired my favorite guitar (which is currently my touring and studio workhorse - an Eastman "Chuck Ragan" model) from him a couple years back before "winning" a Little Martin that he raffled off while playing a benefit show for Mira Loma Elementary School in San Francisco earlier this year. Well this time when I saw Chuck at The Alley in Sparks, NV, it was a little different...
But let's stay in chronological order.
Six Mile Station. Period. These guys are so good it's scary. Their work ethic to record and tour this year has inspired me to work harder and to tour harder. Click their bolded name to find out just how much you're going to love them too!
Next up was Jonny Two Bags and his incredible backing band. How good is the band? Well, Jonny is actually the guitar player for rock legends Social Distortion, and his band is basically all the same members with the addition of Todd Beene on pedal steel and without Social D's normal charismatic frontman Mike Ness. Not only did these legends kill it on stage, they were as nice as you could imagine in person. I enjoyed a beer with drummer David Hidalgo, Jr. in the crowd while Six Mile Station was playing, and then had a fantastic conversation with bassist Brent Harding following his set. It's almost unreal how real some of your heroes can be. These are some really good guys!!Finishing out the night was Chuck Ragan and the Camaraderie. Chuck already has the energy of a full band when he plays solo, but he unleashes something else with his new full band! Keeping with the usual suspects of the masterful Joe Ginsberg on bass and Jon Gaunt rockin' the fiddle, the Camaraderie now includes Todd Beene (of Glossary & Lucero) slaying the pedal steel and (once again) Social Distortion's David Hidalgo, Jr. on drums. I can feel Chuck's excitement in that band because as many of you know, I had the pleasure to record my forthcoming album The Key To Happiness with a full band and it DEFINITELY does make a difference in exploring new musical horizons!
If you've read this far, you probably already know that I had the chance to get up on stage with Chuck at this show. While this was an incredible experience, it only whet my appetite for what I plan to achieve this year and beyond. Chuck is the ultimate troubadour, breaking down walls for the kind of music that I love and want to be a part of. Thank you Chuck. I'm incredibly fortunate to call you a friend of mine.We're all building something with our lives, so why not build it with friends and build it together?
~Liam