Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Jawdropping DelFest Video - "Loser" (2015)

#1

I ran across this video and was immediately reminded of the “Ukulele’s arn’t allowed in Bluegrass” discussion currently underway. Ronnie McCoury is playing some form of electrified 4-string thang that might qualify as a “uke”… or something. He plays it like it’s a mandolin.

But this video is one of the highest quality captures of an outdoor live event I’ve ever seen. The only productions that surpass the quality herein might be from the Gaithers™. This is stunning.

The song itself is one of my favorite Jerry Garcia/Dead creations, and this rendition has been known to bring viewers to tears.

Thanks!

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#2

It’s a mandocaster, essentially an electric mandolin with single strung courses. Definitely not a uke, although understandably mistaken for one

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#3

Well he sure does work it!
But that thing he did with the string tailings off the headstock caught my eye. Never really saw that before.

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#4

So good!! Love their treatment of Cumberland Blues as well.

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#5

Heres another vid of travelin mccourys loser, filmed January this year… nowhere near the clarity of the vid you posted - but it’s a 14 minute jam w Ronnie playing the “mandocaster.” In the middle, it segues into The Other One for a bit > another tune > & ends back at loser. This YouTube channel [T Shaws progressive bluegrass] has alot of this kind of stuff. You can check out Billy Strings covers of GD music there also. I’ve been a Jerry/GD fan for years - the live stuff :grin:!

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#6

Wow that rocked! I could sit and listen to Ronnie McCoury for a week!
What I really liked about this video was the clear view of Cody Kilby for fifteen minutes! I liked watching his loose strumming hand, the really tasty break he had near the end, and the way he worked through the song as a rhythm player. He also gets the 2019 Duct Tape of The Year Award for that guitar setup. That was a different mando than in the 2015 video. I thought it sounded better.
Great video! Thanks so much for posting it, @Simone!

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