Lost Radio Rounders: News

Hour by hour, minute by minute, and second by second, millions of humans (and a few thousand monkeys) are typing on computer keyboards attempting to fill the internet with the useless information that makes this modern world go round.

Until recently, Michael and I haven’t been doing our fair share in this endeavor, but we have just posted the actual set lists for most of our 2010 shows on this website. No one needs this information, but if want to find it go to the bottom of our “Calendar” page and click “show past dates”…or you could do something productive instead.

-Tom

Well, well, well, here it is. I've been very excited about this new model from The Loar for some time, and mine has finally arrived. I've done a bunch of gigs with it already and I am very enamored of this little machine. As your probably aware, Tom and I endorse products by The Loar, and the hand-carved mandolins are top quality instruments available at a ridiculously affordable price. The F-style mandolins (like my LM 600 VS) are fancier models but I've always had a soft spot for the classic teardrop look, and this particular mandolin incorporates features of The Loar's top end model, the LM 700 VS, but with the simpler A-style body.

Please do come out and hear it some time!

Over the past three and a half years, my musical partner Mr. Eck has played mandolin, guitar, dobro, banjo, uke and more. Add to the list another new instrument...the crow call. This is because we recently began playing an old-time song called "The Story The Crow Told Me". Head to our video page to see Michael playing his new "instrument".

-Tom

 

Ah, technology! It's a blessing and a curse. For the blessing, check out our new video page! Just click "Video" on the menu bar.

 

Many of you are aware that Lost Radio Rounders are official endorsers of musical instruments by The Loar, but those good folks do not make a 12-string guitar.

I have had more than a few instruments come into my life and then leave because they weren't quite right, but my Taylor twelve is here to stay. It's tough to make a great sounding twelve that stays in tune and plays well up the neck, but the folks at Taylor nailed it with this one. I bought it used in 2002, and I can't imagine how the original owner was ever able to part with it.

-Tom

      

The new Lost Radio Rounders CD is called "Acoustic Roadshow". It is a live CD recorded as part of the Third Sunday at Three concert series in Gloversville. It features 13 tracks and our first recordings of Tom playing his McNally Strumstick (the strumstick is a modern take on the Appalachian dulcimer).



Songs range from serious (Hard Trials) to silly (The Man Who Rode The Mule Around The World), and you can get your copy of "Acoustic Roadshow" the next time you see us live.

You may have already read about Pete Seeger coming to visit with us before our show at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY. What Michael did not mention is that he asked Mr. Seeger to autograph his banjo head. Of course he obliged, he's a friendly fella!



-Tom

Some of you only know my musical partner Michael Eck as a member of Lost Radio Rounders and Ramblin Jug Stompers, but Michael is an accomplished singer/songwriter as well.



His new release "In My Shoes" is a treat, full of smartly written originals and one well chosen cover tune. Head to www.michaeleck.com for all the details. Lost radio rounders will be taking a small break while he promotes this new CD, but we'll be back before you know it!

-Tom

Here is Michael performing "one more raindrop" at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY.

You might remember from these occasional updates that last year Tom and I did a story on Pete Seeger’s banjo and 12-string guitar for Fretboard Journal magazine. And we also do a show called “American Favorite Ballads: Songs From Folkways,” that features the music of Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly.

Well, on Friday night (Abe Lincoln’s 201^st birthday), we were in Beacon (Pete’s hometown) preparing to do our “Lincoln and Liberty!” program at the beautiful Howland Cultural Center, when in walks Pete.

He explained that he had a Clearwater event he needed to be at for the evening, but that he wanted to stop by and see us on the way; and to tell us that he is happy that Lost Radio Rounders are carrying the torch for Historic American Music.

“It’s so important that you are doing this,” he said.

He then told us wonderful stories about Lincoln and personal stories about Folkways founder Moe Asch, and how he got into the recording biz.

It was a magical moment for us, and we feel that we have received Pete’s blessing, and we thank him – beyond words – for that.

He truly is a national musical treasure.

-Michael

Some might suggest that t-shirts don't fit our "old school' image.
To them we say: "Who cares? We like t-shirts!"

These t-shirts feature the "listening man" that you have seen on this very website. Get one next time you see us!

    

As many of you know Michael and I endorse musical instruments by The Loar. My primary instrument is The Loar LH-200 acoustic guitar, and Michael's mandolin is The Loar LM-600 VS.

You may not know that Michael and I approached The Loar about being endorsers because we were already playing their guitars, and we loved them. The tone, playabilty and appearance of these instruments is incredible at their price point, but just saying they are a great value is damning them with faint praise.

  

I have owned or played acoustic guitars by Martin, Gibson, Taylor and Guild, but I have never had an acoustic guitar with a neck as sweet as the LH-200. No other acoustic I have played stays in tune as well as my LH-200 (unless you count my Loar archtop, serial # 00043).

Not a show goes by where someone doesn't comment on the great sound or looks of these instruments. We love them, and you don't have to pay us to say that! Check out www.theloar.com .

-Tom   

Tom has created a simple video for our version of "Lincoln and Liberty", an actual campaign song from the 1800's.

Being "old school" kind of guys, we are are now selling a CD (not an Edison cylinder) featuring ten songs from our "Lincoln and Liberty" program.

Come get one the next time you see us perform!

As part of the "Lincoln and Liberty!" program we often play a song called "Give Us A Flag". We were quite pleased when a third grade girl at a show in Poughkeepsie took that song literally and gave us this wonderful drawing of the American flag after we finished. Thanks!

A few people (okay, mostly other musicians) have expressed their curiosity about our sound system. In most situations we use our Bose L1 Model I system. In slightly larger venues we add the Bose B1 bass module.

 

To cover both our voices and any instruments that we play, we use a single MXL 990 Stereo condenser microphone. We “mix” our sound the old fashioned way…by moving closer or farther from the microphone, and by singing or playing louder or softer as the song requires.

We record most of our shows, and when using our Bose PA the recording/live sound signal path is as follows:

The left and right outputs of the stereo microphone head to matching TL Audio preamp/compressors (which supply phantom power), and from there the signal goes to a TASCAM SS CDR1 digital recorder, then on to the Bose.

When we are using a “house” sound system, recording is done outside of the PA signal path using an Audio Technica AT 825 stereo microphone and a Zoom H4N digital recorder.   

As you may know, Lost Radio Rounders occasionally perform a program called "American Favorite Ballads: Songs From Folkways." This month, Tom and Michael have a number of articles about Folkways recording artist Pete Seeger and his iconic banjo and 12-string guitar in the Fall issue of Fretboard Journal magazine. Tom took the photos and Michael wrote the text.

Meeting Pete Seeger and talking with him about his music was incredible. Regardless of one's thoughts about his politics, Pete's contributions to the preservation of American folk music are unrivaled. Pete also inspired thousands of people to take up the banjo.

Pete's half-brother, Mike, also contributed a few quotes to the stories and we mourn his recent passing. He, too, was a great preserver, prophet and player of Historic American Music.

Fretboard Journal is a glossy, perfect-bound coffee table magazine all about guitars, players and luthiers. It's a fascinating read, even if you don't own a guitar.

Fretboard Journal is available in New York's Capital Region at Guitar Center, Borders and Barnes and Noble.

Also, visit, www.fretboardjournal.com.

Nippertown, the region's best source for all things art and entertainment, is giving a little love to Lost Radio Rounders.

Check it out at http://www.nippertown.com/2009/08/24/real-good-for-free-the-lost-radio-rounders-the-linda-82709.

And be sure to visit www.nippertown.com often. It's how you'll know what you want to do!

Our favorite radio station, WEXT, will be broadcasting a segment about our upcoming show at The Linda on Monday, Aug. 24 at 12:20 p.m. and again on Thursday, Aug. 27 (the day of the show) at 5:25 p.m.

In addition, WEXT will be broadcasting a longer segment, including a live performance and interview on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m.

Tune in WEXT at 97.7 FM or listen online at www.Exit977.org.

For more information on our performance at The Linda, click on the calendar page.

Hey, hey, Lost Radio Rounders fans, look for us on your radio dial. We'll soon be recording live concert/interview segments with both WEXT 97.7 FM
(www.exit977.org) and WAMC 90.3 FM (www.wamc.org).

In fact, you're invited to be in the audience at WAMC on Aug. 27 -- check the Calendar page for details about this free show. Please join us and do the Radio Boogie!

And special thanks to Chris Wienk (WEXT) and Howe Glassman (WAMC).

We are saddened by the loss of one our great inspirations, Mike Seeger, 1933-2009.

His contributions to the music we love, which he called "music from the True Vine," are essential, and he will be greatly missed.

To all our dear fans, henceforth The Gospel Train will be known as Lost Radio Rounders. We will still occasionally perform our Gospel Train program of Historic American Spiritual & Religious Music, as well as our other programs of Historic American Music. Our new moniker, however, allows us to draw from a wider variety of classic American music styles and subject matter for many of our public performances. Thanks for your understanding. And please tell your friends to visit us at www.lostradiorounders.com.