A Wild Ride, Indeed

Many years ago, much to my parents chagrin, I left college to become a touring musician, a road warrior, if you will. Two-hundred and fifty days of my years, between 1969 and 1987, were spent in hotels, buses, airports, rental cars, bars, theaters, and Denny’s. I even spent a couple of the early years hitchhiking over mountain passes in Colorado from one gig to the next. I thrived on the travel. I was always a restless soul and touring was a natural state. I loved the fact that every day was different, yet somehow the same. My favorite time of each day was walking into a new venue for the first time. The dark stages and cavernous halls were mystical. Plugging into the PA and hearing the sound echo and fill the empty hall was invigorating. The audiences would arrive and fill the seats and the once empty hall would become electric. I loved it! Eventually, the years would take their toll and, by the end of it, I was pretty much exhausted and played out.

This was about the time my kids came along and gave me a great reason to reinvent myself. I continued to play locally around Dallas,Texas until 1994, but it wasn't the same. It became clear that a new path was needed to properly keep my children fed and in soccer shoes. Through an odd set of circumstances, I ended up in digital advertising as an artist and eventually a... *GASP* ...corporate middle manager. After twenty years of that foolishness, all the kids were grown and on their own paths. I was single and living in Atlanta (where the corporate world had brought me to my last stop). I decided it was time to pick up my guitar and start to rediscover myself.

I had recently discovered the greatness of Collings guitars and I wanted one. The only place in Atlanta to get one, of course, was Maple Street Guitars. I wandered in the first time and was warmly greeted by Lindsay. I told him what I was there for and he set me up in a room with several different models (I ended up with an OM2H). We began talking and playing the guitars and decided we would be friends. He invited me to a songwriter night he was co-hosting with the incredibly talented Allison Adams and even offered me a place in the Maple Street family. Through that one encounter in Maple Street, I would meet and befriend many of the cities great songwriters and performers, one of whom was Billy Gewin. Billy is a stellar musician and an equally talented studio engineer. So, after twenty years of lying musically fallow, I enlisted Billy and began a solo recording project, which would become my first ever solo record, Broken Knife; all of this from one visit to Maple Street Guitars. 

Although I enjoyed playing around Atlanta (and still do), it was not what I had experienced in my youth; TV, festivals, big theaters, and a once in a lifetime tour of the Soviet Union in 1977. But, like many former touring guys, I had come to the realization that those days were behind me and I was good with that. But…not so fast! Some of you may know that I spent a brief time with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the 70s. Through several years of opening for the band and eventually joining them, Co-founder John McEuen and I became good friends. We kept in touch and have occasionally played shows together over the last 45 years. About four years ago, John called me up and asked if I would join his new band and go on the road. I thought about it for about 10 seconds and said, “YES!" John had enlisted the original NGDB bass player/mandolinist, Les Thompson, and a wonderful LA studio musician named Matt Cartsonis, who was Warren Zevon’s bandleader for many years. And off we went. John McEuen and the String Wizards.

John particularly likes one of my songs called "Wild Ride" off my solo CD. He thought it would resonate with our audiences. Sure enough, it did. John is a generous guy and a good friend. He gave me a big space on his merch table to sell Broken Knife. He always tells the folks that it’s available and I usually sell every copy I put out. I’m proud of the song and the response it gets, and John beams like a proud dad. The great Rodney Dillard asked to record it after hearing us do it and the band may get around to recording it as well. 

Since 2016, we have been doing roughly 80 shows a year and having a ball. Of course, our new road lifestyle is quite different from the old days (more kale, less beer), but our time on stage is great fun. We’re on our own "Wild Ride". We travel all over the US, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen Colorado. We do an occasional television show. We have played with old friends like Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bob Weir, Darrell Scott, Bernie Leadon, Rodney Dillard, Roland White, Rhonda Vincent and a host of others. Needless to say, it has been a gas. I think we all appreciate that we can still tour at this time in our lives. I certainly do.

Then, all of a sudden…2020. To quote Little Walter, "Boom boom, out go the lights". Like everyone else, we have had to cancel all of our 2020 dates. The band was gaining momentum and beginning to think about what we could do next. Then, in the blink of a microorganism, the world stopped. I know that old guys losing gigs is not the worst thing that can happen. Younger artists, whose careers are just beginning, are really feeling the brunt. People are dying and others may never fully recover from this tiny agent of destruction. I realize my good fortune at having years of memories and experiences. But, I'm still bummed. I love the road, the audiences and the camaraderie. Everyone but Matt is in their 70s and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that our fun might be coming to an abrupt end. But, I am so grateful to have had the experiences of the last four years; finding old friends, meeting new fans and playing iconic music. I’m optimistic that we will still prevail and get back out there. I hope so. I believe it was me who said, "You can take the musician off the road, but you can’t make him stay." John Cable 2020