At the risk of dating myself, I often liken the pace of our existence in this humble guitar store to that which was portrayed in the popular TV comedy Cheers, which, for those unfamiliar, centered on a popular basement bar in Boston.  The show was not so much about the bar itself, but rather the community of characters that thrived therein.  An ever dynamic setting, Cheers was host to a parade of people: neighborhood folks, the occasional celebrity, and, most importantly, the regulars, whose constant presence propelled and enriched the narrative.  Much of the show’s success can undoubtedly be attributed to the quality of its writing, which utilized this familiar setting to emphasize some important facet of life in a profoundly relatable way, be it relating to love, loss, hope, disappointment, vanity, humility, or sympathy.  In short, Cheers was an often subtle study in humanity, where each character’s quirks and foibles were held up as a mirror of our own eccentricities and life experiences.  Perhaps more subtle, was the gradual transformation of the main characters working behind the bar, who invariably learned and grew as a result of their interactions with all those passing through, especially the regulars.  In the end, this sort of mutual and personal growth is the immeasurable gift of participating in any such community.

After so many years in business, we are indeed fortunate to have created a genuine Cheers-like community, complete with our own stream of friendly neighborhood faces, occasional celebrity sightings, and, of course, our own Norms, Cliffs, and Frasiers (regulars on the show).  And for those of us working behind the counter, the gift of having so many great people from so many backgrounds in our lives cannot be overstated.  Yet, it is sadly the natural way of things that the passage of time brings with it the passage of people from your life.  And, on that note, we were very sad to learn last December that our friend and regular, Reggie Ward, had been fighting a losing battle with cancer, following his collapse and subsequent surprise diagnosis while on tour just a month or so prior.

I can clearly recall the first time I met Reggie.  On the insistence of his best friend, Larry (who, at the time, had just become a big fan of our business), Reggie stopped in to try an Eastman AR880CE John Pisano model, which he then purchased.  In dealing with Reggie that day, three things were immediately clear: Reggie was an easygoing, trusting, and kind man; Reggie was a fantastic and yet humble guitarist; and, as anyone close to him would attest, Reggie knew and loved guitars!  Indeed, on that last note, it soon became apparent that Reggie had a bad or, depending on your perspective, good case of Guitar Acquisition Syndrome or G.A.S.  Over the ensuing years, we would often receive a call from Reggie inquiring about something cool that had just arrived—clearly he had a routine practice of closely monitoring our website!  One might say that these calls were really just a formality—or, perhaps they were some part of a subliminal ritual—as a scene always seemed to play out where Reggie would flirt with and then decide to purchase a guitar that he had, in truth, already resolved to buy long before setting foot in the store. 

Of course, being cut from the same cloth, all of us artsy guitar addicts here at the store readily accept and endorse Reggie’s mode of guitar acquisition! Yet, in truth, it was not Reggie’s buying behavior that made him such a welcome presence in our store.  No, in addition to just being a really good guy, we all admired Reggie, as he was the embodiment of every guitar store employee’s deep-seeded dream of being a successful full-time musician. So, for us, every Reggie appearance was an opportunity to observe a player who had real style (both in terms of musicianship and his approach to life) and to live vicariously whenever he told us about his latest tour. Reggie had seemingly been everywhere! From obscure European countries, to Scandinavia, to Australia, to Japan—you name it and he’d been there.  And, of course, his passion for music and pursuit of his craft had been the vehicle for all of this.  Needless to say, Reggie was one of a kind, and he never failed to brighten our day during his visits.

While visiting Reggie in his last days of hospice, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with his wife, Andrea, at length. Through her, I learned about  the Reggie that I didn’t know.  She regaled me with stories of the early days of their courtship, during which time Reggie really impressed her by reading books aloud to her over the phone. Not surprisingly, this experience alone immediately alerted her to the fact that Reggie was someone special!  She also told me about Reggie’s unusual approach to the purchase of their home.  As was common in his life, Reggie was embarking on a protracted tour just as the house hunt had begun in earnest. So, in a dazzling display of trust (and perhaps an even more impressive display of intuition when it comes to relations with the fairer sex), Reggie simply gave Andrea the money for the house and instructed her to buy whichever one she preferred, as he knew she would “pick a good one.”  Again, not surprisingly, this further cemented in Andrea’s mind that she had indeed picked a good one—Reggie! 

It was unfortunately the case that Reggie was not very alert during my visit. Andrea informed me that he was simply worn out from receiving and entertaining so many visitors and well-wishers. Yet, he seemed to perk up a bit when I held his hand and told him that all his friends at Maple Street Guitars were thinking of him. Knowing that it might be the last time I would see him, I did my best to keep my composure and choke back tears as I said goodbye.  Four days later, on December 23^rd, Reggie passed away at the age of 75. In light of his adherence to a healthy lifestyle and his positive attitude, the arrival and circumstances of his final days seemed premature and most unfair.  But, as we all know, life is not fair, and there are no given days.  Rather, it is up to us to make the most of what time we have, building the best legacy that we can achieve within the communities in which we exist and, if we’re lucky, the world at large.  By this measure, Reggie achieved tremendous success in life.  He had the bravery and tenacity to pursue his love of music, and thus he enjoyed the rare blessing of making a living doing what he loved with people that he loved, all while spreading music to fans worldwide.  As a testament to this success, Reggie left the world surrounded by countless friends and family who all admired his artistry, his humor, and his kind-hearted nature. We, his local guitar shop buddies, consider ourselves privileged to have known him, and he will certainly be missed from our cast of regulars.    – L. Petsch  February, 2025

Staff Picks

John - The new women of Americana. Sierra Ferrell, Bella White, Sarah Jarosz and Kasey Musgraves all released great music in 2024. The songwriting is top notch and each is a stunning singer, especially Sierra. If you’re a streamer, load these folks into your chosen streaming service and the algorithm will find a plethora of quality artists that you may not otherwise hear about. 

Chris - Karnivool - Sound Awake - I’ve long referred to this record as “the album that makes me question why I continue to make music” as it encompasses everything I love. It’s incredibly dynamic and rhythmically complex but never overlooks the power of a great melodic hook coupled to a soaring vocal. “Goliath” proves that even odd time signatures can groove, while “New Day” and “All I Know” ebb and flow in ways that are always interesting, exciting, and unexpected.

Mike - The Clash - “London Calling”  – I know, I know.  Maple Street’s resident punk recommending perhaps the most famous punk album of all time feels like low hanging fruit, and maybe it is.  But even low hanging fruit can still be sweet and comforting and this album is no exception.  From the haunting title track, all the way through the outro of arguably their most catchy tune (“Train in Vain”, recorded so late in production that first run LP sleeves don’t even list the track!) there is not a wasted second on the album.  Viewed by many as the last great rock album of the 70s, for me it was one of the most influential in my life as well as, to my perception, one of the last TRULY great rock albums period.  Be it the acrobatic drumming of Topper Headon, the Dub swagger of Paul Simonon’s bass, Mick Jones guitar arrangements, or the lyrical brilliance and broken glass snarl of Joe Strummer, the songs feel powerful, vital, and brilliant; so much so it will nearly convince you a record can change the world. Produced by the legendary Guy Stevens, and recorded at the height of the band's power as performers, my advice is put this on, turn it up loud, and rediscover an all time classic by “the only band that matters”.  No one really cuts albums like this anymore, but someone should.

Winding Down

I released a new record (CD, Album…whatever), Boxcar, back in June of 2024 and launched it with a couple of shows; one in Atlanta and one in Denver. In both instances, I hired some of my very talented friends and they all stepped up in a big way and took great care to learn the songs. They all played beautifully and the shows were a big success. It was immeasurably satisfying. Since then, it has been difficult to get myself motivated to do solo shows and go through the process of calling venues, scheduling bookings and working up enough material to cover the sometimes three hours required of most gigs. Not to mention, keeping everything going on social media.

There are several generations of working musicians younger than me that have emerged in the last few years. The audiences are younger as well. Here in Atlanta, there are only a few local venues that cater to professional singer/songwriters. There are plenty of open mics for those who are just getting started or the hobbyists who have the urge to perform. But, it appears that places like Waller’s Coffee Shop, Eddie’s Attic and the Red Clay Music Foundry are in short supply for the local, seasoned (older) pro performers. 

Ideally, it would be great to hop in the van and hit up small venues across the country like we used to do, but even that has become unrealistic. The cost of travel is prohibitive and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to play for minus dollars. Social media has proven to be the place to launch even a modest career and, as we all know, it’s about followers and streams. The last time I played the Grand Ole Opry, one of the performers was a young man no one backstage had heard of. He didn’t have a record deal but he had one million streams on Spotify. When he stepped out to perform, the crowd went crazy. That’s when I knew us old fogies were doomed. As we are all aware, social media is the new marketing arm of the music business.

While many boomers have taken to Facebook, they are not so apt to leave home to go see a show. My core audience is shrinking at a rapid pace. Younger artists also have the advantage of having mastered the tools and their peers are the “arbiters of taste” on the interwebs. They also have taken our place in the live venues.

All of this has added to my conundrum. At the tender age of 76 (in May), I am still in pretty good health, have my voice and the ability to play decent guitar and stand up for a couple of hours and, you know, rawk. I am still writing and have the desire to perform. What I don’t want to do is learn a bunch of cover songs to fill time and spend hours cold calling wineries and clubs just to scratch the itch. Anyone else feel this way?

This is all to say that these circumstances have forced me into an early(?) semi-retirement. Is that hedging? Yes, yes it is. I never say no to a good gig and I still want to do a couple of local shows a year. But, to my dismay, the idea of hitting the road, which has always appealed to me, seems to have passed me by. I understand the pro athlete who has a hard time retiring. It’s like the time Willie was ask when he was going to retire. He said, “From what? All I do is golf and play music.” Willie has a much easier time booking gigs.
John Cable 2025