USA-Z.COM
An Americana Road Trip
"In August 1976, with tickets to see the Doobie Brothers at the Rainbow Theatre, I rushed to the platform at my home town train station and asked the train dispatcher, what time's the next train to London? "You've just missed it mate" he replied. I vowed there and then, to never again miss the next train".
I was lying on the couch in the early days of the virus, wondering what to do with my life. My small business helped to connect small businesses in the US with small businesses in the UK. Brexit and the virus killed my livelihood but I still needed something to keep me from becoming ‘that guy’ on the bar stool at my neighborhood dive bar in Kansas City.
That afternoon on the couch, scanning random YouTube videos I saw a review of the Rodecaster Pro, and I thought ‘that’s it’, so I bought one. You may not know what a Rodecaster Pro is, and neither did I. Essentially it’s a mixing desk for aspiring podcast hosts with little or no understanding of audio recording and production to create podcasts. The ‘that’s is moment’ that hit me was that I needed to start a podcast. I was instantly excited and couldn’t wait for it to arrive. On the day it showed up I unpacked the Rodecaster, as well as microphones, XLT cables, headphones and more. Wonderful! There were a couple of slight problems however. I didn’t have a clue how all this technology and the editing software worked, and even more fundamentally no idea of the subject for a podcast. I decided that I needed to revive my business and I could all this with a podcast. Yes, that would work. Two days later I decided, screw this, I want to enjoy myself and reverted to my life long love of music, especially everything under an Americana umbrella. So I started out but the journey hasn’t been easy.
Growing up in the UK
My Mum and Dad owned a pub in England called the Black Horse way back in the day. There was a great jukebox so I grew up listening to the Beatles and Stones. The pub was located in a village called Emmer Green, and when Yellow Submarine would play, rather than “we all live in a yellow submarine” the locals would all sing “we all live in the Black Horse, Emmer Green”.
Rod Stewart, Genesis and Pink Floyd were all big for me. However my biggest influence has been Bob Harris, a television and radio broadcaster from the BBC also known as 'Whispering Bob'. Bob presented "The Old Grey Whistle Test" television show (1972-1987) which focused on album music rather than singles. The show derived it's name from a Tin Pan Alley phrase from years before, where first pressings of a record would be played to people they called the ‘old greys doormen’ wearing grey suits. Any song they could remember and whistle after hearing it a couple of times passed the old grey whistle test. The original opening music from the show was Santana's 'Jingo' which was later replaced with a harmonica theme, 'Stone Fox Chase' by Nashville band Area Code 615. By far the biggest impact I remember from the Whistle Test was a Van Morrison special, 'Too Late to Stop Now', featuring the Caledonia Soul Orchestra. I'd never heard of Van before and was completely blown away.
In 1976 I made countless trips crisscrossing the United States by Greyhound. The sad reality however was, it was just Simon & Garfunkel, a Sony Walkman and my imagination riding through Pittsburgh. I hadn't actually hitchhiked 4 miles from Saginaw and didn't have any of Mrs Wagner's pies. It would be another ten years before I would set foot here.
February 3rd, 1986 was freezing cold and snowing in New York City, but did I care? No! I had finally arrived. As I emerged from the subway it was dark, with a cacophony of car horns, a sea of yellow cabs, steam coming out of the road, and the only thing missing was Kojak. I have to say that week in New York City was awesome. Trying to pick one thing above all else that amazed me most was Bleecker Street. It was incredible. A street full of live music venues, and most with no cover charge. Back in 1986 staying up till 4am was no problem, and along with a friend from the UK who joined me, we would stroll along Bleecker each night. Two girls playing acoustic Simon & Garfunkel, next place a six piece band playing Brown Eyed Girl, heavy metal, a jazz quartet, and two hours later were only four doors down. I have been back many times since, and the venues I particularly recall are Bitter End, Kenny's Castaways and The Back Fence. Sadly I didn't get to CBGB's.
But that was then and this is now
A lot happened between those early days in New York and now in 2022. I married an American lady and moved from London to Kansas City. My music tastes had evolved in the previous three decades to include Bruce Springsteen, Doobies, Steely Dan and nowadays includes the likes of Tyler Childers, Alison Krause, Hayes Carll and The Turnpike Troubadors.
I launched a podcast in 2020, and then caught the wretched virus which has left me with brain fog and lack of energy. So far I have published just one episode. I’m finally getting back to a good space and reviving the podcast, which this time around will include a blogpost and street photography, all in the combined theme of Americana and Americana music. I’m conscious it won’t be easy, but I’m going for it
The plan is to travel across America, off the beaten track, and in the cities, the backroads, across the railroad tracks, behind closed doors, to visit the one-of-a-kind places and to meet one-of-kind people, each with their own stories to tell, that shaped American popular culture and to ask the question "what is Americana?
I will interview artists, singer songwriters and the owners and operators of the unique venues. Lyricists to find meanings to the words, and the importance of story telling, and musical instrument manufacturers and suppliers to the music industry in general. Our journey will take us deep into the the genres of folk, blues, country, bluegrass, jazz, rock and roll, gospel and more, to learn their history, and to understand how different genres influence each other and what each brings to the understanding of Americana Music.
Beyond music, we continue our Americana theme, to visit one-of-kind museums, factory tours, festivals, collectors, Mom & Pop generational restaurants and diners. We hear stories of hardship and long hours, of dedication and success, and amazing journeys. We are told about exciting road trips, and the randomness that take people where they would never have gone, to meet people they would never have met, creating lifelong memories. We meet with a biker from Boston, a thousand miles after Sturgess who had no idea what State he was in, a family towing an Airstream, on the road for a year with no plan, and a thousand others the same but different.
We'll meet the guy who works a kitchen at a busy venue flipping burgers, with 18 guitars who between orders gets up on stage to become Johnny Cash. An award winning BBQ joint in a gas station, and a gas station with a bomber aircraft on its roof. We meet hobo's, bikers, travelers, road trippers, and interesting folk with passion and a story to tell. We talk with record collectors who knocked down walls and remodeled their homes to accommodate their vast record collections, and proud collectors of memorabilia.
We dig deep to discover the meaning of Americana, and along the way hear the best and not so good of everything. The frustration when an iconic performer fails to show, three times in a row. Singers walking off stage for the smallest of reasons, the idiosyncrasies of performers backstage and the accounts of what it has taken to get a performer to perform. However, the vast majority of our content will be individual and delightful stories of 'that one amazing concert', or how a promoter pulled strings to provide unobtainable tickets for a deserving fan, or the unexpected guest appearing on stage, or randomly bumping into a favorite artists in an unexpected setting, or a one-of-kind encounter with anyone from anywhere with a unique story to tell. And all the time we ask "What is Americana?".
For of this project, USA-Z "An Americana Road Trip, to succeed, we will be relying heavily on feedback from visitors and subscribers. With your participation and tips on what should be featured we truly be everywhere at one. Well kinda!
roddy.fisher@gmail.com
