Q: Hey, when are you going to tour around here? Milwaukee?
i appreciate your asking about that. milwaukee is a pretty far out place, and i have some freaky musician, artist, dj friends there, and it would be fun to come there again and play my strange music.
if you look at ask barnes part 3 there is a recommendation for how to have me play. in short, set up a show and bring me out there, if you want to and feel like it. otherwise you just have to wait and see. i go pretty much everywhere within reason in the lower forty eight every couple of years. keep an eye on things.
you just missed a show in chicago, which is very close.
Q: I was wondering whether you may be available to give a lesson in October. I had inquired about a possible workshop about three years ago, and I still have the idea to sit down with you and take a lesson.
you know, when moving around gig to gig it's hard to pull off things like that. if there's a blank hole in the time, it's best filled with reading, a nap, a walk, practicing or something like that. if you'd like to learn more about the banjo i suggest going to one of the great camps that they have nowadays. also practice your butt off and get a really good teacher or teachers. it's really nice of you to ask and i like to play. sometimes i teach at those camps and we can jam there because that's about all you do at one those things.
if you have any specific questions feel free to ask.
Q: Where do you go for good TexMex or BBQ in the Great NW?
uh....prolly best to forget that one. that's not the type of cuisine the NW is known for.
also i'm a vegetarian and not a good person to ask.
there's great indian and asian and lebanese and stuff like that. good breakfast places and cafes and great coffee and tea.
i'm not so much of a foodie when it comes to bbq and texmex really. there was much burn out experienced in that realm in the 35 years or so i spent in the hotbed.
restaurant suggestions are funny, so many times when someone says to me, "you just HAVE to eat there," sometimes it doesn't really turn out so great. or if you have a couple of hours to kill and you find a little cafe somewhere and have a nice thing going on, you get to the club and someone says, "i can't believe you ate THERE!" the word "subjective" comes to mind. my point is that suggestions of this type from me to you, might not work out so great for you. there's something about how the einstein-ian concept of how time comes into the equation also that is a part of this discussion.
for more on this, check out george berkeley's treatise concerning the principles of human understanding where he posits the idea that things only exist in their particulars. it was so great for me to read this. i thought i was going crazy. didn't aristotle prove that by making a statement you invoke it's opposite?
anyway, you are kind of on your own, so to speak. your odds are better eating what you find, rather than looking for a copy of your familiar victuals.
Q: And the Bad Livers live on. I have turned many people on to the BL and they are like "woah, where did this come from, where can I see them". But I also know that business is business, and in our world, living in the USA, money is king and nothing is free, and tickets need to be sold. But I guess my question is, what about the festival Circuit? What about Telluride? What about Grey Fox?
are you asking why don't bad livers play at those festivals? the simple answer is that we are busy doing other things on our end, and the festivals you mention probably have negative interest on their end, howzat? however, i appreciate your asking. that band worked so very hard. we put in a lot of time and miles on that project.
it's amazing that we got to re-invent ourselves so many times. now we are kinda busy doing different things.
the money isn't such a big deal so much as the calendar, really.
the fact that you discovered the music at all, reinforces my theory that there is more good music out there than is possible to keep up with and the over-arching meta-narrative of "well they just don't make music like they used to" that we hear so much is probably false. like so many other ideas like that. things only exist in their particulars. (or "may" only).
it is very cool of you to play the music for other people. that is where it's at. keep that up, you are doing a good turn.
Q: one of your records has a picture of "red's recovery room" on it, which is near my house. did you record at prairie sun across the street, or did you just dig on the "death to the american dream" vibe it puts out?
no sir i did not record that cd there. that cd is recorded at a gig. the producer found that place red's and took the photo and thought it was funny and did that type of groove. the cd was recorded at a well known venue in DC. the reason the actual place is a secret is that the buyer of the club tried to get out of paying me, the same night that i recorded a live cd in his venue! it was really funny. so the actual identity of the venue shall remain a mystery. (only about three times in my life has someone tried to not pay me.... so the percentile is in the decimal range.)
tragedy plus time equals comedy.
he paid me, but he tried to weasel.
Q: Now, after hearing you play bass harmonica for the first time, could you enlighten me on a few related topics, like the history of your particular bass harmonica, and how you got into it?
well i grew up in the sixties and dug those old scores and soundtracks from that period for westerns and teevee shows. and the bass harmonica for some reason was used a lot in those works from that era. like petticoat junction. they used some real weird orchestrations for some of the B movies. like super distorted electric guitar, baritone sax, flute, drum kit, electric bass and female chorus or something like that. the orchestra being too expensive for the smaller movies, they would write scores for these strange combinations of instruments and there were like sixty year old guys writing cues that they thought were "hip" or something. "hey sal, write something the kids will like!" i remember being very young and seeing things that had that type of sound in the score. my dad and brothers loved westerns and we probably watched every one that came down the pike. the particular bass harmonica i have was given to me by mark rubin. it's been used on a ton of things.
i don't play it very well and have been known to use duct tape to cover up unwanted holes and to mark places on there.
my talent is in coming up with a good idea and an interesting way to record it. usually musically, it's a very simple idea.
Q: Not a question...just wanted to let you know how much my wife and I enjoyed your playing with Robert Earl Keen on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at the Parish Room in Austin. Great show -- you're one insanely great banjo player!
i appreciate that. there's a lot of work in what i'm trying to do so i really appreciate your enjoying the result. i've been working with those guys for the last few years and it's been a really fun trip. they are good travel hangs. thank you for coming out to the show.
Q: The video for Things I Done Wrong I found on you tube moved me beyond words (rare). Last thing, I have recently picked up the Mezz Mezzrow bio "Really the Blues." So many things in here remind of Danny and his overall gestalt for some reason. Do you (Danny) have any thoughts on this publication?
no sir i don't know this work but will investigate as per your suggestion. thank you for liking that song and for writing. it's really cool of you to do that. i do that too, if i hear something i like, i'll drop a line and mention it to the artist. write some fan mail. i just wrote some fan mail to a software designer.
typically my research in this particular time frame you allude to has centered more on composed and/or experimental music rather than improvised music. i know very little about jazz from that era. have you listened to edgard varese?
Q: Barnyard Electronics is my favorite album of yours, and it's quite a departure! Do you see yourself heading in this direction more in the future?
I hope the fact that it's temporarily out of stock is a GOOD sign!
it's really my fave one too! you made my day that you thought that was worthwhile.
thank you very much for that. yes that's the music i'm working on. i call the style "folktronics." my plan is to release tons more work as i develop that vision. there is a longer explanation on the site folktronics.com interestingly enough. thank you so much for grooving on that. that cd felt so good to get out there. it freaks me out how people enjoy the weirder side of what i do. it's tortuous for a guy like me to go for years and think, " i've kinda gotta smooth this out so folks will like it." quite a few years ago i just turned my back on that restriction and went for the music i had in my head and heart. thank you for allowing me to do that and my hope is that you will play the music for someone else.
it's back in stock i was just out of state and they ran out of copies in my web store.
Q: is the banjo harder to play than the guitar?
they are both hard. i think the learning curve on the banjo might be a little steeper initially. maybe. in a surface structure, the guitar might be easier because there are more types of music played on that, so the probability of finding an inspiring style and format is greater. is french harder than german? i don't know. probably any new language is going to take you ten years of hard work to get comfortable. figure about the same for an instrument which is also a language.
Q: i just listened to you and rek on john boy and billy's big show this morning, man i love those live shows. and i hope you are enjoying yourself "down south". i do have a question for ya, are you planning on doing more stuff with rek?
oh absolutely. i play with those boys every chance i get. they are like brothers to me and robert is an excellent boss and gifted songwriter. he has so many great songs it's unbelievable. rek, tim o'brien and robbie fulks all three are so good at writing songs. and all are prolific. and always working on new music. it's an inspiring thing to travel and around and work with people like that. kris delmhorst is another one. there sure are a lot of great songwriters out there. i have the best job in the world. it's hard to believe i get to do this stuff. when i was little i dreamed that someday i'd be able to do this, so i need to be really thankful for my reality.
there are quite a few dates this year with the barnes/rek band lineup. so come see us.
Q: if u ever get invited to play with willie ring me up n take me with you--ha--kathy
(kathy is my cousin.)
kathy, i don't think this is going to happen, but it's very nice of you to suggest. (does she mean anybody named willie?)
Q: I just figured out that you are the banjo player on my REK DVD! Wow. I play in a band called Lost Anglers and we have a good friend that plays banjo with us on occasion. My question is how do you mic your banjo to play in a (rock) band kind of set up -- drums bass keyboards and 3 guitars? It's difficult to get the banjo up in the mix using a regular PA mic. Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.
yes, it is difficult. one of the physical issues is that you are taking a tool and using it in place for which it wasn't designed. like trying to make a trap gun shoot skeet. it's easier if it's designed from the ground up for that, because of the different parameters.
there is a tech article on folktronics.com that will help you.
Q: when i saw you play with Robert Earl Keen, you don't get to play very much, how come?
it's a different discipline. when you play behind a singer, the main groove is to help the singer sound really good, and not really draw attention to yourself. it's like playing the trombone in benny goodman's band. you stand up and take your solo or two a night but you spend the rest of the time playing parts, or laying out.
as an example, when you go see symphonic music. if you have a friend that plays in the cello section, you don't get to see her jump up and take over the whole deal.
schopenhauer says we all have our roles that we play in life and it's best not to mess with this. in playing with rek, i'm trying to make him sound as good as i can. and make the aggregate sound good. laying out at times and playing little horn lines and stuff like that. that's the gig. it takes a different part of your brain and i enjoy the challenge.
Q: I love what you added to DMB's songs, especially Lie In Our Graves. So when you pass through LA, want to come by and jam on that for a half hour or so? I live only a couple of miles from the Hollywood Bowl! Please?!
oh man, there's not much time for that when traveling. some of the guys i work with hang out a lot and stay up really late and party and all this, i just can't do it. my routine is to nap, exercise, eat something healthy, read, get some work done, iron my clothes, go play, say goodbye, go back to the hotel, drink some herb tea, listen to some music and get some rest for tomorrow. i'd love to hang out and jam, but it's hard when you move around and have to really be on in front of ten or fifteen or twenty thousand people, or even three hundred people, or fifty people. i appreciate the offer, sorry.
Q: The song "death trip", did you write it, and where can i get the lyrics?
yes that's my song. if you write down as much as you can figure out and send it to me, i'll fill in what you are missing.
Q: I saw you play at Windows on the Cumberland a few years ago, and we've seen you with Tim O at the Station Inn, but we miss seeing you here in Nashville!
around three people came to that windows show. it didn't bother me that much, but the owners were really bummed. i just don't really have a place to play in nashville with my own show...where do people play? never could find the groove on that. which seems strange to me, but nonetheless, that's my experience there.
Q: The question I have is how amazing did it feel to be up on stage with dave matthews band just jammin and kickin ass on top of it. Did you get to hang out with them much? What was that like?
well yeah, we hung out quite a bit actually. as far as what it's like, it's really fun, they are really nice and very positive and just way into music, so .......there you go, sounds like my kinda vibe. playing with them in front of twenty thousand or so is like getting to drive a really nice fast car. and when you close the door there's a really tight seal and everything works perfectly and you have a lot of power and the design is really cool, and the switches and knobs have a positive feel to them, and you think ...wow so this is what it's like when everything is happening. and you get it out on the highway and open it up and even when you are flying down the road, you can feel that there's tons more power left.
it's like that.
and it corners really good.
Q: I haven't been to your site for a while, and I was wondering if you had any of your older "Thoughts on Music" columns archived somewhere. I found those ruminations to be thoughtful and inspirational.
i stopped doing that for awhile. however my plan is to revisit that behavior on folktronics.com.
there will be new articles and stuff about books, gear reviews, music life and stuff like that on there. check that one out.
Q: I am a local San Antonio artist playing at crappy ass clubs BUT with my son, Dylan as my drummer. I'm blessed to have what I have but more pleased to know that you seem to be a positive light in a dark world. Keep it up, brother.
well hang in there and have fun with music. i'll keep it up, i have no choice and don't want another choice.
i'm somewhat of a reformed pessimist. as captain beefheart says, "my smile is stuck, i cannot go back to your frownland."
when other people get sick of your complaining about everything, that doesn't stop you, and you keep spreading the negativity, but when YOU get sick of your own mess, yikes, you are in for it then! the only thing left to do at that point is to get better. (see jung.)
i get a lot of relief from studying philosophy and the bible.
for years i was a drag to be around. a few years ago i switched gears from, "what's in it for me?" to, "what can i bring to this? how can i help this situation?"
if you are playing gigs and having fun, you win.
what else can i say? art is great, read a book, have a nice cup of tea, go for a walk, help somebody out.
life is a great deal. find a job you like.
if you don't believe in the sturm und drang, it doesn't exist.
Q: When are you coming to Ames? Look at the M-Shop in Iowa State U. union.
hey, set up a show and i'll come. details are in ask barnes part 3.
Q: Some years ago (early 2002) I found "Ruby (are you mad)" on your MP3's. The version was by the Gully Jumpers from the album "Peas and Corn". Is it still available?
that cd was made my mark pierce and jon van feldt. jon was in that band thin white rope and mark was in zeke. my thinking is that somewhere there is a huge box of those cds, but i have no idea how to get them. maybe if you googled their names on your googler, you'd find a gurgle.
Q: Do you know of (or know) Jessica Williams? A really fine jazz piano player, loves Monk; she lives in the Pacific northwest. I figured that you and her could be the only folks in the Pacific Northwest to record "Raise Four" and might know of each other. BTW, that is a hell of a tune. I thought I knew Monk's stuff pretty well, but I sure didn't know that one until I heard you do it a Grey Fox, and Ms Williams really plays it well, also.
no sir, but i will look her up as per your suggestion.
i learned that piece myself from bill frisell, and we played it on a tour with greg leisz, and jenny scheinman.
bill has recorded it that so that's three.
if you want, check out the version on Barnyard Electronics, i made an epic piece out of it on there.
Q: What are those things you have implanted in your shoes, or maybe boots, that make you bob and weave back and forth so successfully when you perform? They must contain some kind of vibrational receiver that make you shimmy in perfect rhythm with your playing. Just curious.
you've made me all self conscious now...what the heck are you talking about?
i'm just trying to play something good on the banjo, so i'm not sure about all this. ha!
the moving and weaving comes from dodging beer cans. and jumping to conclusions.
Q: When are you going to get over here to Europe and show these guys what the hell a banjo is really used for!?
if you set up a show i'll come over there. details are in ask barnes part 3.
Q: I saw you many years ago in ashville as the bad livers, and to me i stood still and time went by. are you just backing for others or is there a band in your future?
well ..............i think i see what you are asking. the short answer is yes, probably. say.....31% probability.
i have probably brought three bands a total of about ten times to the area that you mentioned, since the time you mentioned and you forgot to come. where were you? ( i am teasing here, but really have been there quite a bit.)
as far as "just" backing for others, i love to play with my friends and will continue that behavior and also have band and solo projects also in the works. so the variable in this equation is the X factor of whether or not you will show up! everything else is constant.
my suggestion is to continue to keep up with music you like and do your research and go see stuff when it comes through. and thank you for being interested in my work at all. and play the music for anyone you think would be remotely interested.
Q: As I am someone without a musical background, what would be your advice to someone getting past the frustration that comes with learning other than patience and practice?
i would add acceptance to the list.
a funny thing happened to me a long while ago. i used to teach in a little music store and met with quite a few beginning banjo players a week. one day, while struggling with a piece a lady stopped and said, "how can you stand to listen to this?!!?"
and i thought about it for a second and said, "welcome to learning to play an instrument." we might as well get comfortable with that sound because to this day, when i practice, you can't even sit in the room with me if i'm working on stuff, and i've been at it for 36 years. practice is playing stuff you have trouble with, not playing stuff you already know, that's playing. so that feeling never goes away. that's the reason more people don't play music.
it's hard. and it takes time. and you have to get used to sounding like a cat with his tail caught under a rocking chair.
not having a musical background may actually help because you don't bring any of that baggage with you.
we have to start where we are and work with what we have. (thank you chogyam trungpa)
Q: I need the lyrics to "Fist Magnet" where could I find them?
you know my policy.
write down what you have and send it to me and i'll fill in what you are missing.
Q: Crossties has stayed in my brain for many years while a zillion other songs have been played and forgotten. So thanks for that. Wish I could have seen a Bad Livers live show. Shout if you can point me toward any video.
I'm late to the Bad Liver party...but I'm here now.
there's some things on youtube but the really good stuff is gone. thank you for liking that music. there are quite a few live shows available for free on various sites that you can find. and i bet there are several cds that you don't have. pick them up and listen, and show them to anyone that you think would be interested, if you would please.
Q: Remember the pie girls from string summit? come play in eugene and you are promised a homemade pie!
you know i love good pie! that's a pretty dang good inducement. pie is the best.
(the skunk ape in goon comics liked pie.)
eugene is fun, but i can never figure out where to go after that. where do you play between there and san francisco?
i have had a lot of fun times playing in eugene. for many years. that's a fun place. disc golf, health food store, vinyl record store, comic book store.
Q: Any chance you'll be making a return the NW String Summit this year? Our family sure missed you last year. Jeff Austin summed it best when he said the was "a big whole in the line up." Hope to see you there!
yessir we are planning on having me play there this year. thank you for asking.
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Okay we are done with the following topics and these shan't be discussed anymore on this site:
Q: Lyrics to my songs.
if you write me what you have, i'll correct and fill in the blanks. cheerfully done.
Q: Why don't you play here?
if you set up a show, or otherwise pester people in your area that put on shows, i will come. that's my job. there is no motive or mystery as to why your town was skipped in a tour. if you live in the u.s., odds are i have played within a two hour drive of wherever you are more than twice in the last five years. come to think of it this may include england and ireland.
if you really want to hear my work, set up a show. or keep an eye out for when i do come through.
the point i'm making is, from where i sit the issue is not that i don't come to where you are, but the fact that you might not have come to the show the last three times i was in your area! which is okay because there will be lots more chances.
Q: When are the Bad Livers going to play?
we are kinda busy doing different things.
plus we played every weekend for about eight years, so we held up our end of the deal.
Q: Can we jam?
the odds aren't so good in favor of this.
maybe. but it's kind of hard to swing that because of the moving about and shows and the like. sorry about that. i appreciate your asking.
again, thank you very much for being interested in my music, thank you for listening, reading and keeping up with my movements.
if you feel like it, tell someone else about my music.
danny barnes
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