I got me a Doublemint post right here. Except instead of two, two, two mints in one, it's two videos with two steelers in each. Same band: Asleep At The Wheel.
The first is one I've posted previously in another thread but, like they say, the chickens always come home to roost. In the other post I didn't mention the name of the steelers, both of whom are playing non-pedal guitars. The pretty blonde seated is Cindy Cashdollar, who is well-known as a virtuoso dobro player but she can switch over with the best of them. I'm not sure who the fellow standing is - my initial impression because of the stance and guitar is that it is Eddie Rivers who I didn't mention in an earlier post in this thread of "Old Cowhand". Rivers is still playing with the Wheel and was there when they appeared during the final series of David Letterman's show a little while ago.
The Wheel's still out on the road so you can check out some Western Swing music with the best.
The second one comes from much earlier as is apparent from the video quality (although the sound's fine) and is an early lineup of the Wheel. It has their original steel player Lucky Oceans and seated next to him is Wally Murphy.
I first came to central Illinois for undergrad and the Wheel made it through town early one school year. Wally was the only steeler for that and he was on his way down to the steel convention in StL which happens over Labor Day weekend, so it's still very warm. They have these turn-of-the-century buildings still in use but they were places for "happenings" in the early 1900s, things like vaudeville shows, political meetings/speeches, dances, often in a hall on the upper floor. The Wheel played one of those.
Wally came down from the bandstand to hang out with us during one of the breaks. We had a group seated in a circle near the stage. He was very nice and enjoying himself. It probably didn't hurt that the girls with us were all college girls wearing those short-shorts
. Good time and a great band.
That's it. Summer's here!
