The Paint Branch Ramblers have gone through some changes and played a little bluegrass. So, what’s up with us now?
1) The big news is that beloved Rambler Ryan Jerving (AKA The Viper), has moved on to a world of beer, brats, and Laverne & Shirley, e.g., Milwaukee, WI. Thus, the PBR line-up has changed somewhat. While we are missing one of our original members, we are still playing the same fun, old-timey bluegrass music.
2) We played the 2009 University of Maryland, Entomology Department Oktoberfest for the 3rd straight year in October. It was largely a warm-up gig to test out our new set sans The Viper. The music was good and we once again filled up on (and were paid in) pork. Here is the set list:
Set #1
- Soldier’s Joy
- Red Clay Halo
- Ocean of Diamonds
- Old Home Place
- Trilogy (Haste to the Wedding Quadrille, The Musical Priest, Whiskey Before Breakfast)
- If I Lose
- Two More Bottles of Wine
- Jerusalem Ridge
- Boat Like Gideon Brown
- Throw the First Stone
- Your Cheating Heart
Set #2
- Jacknife/Down Yonder
- Good Morning Irene
- Ashokan Farewell
- I’ve Just Seen a Face
- Cat-Eyed Willie Claims His Lover
- Banks of the Ohio
- Blackberry Blossom
- CC Rider
- I’ll Fly Away
- 3 Night’s Experience
- Wagon Wheel
3) The Paint Branch Ramblers’ old-time stylin’s warmed the hearts—if not the extremities—of the shoppers and vendors at the 2009 Riverdale Park Holiday Market this past December. We played a set of perennial Ramblers classics, sprinkled throughout with brand-new, kung-fu, break-through debut pieces. Also included were special songs for the season, including “Lawson Family Murder,” detailing a Christmas 1929 mass murder-suicide.
The Ramblers’ full set list was:
- Fisher’s Hornpipe
- Boat Like Gideon Brown
- Lawson Family Murder
- Old Black Rum
- If I Lose
- Blackberry Blossom
- Ocean of Diamonds
- Ashokan Farewell
- Silver Bells
- Old Home Place
- Jackknife/Down Yonder
- Throw the First Stone
- Old Brown’s Daughter
- Jerusalem Ridge
- Blue Christmas
Though secretly sad that the band didn’t collapse entirely in my absences, I am outwardly delighted to see you all up and running again – and with new material (you’ll have to tell me what “Your Cheating Heart or Here” means!). And glad to see that someone, somewhere – anywhere – was playing the “Lawson Family Murder” this Christmas.
Thanks Ryan – all updates are done after midnight. I’m like a mogwai, if you feed me after midnight I’m unable to cut and paste band updates
Wish the drive from Wisconsin wasn’t so long. It would be great to have you here.