Chris Thile Streaming on Prairie Home Companion

[bucephalous]

I saw him host last weeks show in person and it was great. They're streaming it live right now with all KINDS of mandolin jokes and The Punch Brothers.

http://prairiehome.org/?elq=c86b4213...mpaignId=11501

[JCook]

Listening right now. I think he's doing a darn good job hosting the show. It's got to be pretty daunting stepping into Garrison Keillor's footsteps, but he seems to have it in hand. Oh, and his playing is pretty darn good, too!

Jack

[Jeff Budz]

Such a great two weeks of PHC with Chris as the host. Everyone should check out the replay tomorrow, Chris did an amazing job.

[rubydubyr]

I am watching the play back of it, and there's a link on the page to allow you to watch last week's show also. Don't get me wrong, I think Chris Thile is a awesome musician and mandolinist, but he always strikes me as a geek trying to appear to be cool, especially when he's playing jazz.

[JeffD]

... but he always strikes me as a geek trying to appear to be cool, especially when he's playing jazz.

I think that is because he really is a geek, trying to appear to be cool. I mean really.

[JeffD]

Well after listening to Chris I have an amazing thought.

He could do a show like this. Whether this one or his own.

I hope not this one, I will always see it as Garrison Keillor's show, his sensibility. In fact my only, ONLY, criticism of Thile's hosting the show was my own expectations of Garrison wit and wisdom, and Chris is not Garrison.

But he is Chris, and listened to that way, oh my. I loved it.

I really think there could be a Chris Thile show. And I think I would love to listen to it. And it could propel the mandolin into the mainstream via the public radio audience and.... oh... never mind.

[Jeff Mando]

And it could propel the mandolin into the mainstream via the public radio audience and.... oh... never mind.

We've already had mainstream mandolin--it was called Maggie May by Rod Stewart--great tune--oh sure, why not, its been 45 years, let's do it again.....

[rubydubyr]

We've already had mainstream mandolin--it was called Maggie May by Rod Stewart--great tune--oh sure, why not, its been 45 years, let's do it again.....

lol

[lenf12]

I think that is because he really is a geek, trying to appear to be cool. I mean really.

I'll have to rethink my definitions of "geek" and "cool".

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[rubydubyr]

ok, do you really HAVE to contort your face into various poses of what I can only describe as appearing to be in intense pain to be a great musician????? just askin......

[JeffD]

I'll have to rethink my definitions of "geek" and "cool".

Geek (mando geek) is what the man is. Cool, (as in jazz cool) is what he is trying to be. His nearly getting there is endearing.

[JeffD]

ok, do you really HAVE to contort your face into various poses of what I can only describe as appearing to be in intense pain to be a great musician????? just askin......

That mando-face. I don't know. How much is real and how much is theater? More to the point, if theater, is that bad? I mean the whole thing is a performance. Right? So like in a training video, where the goal is to make this look easy, you don't see mando-face or guitar face. But in a performance, where the goal is some kind of emotional communication, maybe its not out of place. I don't know.

It seems ridiculous sometimes, in a jam, to see mando-face or guitar face on a tune everyone else is just trying to get through.

But what if its not deliberate. Or if it is an awkward attempt to avoid the unconscious mouth and facial tics that some folks accompany fast picking?

I don't know. But I think if they were easy to avoid, they would be avoided.

[rubydubyr]

Personally, I think its all for the camera, and a bit over the top at that....

[rubydubyr]

Bill and Jethro don't make that face
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ylJUqZZeQ

[rubydubyr]

Jethro and Chet don't do it. When you look at Jethro he either looks like he's concentrating, or like the cat that just drank papa's coffee cream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wGUPN9-cj0
As an aside, if I could tremolo, I would surely attempt to learn Blackbird, what a beautiful song!

[C. Welter]

Bill had the ultimate mando-face:

[Jeff Mando]

That's where *ELVIS* got his sneer!!!!

[Jeff Budz]

rubydubyr, thanks for sharing your opinion. We get it.

[9lbShellhamer]

I'm not being rhetorical. I genuinely want to know why I've read so many posts regarding the faces and body movements of a particular mandolin player. They don't just show up on this thread...I've read probably a hundred over the past few years.

Who cares?

So someone wants to dance...what's the big deal?

"No fun allowed! Just play that mandolin and stay still boy!"

I really enjoyed listening to Chris host Prairie as well. I thought he did a great job.

[Jeff Mando]

It's OK, I just checked my calendar, it's Everybody Hate Thile week!

On a lighter note, we have a local guitar player with a popular band we go to see and while the band is great and his playing is great, when he starts his solo, he makes a face like he just bit into a spoiled lemon, oh it gets worse, believe me! I gently nudge my wife, letting her know he is about to raise up his left leg---yep, when he reallly starts to feel his oats, there goes the leg......no harm done, we think it's a riot, actually, and it happens once per song, just like clockwork. Of course, he playing a dingy local dive with dark lighting, not on TV or mega-stages.....

I've mentioned this in a previous Thile face thread. Eric Clapton did a similar thing early in his career, still does it, but he has learned to "control" himself when he starts to do it. Just guessing, but I'm almost positive his management noticed it and took steps to "coach" him out of it. Again, no harm done, but affects the way the audience sees a performance. Dean Martin was the handsome leading man with the golden voice. Jerry Lewis was the goofball who made funny faces. Both were/are great! Just different.

[rubydubyr]

rubydubyr, thanks for sharing your opinion. We get it.

I'm mighty glad you did, my job is done.

[rubydubyr]

It's OK, I just checked my calendar, it's Everybody Hate Thile week!
Dean Martin was the handsome leading man with the golden voice. Jerry Lewis was the goofball who made funny faces. Both were/are great! Just different.

I don't "hate" Chris, I think his playing is awesome! I aspire to be 1/100th the musician he is and if I ever achieve it, I might just make faces while I play also!
And speaking of Jerry, he was a damn good looking man when he wasn't making his "faces". And speaking of "faces", who knows, I might make them now and just not realize it.

[stevedenver]

I'm mighty glad you did, my job is done.

promises, promises..

[Spruce]

I don't "hate" Chris...

Me neither...

But Sara Bellum is getting really really old...

[rubydubyr]

Me neither...

But Sara Bellum is getting really really old...

The character from power puff girls, or the pen name of Garrison Keillor?