The Mandolinist - Happiest on a Stage?

[Emmett Marshall]

Is it just me, or do the mandolinists often, but not necessarily always, "seem" happier performing than most others on a stage? - excluding the constant half-smile and blank stare of the banjo player of course. Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, Sierra Hull, etc etc. - always smiling, jerking, and swinging while everybody else looks so painfully serious most of the time. Hmmmmm?

I think it might be similar to "personality matching" an instrument. Like a loud, outspoken, person playing a trumpet? Or like the electric guitar of the acoustic world, Or, you know, people who look like their pets?

I think Sam Bush looks to having the most fun in this video:

Nevermind. I just figured out why he's enjoying himself more.

[Mark Gunter]

[allenhopkins]

Liveliest mandolinist on-stage I've seen -- Donna Stoneman:



Contrast Donna's dancing with Roni's deadpan.

[Emmett Marshall]

Got a real laugh out of that one Allen!

[DavidKOS]

Pickin' and dancin' - what an act. I bet the other sister was a deadpan as part of the act too.

[allenhopkins]

You may remember Veronica "Roni" Stoneman, the banjo player, as "Ida Lee Nagger," the slatternly, bathrobe-wearing wife of "Laverne Nagger," played by Gordie Tapp, on Hee Haw.

Roni's still going, I believe, noted for her super-fast banjo picking and the gap between her front teeth; one of the six or seven (out of 23!) performing children of Ernest "Pop" Stoneman, one of the first stars of hillbilly music.

Donna, I believe, became a minister. There are fairly recent YouTube videos of the sisters still playing.

[DHopkins]

If I danced like Donna Stoneman on stage, I'd have to take a break after every song. I do move around on stage a lot, though. I can't use a mic on a stand 'cause I never stay too long in one spot. It's harder to hit a moving target and if I keep moving, we don't have to put the chicken wire up.

[DavidKOS]

Contrast Donna's dancing with Roni's deadpan.

You may remember Veronica "Roni" Stoneman, the banjo player, as "Ida Lee Nagger," the slatternly, bathrobe-wearing wife of "Laverne Nagger," played by Gordie Tapp, on Hee Haw.

Roni's still going, I believe, noted for her super-fast banjo picking and the gap between her front teeth.

I JUST saw a rerun of Hee-Haw where Stringbean, Grandpa Jones, Roy another house banjo player, and Roni all played. She was great, and hardly deadpan - even a bit of dancing herself. She knows how to be a showman, so I bet her deadpan was part of the act as a contrast to her sister's antics.

[journeybear]

Is it just me, or do the mandolinists often, but not necessarily always, "seem" happier performing than most others on a stage?

It's just you. Mandolinists are probably the most miserable ones on stage. Look at all they have to deal with. They're wondering if they can be heard, and if they can, whether their sound is right; they're always worrying about whether they're in tune; they're mulling over whether the only reason they got the gig is because there are so few other mandolinists around; they're debating the wisdom of choosing the instrument in the first place; they're fed up with fielding questions about what it is and if they can play "Mandolin Wind;" and they're always getting ignored by the girls in the audience. If they look happy, it's because they're trying to be professional and are putting on a brave face, they're delusional or in denial about the effect their playing is having, or they've got a wicked buzz on. That helps them push the other crap toward the back burner for a little bit so they can function fairly well, or at least get through the gig.

Nevermind. I just figured out why he's enjoying himself more.

I have no idea what you mean. Care to elaborate?

[Jess L.]

... I bet her deadpan was part of the act as a contrast to her sister's antics.

Yeah that's what I thought too. She looks like she's working really hard to keep a straight face!

One thing about mandolins, they don't weigh much so it's physically easier for the player to bounce around the stage while playing a mandolin. I don't think I'd want to try that with some of the big old heavy resonator banjos, although the internet being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised to find there's a YouTube video of a dancing banjo player... (searching)... hmm... no, those are lightweight openbacks, doesn't count... ok "belly dance banjo" sounds promising, nope, very cool tenor banjo and bass, but no gyrating banjo player, he's only moving slightly:


Anyway... back to the topic...

Mandolin's other advantage is that it's small with a short neck, so less chance of bumping into someone else with the peghead... while dancing around onstage.

So I'm thinking that from a physical/choreography point of view, the mandolin player would be a logical choice if the band wanted to have someone act more lively than usual.

[David Lewis]

Roni's memoirs are worth reading. She's very interesting on what it was like to be a woman in a male dominated industry, what it was like backstage on hee haw, and playing banjo as well as her family life. She was married to some terrible men.

[Jess L.]

... Mandolinists are probably the most miserable ones on stage. Look at all they have to deal with. ...

Including that in the back of their mind, even while they're playing a song, they might be silently fuming about why their new touchscreen device exhibits erratic behavior when touching it with heavily-calloused mandolin-player fingertips. In my experience anyway, mandolin double strings can generate some pretty gnarly callouses, more so than other instruments (well except the obvious ones such as octave mandos, 12-string guitar etc).

My callouses are barely even noticeable (compared to some people's monster-callouses I've seen) but the touchscreen on my new camcorder refuses to recognize left-hand touch except for the thumb (no callouses there) or the side of the fingers, both options are a little awkward for selecting onscreen tiny menu items.

Even the littlest finger (pinky) has a callous, although not as thick, because I play a lot of tenor guitar type stuff which uses the pinky constantly for the 5th fret... of course tenors aren't double strung but still that 5th fret gets a lot of workout when playing fiddle tunes all the time.

Since I hold the camcorder with my right hand, I pretty much have to use the left hand to do the touchscreen stuff unless I want to go totally lefty or something (I don't). There isn't a stylus (or whatever) option... I don't know the proper terminology for a lot of this modern stuff.

Fortunately I still have a non-smart phone, that's intentional, I prefer it.

Anyway...

[Bertram Henze]

Nevermind. I just figured out why he's enjoying himself more.

I have no idea what you mean. Care to elaborate?

But seriously, it has always been my firm conviction that the happiest player in any band is the bass player - the least conspicuous but most important role, as firm as a rock, a prototype of equanimity. Ommmm.

[Emmett Marshall]

Care to elaborate?

I was just trying to say that I figured out why he was enjoying himself more.

[journeybear]

So then, no. OK. Whatever!

[David Lewis]

So then, no. OK. Whatever!

If you were sitting next to Taylor swift you might find it more pleasurable than sitting next to del mccoury, say.

[Emmett Marshall]

If you were sitting next to Taylor swift you might find it more pleasurable than sitting next to del mccoury, say.

[journeybear]

Really? You're going to throw smack at Del McCoury? Are you kidding? I would be honored, privileged, and thrilled to be sitting next to Del on stage, as would many others from around here. That would be a real high point in my life and career. You're making things worse, not better, with this piffle. IMO, of course.

[MikeEdgerton]

I like Del but given my choice....

By the way the Sam really does it right on that song. Less really is more.

[Timbofood]

Mandolinists are happy because they know they do not have to carry a banjo back from the stage!

[Emmett Marshall]

By the way the Sam really does it right on that song. Less really is more.

Totally agree that Sam added a lot with less. I think it's really cool that Edgar, Vince, and Allison were a part of it also. I'm glad someone decided to put the performance on iTunes as a single. NFI(dangit)

[9lbShellhamer]

Agree with the OP.

The funny exception to this rule, is a lot of stand up bass players who seem to be really getting into the groove! They sometimes seem to be having the time of their lives!

[Mandoplumb]

I've played mandolin as my main instrument for 50 years. I've also played some guitar, fiddle bass, and a very little banjo, in my experience an up right bass is the most fun to play. A mandolin gives me more of a sense of accomplishment, I think because I can do more with it, but for downright fun I love the bass.

[David Lewis]

Really? You're going to throw smack at Del McCoury? Are you kidding? I would be honored, privileged, and thrilled to be sitting next to Del on stage, as would many others from around here. That would be a real high point in my life and career. You're making things worse, not better, with this piffle. IMO, of course.

[Jess L.]

Really? You're going to throw smack at Del McCoury? Are you kidding? I would be honored, privileged, and thrilled to be sitting next to Del on stage, as would many others from around here. That would be a real high point in my life and career. You're making things worse, not better, with this piffle. IMO, of course.

I didn't recognize the name (there's no limits to the depths of my ignorance at times) so I consulted the great oracle YouTube and this was the 3rd link for Del McCoury:



Gotta agree with ya, journeybear, if I was invited to play with Del (like in an alternate universe or something) I'd be extremely honored.

But, I can see the other poster's point (I think), in that Del doesn't have the girlish charm of whats-her-name, um... where'd it go... (looking back at earlier post) oh yeah Taylor Swift.