Sugarland Live on Leno The Other Night

[F5GRun]

Hey folks, not sure if anyone caught this performace but I was happy to see it. Im not a fan of the band really but its good to see the Mandolin Player front and center on stange and not in the back some where. Also I remember performances sugarland have done before and the mandolin player was playing the Ovation mandolins. I belive he had one in every color. Also he when he was playing those he was totally out of the mix. Now to my delight hes playin a Rigel and can really be herd.

[Jim Broyles]

Last segment

WARNING! NATIONAL ACT WITH CAPOED MANDOLIN. AVOID IF THIS OFFENDS YOU.

[F5GRun]

I didnt even realize the Capo. They gained some points with me after ditching the ovations but just lost them all with the capo. And that capo is way up there...icky! I feel bad for that Rigel. Sorry if I affended anyone.

[jefflester]

Im not a fan of the band really but its good to see the Mandolin Player front and center on stange and not in the back some where.

Sugarland is officially a duo, so he (Kristian Bush) should definitely be out there in front.

[Jim Broyles]

I didnt even realize the Capo. They gained some points with me after ditching the ovations but just lost them all with the capo. And that capo is way up there...icky! I feel bad for that Rigel. Sorry if I affended anyone.

I was totally kidding. I didn't care for the song, but not because of the capo. I really don't like her singing.

[F5GRun]

ditto

[Eddie Sheehy]

I thought they did a great show in the Crossover series with Bonjovi a while back - Kristian played an Ovation and a Mandobird in it. I liked the harmonies that Jennifer Nettles did with Jon. Kristian did a lot of strumming and fooling around - altogether quite forgettable.

[Ted Eschliman]

Interesting bit of trivia. Kristian claims to be more songwriter than mandolinist, which explains why it's usually barely heard in the CDs and music videos. He also told me the reason he has so many colored finishes, is he uses different tunings, and it was less confusing to the stage crew for him to say, "Okay, the red mandolin for this song, the brown one for the next, etc." The duo has certainly developed a huge following.

[F5GRun]

Very Interesting Ted, thanks for the info. I always wondered why he would switch mandos so many times on stage.

[Ken Berner]

Ted, this fellow is a mandolinist? Anyone can strum a mandolin, but maybe he really can pick. If so, he surely could have done more with the instrument for this particular song! I may have missed something along the way, 'cause I just don't watch "country" music anymore, but from what I accidentally see, there are way too many mandolin "holders" trying to impress someone.

[F5GRun]

I feel in Pop country music mandolin players are there to fill up the stage and add to the "wall of sound" that some country bands need. Although they may not be a huge part of the mix they are in there some where. I sure there are plenty of good pickers working in country bands now but im also sure they are alot of regular guitar players that just picked it up to get the gig.

[ilovemyF9]

Dreadful singer! I could not get past her- A complete TURN-OFF!!!

[CES]

Ted, while I haven't spoken with Kristian personally, I've also seen interviews where he's proclaimed that, first and foremost, he's a songwriter and guitar player. He picked up the mando not long before they officially broke out, if I remember correctly, so I for one (as a newbie myself) cut him some slack, as none of us were ripping like "insert mando hero here" right off the bat. That said, he tends to play it more in a "guitar style," and I can see how that doesn't appeal to everyone...and that's OK; I don't like a lot of their stuff, either.

Also, I don't have a problem with the Ovations...while they're not classically styled and don't sound as good as a good ol' F-5 unplugged, the MM-68s excel when plugged in, and for a travelling band (whose budget was probably limited during those early years), can really fill a need...

Had a guy only half jokingly ask me if my Mandobird/gigbag were a "raquetball racket" the other day...after saying that I would probably do it more justice using it as such, I told him what it was, and he said, "Yeah, like the little guitar that Sugarland guy plays!" At least the instrument's getting some exposure

[Eddie Sheehy]

Definitely nothing wrong the Ovation MM68. Killer electric mando and more than reasonable unplugged. Highly underrated.
I wonder would my Mandobird fit in a racquetball case?

[allenhopkins]

Seems to me this band uses the mandolin to add what we used to call "texture" -- you sure can hear it, more prominently than the lead guitar or the lap steel. No breaks, but that's not what that genre of "country" music's about, anyway. Reminds me a bit of REM's use of mandolin in Losing My Religion -- to give a non-guitar chordal "bed" for the song.

Sometimes we seem so interested and grateful that anyone's featured a mandolin in a song that's popular, or played one in front of a national TV camera. Reinforces mandolin's current status as a "niche" instrument. A century ago, when mandolins seemed as common as guitars are now, no one would have thought twice about seeing a popular entertainer with one. Yet think of all the posts generated when Paul McCartney featured mandolin recently. We're starved for audience acceptance outside of our specialized mandolin-friendly genres, possibly?

[pocketbones]

Hey folks, not sure if anyone caught this performace but I was happy to see it. Im not a fan of the band really but its good to see the Mandolin Player front and center on stange and not in the back some where. Also I remember performances sugarland have done before and the mandolin player was playing the Ovation mandolins. I belive he had one in every color. Also he when he was playing those he was totally out of the mix. Now to my delight hes playin a Rigel and can really be herd.

but was it bluegrass?

[F5GRun]

Not even close.

[mrbook]

I can't get excited just because someone is playing a mandolin on stage or TV. It's what they do with it that counts.

Bill

[Donnie Lang]

I enjoy many types of music mainly bluegrass and old country,sorry but this does nothing for me not even with mandolin

[Jkf_Alone]

The songs are well written, and decent pop music, really ( I wouldn't call it country). Her silly, over the top, and obviously learned accent spoils them for me. On the same token, I don't really enjoy those eighties singers who used lisps and PHHHBT'ed their S sounds. Oh, and the new crop of singers who sound like Betty Boop one minute, then an adolescent boy the next. Not to be picky or anything.

(seems like most country stations are playing the complete sugarland discography, then moving to the Taylor Swift Discography, and finishing off with a best of Uncle Kracker around here...)