Name Suggestions for a Bluegrass Band

[journeybear]

Oh hell no! Me either! It took me more than thirty years to come up with it, and what was so obviously the best name ever, it was right in front of my face the whole time ... Oh no, that one I'm hanging onto, you betcha!

[Steve Davis]

Rocksalt and Nails

[Uncle Bob]

Thank you for all the name suggestions. They are all great (some maybe better then others but all appreciated).

I do like the idea of using a local connection (street name, location, point of interest, etc.) as a name. That's where I got the ideas for Union County Line (I live in Uinion County, NC), Three Top Mountain and New River are points of interest in Ashe County, NC (my favorite place on earth).

Here's a photo of Three Top Mountain - the picture doesn't come close to showing its true beauty.

[journeybear]

I like using geographical references too. "Three Top Mountain" sounds pretty good, especially if you're a trio. The standard (or hackneyed) approach would be to change the number to suit the number of members, or go with something like "Three Top Mountaineers," or "Three Top Rangers" (fill in your own active-sounding noun there.) Steve Martin quipped about his cohorts The Steep Canyon Rangers, saying there isn't much ranging one can do in a steep canyon.

Actually, Mike, I did check the band namer, and once I was done wasting my time over in that area (love the April Fools hoaxes), I thought something similar could be done old-style, and with possibly more variety, using the method I suggested. Plus, Uncle Bob could always say he came up with his band's name thanks to the help of all his buddies at the Mandolin Café! That carries a lot of clout in certain circles.

[farmerjones]

"Great Exposure" is back and available for use.

But i like the idea of having a theme song/tune. So "Buiscuit Burnerz" would work. If you were the "High Lonesome Cabin Boys," every tune would be a theme song.
Or, "My Late Momma's High Lonesome Mountain Cabin Murder Boys."

[Markus]

I too like your geographical reference ideas, especially when one is so fond of your home area. I feel the same way about where I am, and get great happiness out of names that reference something local.

[mandopete]

Eddie

[Martian]

Def Lester

[Bigtuna]

Def Lester

Nice work! The second best band name I've heard this year. The first, The Dead Kenny G's, not my cup of tea but a good name for a jazz band (a real band at that). Keep them coming.

[Willie Poole]

Ivan, When I started my band up and was looking for a name I said I would like something that was relating to the Civil War and my bass player was a graduate od Duke University and he mention the train station there called Durham Station and that is what I named the bad..."DURHAM STATION BLUEGRASS BAND"...We kinda like it....The station is either torn down now or has beed built up so I can`t find any good picturs of it to use for promotion fliers but I keep looking in the libraries around here, I find pix but they are not what I want to use...I am thinking of taking a pix of any station and super impose the name Durham Station on it...

Some friends of mine live on a road called "Virginia Hills" and thats what they call their band so there are a lot of streets and towns that would make good names....IF you are playing traditional bluegrass it shouldn`t be hard.....

Willie

[journeybear]

I've always wondered why Alison Krauss went with Union Station. It's only the most common railroad station name. And what does it have to do with bluegrass? Well, maybe that goes to show you needn't be too persnickety about your choice after all.

[allenhopkins]

...I can`t find any good picturs of it to use for promotion fliers but I keep looking in the libraries around here, I find pix but they are not what I want to use...I am thinking of taking a pix of any station and super impose the name Durham Station on it...

Willie, is this any help? I guess this station's been torn down, and the new one doesn't seem photogenic.

[allenhopkins]

Traditional bluegrass band naming algorithm:

[Name(s)] and the [Geographically-or-topographically related name/OR/Adjective denoting state of mind] [Collective male/female name/OR/Collective name denoting action]

Thus:
Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys
Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys
Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys
Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys
Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers
Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen
Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys
Patsy Montana and the Prairie Ramblers
Lilly Mae Ledford and the Coon Creek Girls
Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals
Buck White and the Down Home Folks
Jones Brothers and the Log Cabin Boys
Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers

Alternatively, if you're a family, you can say that: Carter Family, McClain Family, Lewis Family, Sullivan Family, Hot Mud Family, Osborne Brothers, McPeake Brothers, Goins Brothers, Gosdin Brothers, Louvin Brothers, etc.

There's other ways to name 'em, but, "stick with tradition," I always say...

[Mandolin Mick]

Carl Story and his Rambling Mountaineers ... I've always liked that!

[Ivan Kelsall]

On our way from Owensboro to Washington DC,back in '92,one place that me & the work colleaugue that i was over with stayed overnight,was a place named Bean Station, Tennessee. It sounded a strange name to me until i looked it up when i got home.It was named for Willam Bean,( The Pioneer) the founder in 1760. The small hotel that we stayed at had an owner all togged out like Boss Hogg,white suit,Stetson & cigar an' the 'whole hog'. A great name for a band "Bean Station",especially sitting around a campfire,sort of like in a Mel Gibson film !!, I took a pic.almost identical to the one attached just before we got to Bean Station itself,
Ivan

[billkilpatrick]

bubba lawn and the bible thumpers

[Mark Hudson]

I always thought that if you're playing the bar scene 'Free Beer' as your band name would be a great way to make sure you have a crowd!
Then a few years ago a local band started calling themselves 'Free Beer and Chicken'... I think they stole it from me :-)

[journeybear]

Ivan means a Mel Brooks movie, and apologizes for the grievous error.

As to Free Beer ... there was a bar here, up the road a couple of miles, that for years had a sign reading "Free Beer ... Tomorrow" posted on its side. Ha ha, very funny. When they went out of business, they had a typical bar closing - gave it all away till it was (and the patrons were) all drunk - and painted the sign to read "Free Beer TODAY!" Classic.

Once while going through this band naming process I considered naming it "TBA." I thought it might be amusing to see notices in the paper showing we were playing all over the place, sometimes several times a night. Ultimately I realized this might be an intriguing existential exercise, or an amusing bit in a film, but in reality, it would make things difficult, even exasperating, for people who wanted to see us and were unable to determine which among the place keepers was the actual notice.

[Willie Poole]

There was and maybe still is a band called "None Of The Above", sort of like the "TBA" name...I like that

Allen, Thanks for the pix, I really am looking for something that is from the 1860`s era, the one you sent is a little too modern, I`ll print it out and maybe use it though, Thanks again.....

The OP could also look at rolls of toilet paper and get a name like "The Statler Bros."

Willie

[Ken Sager]

Copper Kettle is already in use. Grumpy Old Men is close to your Old and Grumpy...

It's tough naming a band. Local geographical references are generally safe, but whatever you like I'd suggest Googling to see if somebody else liked it first.

All the best, and good luck.
Ken

Hi all -

I'm trying to come up with a name for a bluegrass band that I'll be putting together sometime in the future. Will be looking to do about half standard bluegrass music and half bluegrass gospel, playing mostly for small churches and nursing homes in our area. I've got a few ideas so far:

Old and Grumpy
Union County Line
Copper Kettle
Three Top Mountain
New River
Faithful Servant

Any and all suggestions for a band name from the forum gang would be great!

Thanks a bunch!

[Markus]

Copper Kettle is a small restaurant chain around here. Great name, and unless you make it up around here not a problem - yet likely not uncommon.

27 string band [or some variant referencing the total # of strings] is something that appealed to me - provided you never add or lose instruments.

[Marty Henrickson]

I live on a road called Hickory Bluff, I've always thought that would make a good name or maybe the "Hickory Bluffers" (which I claim for my future band )

[Rick Albertson]

I recently brain-stormed 100+ possible names for a friend's band. Send a PM if interested.

[George R. Lane]

A group of folks here that play for the nursing homes is called 'The Seldom Paid Gophers."

[Rick Schmidlin]

The Fields Of Cotton Tone Monsters