Banjo music makes a comeback
Christopher Walken went on “Saturday Night Live” and created an infamous “in-studio” moment with a fake Blue Oyster Cult by declaring his need for more cowbell to a flailing, belly-baring Will Ferrell. I am here today to tell one and all that I have a similar ailment, and that unlike Walken, the only prescription for me is more banjo.
While the banjo has been around for hundreds of years, it is just now showing its face to its adoring public (me) with more exuberance than it has in some time.
My theory? All the banjos went into hiding after becoming associated with those freaky “Deliverance” hillbillies. There was nothing normal about that and due to what I’ve read and heard from my father, I still won’t see it.
However, the banjo is back and, in my opinion, better than ever. I daresay it makes every song it graces better.
East Lansing’s own Frontier Ruckus is one good example of putting a banjo to the best use. Not only is it prominent, but it holds its own as well.
Gone are the “Deliverance” days of the now infamous “Dueling Banjos,” fighting with guitars for the spotlight. Frontier Ruckus blends the sounds of the two instruments marvelously to bring exactly what the banjo is meant to: the perfect amount of twang.
Another favorite example? Old Crow Medicine Show, or OCMS, locked me in from the first moment I heard a friend cover their song, “Fall on My Knees,” from the “Down Home Girl EP,” at a local open mic night. The banjo didn’t stop at that either, as OCMS puts it to use throughout their other albums and EPs, and pretty much stole my heart track after track.
While my love affair with the banjo may still be qualified as one of the puppy variety, like every other young girl, I just know this relationship will last.
And believe me, while I may be fond of the boys playing them, I have no doubt that my infatuation with the banjo itself will last longer.
The opinions expressed above are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the State News.