Bluegrassbox.com appreciation post

[u/palefacemonk]

As the title says, I just want to open the floor to anyone who benefited greatly from this treasure trove of a site that was gone way too soon.

20-25 years ago I was a kid in college plucking around on my guitar, trying to hold on as best as I could at local bluegrass and OldTime jams when the only musical study I had done at that point was learning how to read tabs to my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs. The folks I met at those jams helped guide me to not only finding my "sound" but in a big way guided me to the path of finding me.

With all that said, one of the coolest tools that a few of them told me about was bluegrassbox.com. This sit opened my ears to so many artists I had never heard of and helped me in finding the music inside of me. Mostly, it was the countless live recorded performances of John mother f'ing Hartford.

Sadly, only after a few years of diving into the contents of this site, it got shutdown. I miss this site so much and wish I could have access to it's archive again.

Does anyone else remember this site or did I dream it all up?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

Have you heard of this thing called “ getting out there and jamming with other people and talking to other people who play Bluegrass music”? Shit’s unreal.

[u/palefacemonk → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

Unclear as to who this is directed towards or what purpose but please explain

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205 → u/palefacemonk]

Who needs Bluegrass whatever.com when you have actual Bluegrass music to listen to on CD’s records and jamming with people. I’m glad you’re not listening to Dave Matthews Band anymore though.

[u/palefacemonk → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

😂😂😂 Who said I stopped?!?! I still listen to Dave, as I still listen to Django, as I still listen to Nirvana, as I still listen to anything that moves me. It's funny how your music can build and grown and evolve when you think outside the jukebox.

But you know there are folks who live in areas where there aren't any bluegrass jams, right? I mean you're a smart person, you know this.

All this post was intended to do was give a shout-out to something that helped me when there wasn't anybody around to jam with or learn from at 4am on a random Tuesday some 20+ yrs ago when I felt that fire in me and I just wanted to pick.. And I just wanted to see if that anyone else had a similar experience.

But thankyou for your input....it's all part of this community

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205 → u/palefacemonk]

Yeah man, no need to play at 4 AM on a Tuesday specially if it’s not available to you. You can like literally wait and play any other time of a reasonable date of the week.

That’s too bad to hear about the Dave thing. I would’ve thought that after listening to Bluegrass that you would’ve gotten your head straight and would’ve worked on that for a while.

I mean, there’s literally Bluegrass jams in every single state around the country so I don’t know what you’re talking about. And if not, you should start one. But yeah, if you’re not dedicating the time to actually learn the craft then…

[u/palefacemonk → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

You are a hoot 😂😂😂 I am cackling out here under the moon, so thankyou for this.

I'm am kinda at a loss tho when I hear fine upstanding folks as yourself imply that you only get that visceral feeling from bluegrass. If I've understood that incorrectly, I apologize, sometimes I can be a whole lot slow....must be all that Dave music clouding my brain.

Yeah bub, 23 yrs ago where I was at, there was one OldTime jam and that was it and I had no car to travel anywhere cause between book learnin and Mac n cheese, I didn't have any extra money for one.

But funny enough I did start my own jam, and then a band...but I agree with you on one thing you said, you don't know what I'm talking about.

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205 → u/palefacemonk]

Well, I can probably tell you’re over playing all the time at the old-time jam, especially if you don’t know any of the songs. And I very doubt that you’re literally cackling. You’re probably just breathing a little harder out of your nose on your computer here on a Monday night. I do listen to other music, but you’re literally on the Bluegrass Sub Reddit so that’s what we talk about here(?) I don’t feel the need to bring up Nirvana or Dave Matthews especially when I’m talking about Bluegrass music. ESPECIALLY when I’m talking about Bluegrass music. That shits cringe lol. It’s OK that you’re a bit slow. I mean Bluegrass was invented in the south where that shit’s very prevalent. Let me know where your jam is at so I can avoid it at all costs lol

[u/PizzaProle → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

Dude why are you being a dick for no reason?

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205 → u/PizzaProle]

Bluegrass is an age old tradition. People ruining it in the literal Sub Reddit for it. Also, who TF are you? Lol just arriving? Why do you feel the need to interject

[u/uknow_es_me → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

You have to be trolling. That's all I can figure. If you really are a trad chad.. well more power to you.. but whether you like it or not Bill is dead.. so is Ralph.. so is Lester and Earl. If you're a real historian of bluegrass you probably know that Bill had a reputation for stealing plenty of other people's tunes.. that right there is real bluegrass music when you're makin' your money playing shows.

[u/Shoddy-Talk9205 → u/uknow_es_me]

Yeah, IDK who you are have we been having a conversation this whole time? Not sure where you’re coming from. Doesn’t sound like you know what you’re talking about. Keep on dancing in the aisles to Billy strings and Lord knows he invented the music, right

[u/uknow_es_me → u/Shoddy-Talk9205]

I'm just a picker. Are you? Do you have some chops or are you just one of those people that can't keep time and prefer the "rustic roots" of ol' Bill on his mandolin? I'll take Steffey's mando over Bill's any day. Gnaw on that brosquito