Any introduction to the career of multi-instrumentalist John McEuen runs the risk of being longer than the interview itself. Just hitting the high spots puts quite a dent in the word count: founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966, as well as a multi-genre solo artist; veteran producer of albums, videos, shows, and film scores; receiver of numerous nominations and awards (including Grammy, CMA and ACM awards, along with an Emmy nomination); author, teacher, and radio host. And tucked in amongst all that are several million miles connecting over 8000 performances. A veteran of just about any sort of stage setting you can imagine – from solo at the Grand Ole Opry to sharing a stage with Phish – McEuen has truly earned the title of his XM radio show, “Acoustic Traveller.”

John McEuen has been referred to as an “instrumental poet” and a “string wizard.” Fortunately, he also tells a pretty good story – and has some pretty good stories to tell.

Enough introduction – let’s let the man speak for himself.

Part One: Being John McEuen

BR: Reviewing things that have been written about you over the years, it’s interesting to see how journalists have attempted to label your music – everything from the standards of “bluegrass” and “country” to the more modern terms like “roots music” or “Americana”, which is the catch-all phrase these days. How would you describe your music?

JM: I think that the Americana title actually fits the music I play – influenced by where I’ve been in America, the history of the country, and the instruments of the country, you know?

BR: Well, I hear you. It helps that you’ve actually lived it.

JM: I suppose part of it is having played in so many different places over the years. For a long time now, people have asked me, “My God, how do you do it? How do you put in the hours and the miles that you do?” I’m starting to understand why they ask – which means I’m not sure myself. (laughter)

BR: What’s an average number of shows a year for you these days – and what’s the split between Dirt Band gigs and solo appearances?

JM: I average about 110 cities a year, split pretty much 50/50 between band gigs and solo shows.

BR: And in between?

JM: Oh … my wife Marylin and I travel to places for fun. (laughter)

BR: That’s what I’d wonder – where do you go so you’re not overhauled every few minutes by someone who wants you to play the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies?

JM: Oh, that really doesn’t happen that often; the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band really isn’t a household word – it’s more like a garage word, you know? (laughter) We haven’t made it to all the houses yet. Seriously – we have a very good fan base and a lot of people who like us, which is a wonderful thing after 44 years. I’m happy with that; knowing that there are people who know and appreciate what we do out there.

I’ve seen musicians who live in a protective celebrity bubble and they don’t get the fact that they’re nothing more than food for the advertising machines. They might be extremely creative, but they don’t get the fact that they really don’t know how to do much in life. Okay, you can play a guitar and look good doing it – but can you help children? Can you fix a meal for someone? Simple things, you know? Life. I’ve seen people who were rich, but couldn’t figure out how to load the trunk of their car.

Is my way of life “real life”? Well, I know that not everybody wants to go to 100 cities in a year, but at the same time, I’m not protected or sheltered from things. And I like the life of a road musician – I still do. I don’t mind going to bed at 1:00 AM, getting back up at 5, and flying on the first plane out in the morning to get to the second one and renting a car when you land so you can drive for three hours to get to the next place you’re playing in time for soundcheck. And you know what’s good about that?

BR: Tell me.

JM: After soundcheck, you get to eat – and then you can play the show! (laughter)

BR: And then you go back to bed at 1:00 AM …

JM: Exactly. And maybe the next day, you don’t have to get up until 6, so you get 5 hours’ sleep. “Today’s a better day!” (laughter)

But that’s part of a musician’s life – and there are thousands of people who are living it, whether they’re doing it on planes, on board tour buses, or in the back of a van. And the best part of your day is those 4-5 hours around the show.

BR: So I guess I should ask: why do it?

JM: And I guess I would answer: I don’t know. (laughter)

Really? I like going on stage. And I like saying, “Yeah, I can get there. Fishcreek, Wisconsin in the middle of the winter? Yeah, I can get there. I’ll fly into Chicago – it’s only seven hours’ drive from there in a blizzard … I’ve done it!” (laughter) It’s an exciting drive, too.

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