3/25-3/31 Nashville, TN

   Sorry I'm getting so behind! It's been pretty crazy lately, hours upon hours of driving not only between states, but from show to show within those states along with internet issues at the hotels. Ok, here's what happened these past few days. Immediately after our show in Farmington, we drove three hours West to Albuquerque to drop off Buck at the airport. Buck had to be in Nashville by Monday morning so he had to fly there. From Albuquerque the rest of us took turns driving a total of twenty-three hours. Well, actually we drove about twenty hours to Memphis where we stayed at a hotel for the night then drove the rest of the way on Monday. We met up with Buck at the recording studio where we watched him record vocals and the studio musicians record their parts. Reba McEntire's drummer and Easton Corbin's guitar player were only a few of the great musicians that recorded on the new album. We got the rough cut back to listen to and it already sounds great without being mastered yet.

This room is for recording vocals, the other room is

much bigger. This is after the studio musicians finished their parts.

   We played a few nights during the week at The National Underground and Honky Tonk Central. Both are new bars on music row and are pretty nice places. Honky Tonk Central I believe is owned by the same person that owns the famous Tooties Orchad Lounge famous for many big country artists in the past such as George Jones, Patsy Cline, and others. It was great to finally see all the historic places that so many of the country singers I look up to have played and to see artifacts they have signed and hung on the walls.

 The Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Music Row

 Tootsies Orchid Lounge on Music Row

Walked from the studio to Music Row one day. It seemed

much shorter distance when we drove in the truck.



 Honky Tonk Central 3rd Floor

Randy, Buck, and I before playing Honky Tonk Central

   I got to meet up with a good friend of mine, JD Myers who I met a few years ago at the Hemet Elks Bluegrass Festival. I kept telling him one day I was going to go visit him and it was pretty funny meeting up with him and his wife Mandy. We played the same time on the same night so neither of us got to see each other play, but we did get to meet for dinner afterwards and hang out a bit before they drove me back to my hotel on their way home.

Hanging out with JD Myers and his wife Mandy

   Another highlight of the trip was getting to play fiddle with Kristy O. If you don't know who she is you should check her out. She's probably most well known for writing the song "Cheater Cheater" recorded by Joey + Rory. I met her during Thanksgiving when I entered a song writers contest at Stoney's Inn in Sacramento, she was the industry special guest that night. She just so happens to be a good friend of Justin, Buck's drummer. We went to her show one night and she pulled me up on stage, handed over her fiddle and wireless pack and had me play with her band while she grabbed a banjo and played along. I had so much fun playing with her band that night for a few songs.

Playing with Kristy O and her band