I did not see the PBS special, ” Give Me The Banjo” because my DVR fucked up and did not record it. I was really bummed when I got home from my gig and could not watch it. I’m sure I will be able to catch it on-line somewhere but since I have played banjo for 30+ years and make a living playing it I was very excited to watch it. So I went to the PBS website to catch some clips. Then I watched the whole show when it was posted. I liked it. I learned some stuff about the minstrel era that I didn’t know before, I saw some performances by guys doing really innovative stuff on the 4 string banjo I hadn’t seen before. They touched on some of my favorite banjo players like Bill Keith, they ignored Don Reno and talked a little about Ralph Stanley, and the show starts and ends with Steve Martin.
Steve Martin wrote an all original banjo album. It won a Grammy. He tours the country filling concert halls. No arrow through his head or clown nose and balloon animal for a hat, just Steve in a suit playing banjo. How fucking boring. Of all the banjo players featured on this show he is the worst. His album was neither inventive or offensive. It was plain mediocre. Just fucking boring.
I’m not naive enough not to know why he fills concert halls or won that Grammy. But does it piss anyone off besides me? He sells out concerts cause he’s Steve Martin. Iwonder if he realizes it? Does he have the arrogance to think he’s that good of a Banjo player? Hey I think I’ll quit making jokes and become a respectable Banjo player and make an album and go one tour. Good for you Steve. You did it. Now go put the clown suit on and write some more joke songs about King Tut because that’s what your good at. Not playing Banjo.
