If you've ever been down in the Boston or New York subways or even on the trains sometimes, these buskers are everywhere with their hats out to catch the change tossed their way by passersby. Just for fun, when Meri and I were visiting a friend in Boston a few years ago, we went down to the Harvard Station and I played on the platform there. Actually made a few bucks.
As to Nick, John or Dave ever joining us on stage, no, not per se to do a song with us. We did some shows where John opened for us and I had a chance to sit backstage and do some picking with him. And I think we may have joined John, along with a bunch of other folks, when the Birchmere in Virginia hosted a John Stewart Tribute show. A year or two later, when they threw a Kingston Trio Tribute, John, as I recall, was having some feud with Shane and refused to join us on stage. I remember that he demanded that his performance at that event be edited out of the video. Musta been off his meds at the time.
I only met Dave once. He came to a show we did in New Hampshire, I believe it was, but he didn't get on stage with us. I enjoyed meeting him, as I've always admired his musicianship. There was some talk at the time about getting Bob, Nick and Dave back together for some shows, but there were a few complications with that. First, Bob was adamant that George and I participate, because in his mind, we were The Kingston Trio at that time. Also, Dave was immersed in digital music and was not willing to abandon his midi guitar for this proposed reunion. That kinda irked Shane, as I recall, and nothing ever came of that plan.
With Nick, as you know, I took what was originally his part in the Trio, actually replacing Roger Gambill. Then Nick wanted to join the group again in the early '90's, so I took a break. When he retired again in 1999, I was called back in. The group was in the midst of a tour and for some reason that I don't recall, Shane had me play bass with the group for Nick's last night. Then we went on to Idaho or someplace the next night and I moved up to the front line. So I did play on stage with Nick that one time, if only as a back-line guy.
The only other time I've been on stage with Bob, Nick and John was at Fantasy Camp. If you haven't experienced that, you should go sometime. Of course, it's different now that Bob is running it, but it's an interesting event. That one time when I went, I was sitting in the audience with Shane. We were toward the back of the room listening to the campers as they joined John and Nick for their "Trio" number. One guy had chosen to do "Greenback Dollar" for his song and as he sang the opening line: "Some people say I'm a no-count. Others say I'm not good..." Shane yells out from the back of the room: "You're no good!" I felt kinda sorry for the guy on stage, but maybe he didn't hear it.
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