Here are a few thoughts/observations/ramblings/rants:
1. This is no different than the '81 reunion show. Some fans loved it, but some were disappointed. The problem is that a show designed for mass consumption will probably disappoint a lot of hard-core fans. Likewise, a show that would satisfy hard-core fans would probably be of little interest to the general public. How were the sales of "Greenback Dollar" (the book)?
2. My personal pet peeve is the guest list. Where are the real stars who owe a lot to the Trio? Here are a few:
a. Roger McGuinn. He even tried out to replace Dave (and tells the story on his blog);
b. Paul Simon. He has said that the Trio's "One More Town" was the inspiration for "Feelin' Groovy";
c. Bob Dylan. I read a story that before he became famous, Dylan and some buddies drove down South and were pulled over by a cop. They were scared because this was the South of the early '60s, they were scraggly folkie types/Yankees and their car reeked of weed. When the cop asked who they were and what they were doing in his town, Dylan replied that they were a folk group just like the Kingston Trio. The cop let them go. Thus, Dylan owes A LOT to the Trio if that story is true; and
d. Joan Baez. She sought their career guidance at Newport in '59 and has admitted to having all their albums (even if she hid them from friends who despised the Trio).
3. Tom Guard would have been a great addition. He plays and sings very well. A duet of him and Josh Reynolds would have been, to coin a phrase, somethin' special. How about Tom and Josh performing with Bob?
4. I wonder if modern folkies, like Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers and the Punch Brothers, know who the Trio was and have ever listened to the Trio. Maybe I'm imagining things but I can hear the Trio's influence in some of their songs and in their performance style. For some reason, Chris Thile reminds me a lot of Dave Guard.
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