By Danny Mayer
Before the advent of the radio and the mass production of the phonograph, live music was an intricate—central—component of most American lives. Wealthy families with music parlors learned music from sheet; other folk fashioned all kinds of stringed, wind and drum instruments. Music was an immediate, live, presence. Celebrating important community and family dates? Communicating stories or passing along coded secrets? Wanting to while away the summer, dance the jig, get drunk as a beaver, scrump? Before the invention of an “on” button allowed us to pipe in music from some outside world, communities required plenty of somebodies to pick up an instrument and set to playing.
A good argument can be made that American music making, if not American music itself, peaked with the introduction of recorded and transmitted music in the decades spanning the roaring twenties and the depression. Early regional record companies, trolling big city streets and small town back roads in search of radio stars, had about as rich, diverse and stylistically tight a collection of musicians as any time in American history. Since that musical peak, as records, tapes, videos, cd’s and i-pods have followed the radio in piping in music to listeners at the touch of a button, the pool of everyday musicians playing on front porches or in late-night muskrats has shrunk considerably.
There’s a certain something pre-radio about Morgan O’Kane, the New York cum Charlottesville, Virginia, banjo player heading to Al’s Bar this Wednesday night for what promises to be an excellent night of music. Like his early roots music brethren, O’Kane’s sound has been crafted out in front of the public and away from the microphone and other electric diversions. In busking New York City subways and energizing West Virginia MTR demonstrations, O’Kane’s learned how to wield his hard-driving banjo and sit-atop kickbox suitcase, a regular Spike Jones or Uncle Dave, to stoke your involvement.
A little over a year ago, I got to see O’Kane play at Institute 193. About thirty of us spent 2 hours surrounding O’Kane and his bandmates for the night (which included Ben Sollee). No mics, plenty of footstomping and free-flowing booze, and a hat to pass around at the end for gas money. It was about as fun a night of music I’ve had in Lexington. Head on out to Al’s Wednesday night to get in on the fun.
And don’t worry. This is 2011. He’ll have CD’s for you to pipe him in when he’s gone.
Morgan O’Kane plays Wednesday, March 16, at Al’s Bar, corner of North Limestone and Sixth Street.
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