For more than five decades, the band led by Greg Cahill has introduced audiences to world-class musicians while maintaining one of the most recognizable sounds in bluegrass.

On Episode 317 of the Mandolins and Beer Podcast, Daniel Patrick welcomes the band’s newest mandolinist, Brian McCarty, for a conversation that covers everything from growing up in a musical family in Missouri to earning a place in one of bluegrass music’s most respected touring bands.

Brian shares stories about learning from legendary players, discovering bluegrass through the Del McCoury Band, touring with the Matchsellers, auditioning for Special Consensus, recording his first album with the group, and making his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

Along the way, he offers thoughtful insights into tone, phrasing, rhythm, double-stop technique, and why sometimes the notes you don’t play matter most.

FAQ Section

Who is Brian McCarty?

Brian McCarty is the current mandolinist for Special Consensus. Before joining the band, he performed with the Matchsellers, Greg Blake and Hometown, and several respected Midwest bluegrass groups.

What is Special Consensus?

Special Consensus is a Grammy-winning bluegrass band founded by Greg Cahill in 1975. The group has helped launch the careers of numerous influential bluegrass musicians while remaining one of the genre’s longest-running touring acts.

What mandolin does Brian McCarty play?

Brian currently performs on a Steve Hinds Heritage Series MF90 mandolin and uses D’Addario XS strings with a ToneSlabs Torlon pick.

What does Brian McCarty recommend practicing?

Brian recommends focusing on double-stop scales every day, calling them the key that unlocked the mandolin fretboard for him.

What was Brian McCarty’s first Grand Ole Opry performance like?

Brian discusses joining Special Consensus, recording with the band, and making his Grand Ole Opry debut while reflecting on what the experience meant to his family.

Transcript

Speaker A:

Hey everybody, this is Daniel Patrick and this is episode number 317 of the Mandolins and Beer podcast, brought to you in part by my favorite website, The Mandolin Cafe. How’s everybody doing? Hey there, if I met you in Ireland, man, we had an absolutely wonderful time. I want to thank Paul from the Aragale Festival, Pat from the Beehive, Gabby from McGorry’s, Ben from Blake’s in Letterkenny, and everybody who showed up. The shows were, were completely packed and it was incredible. I’m sorry the first night was— was the first show, due to some circumstances beyond our control, we had to play down in the pub instead of the performance venue, and it was completely packed, and there were a few people who were not able to get in. And so I do apologize about that, but who knows, we might be back there next year. I’d definitely love to go back. It’s absolutely beautiful place. So thank you to everybody who was out there and got to see it. I truly appreciate it. I brought some— there were some shirts left too, so if anybody was wanting to get one of the TV-style Mandolins and Beer t-shirts. I still have some available, and they are in the link in the description below. My guest this week, Brian McCarty, Special Consensus mandolin player. And in talking with Brian, we’ve— I guess I’ve realized that I think he’s the 5th mandolin player now, although I think maybe Don Sternberg might have been in Special C too back in the day. That’d be 6. Anyway, Special Consensus has a reputation for incredible mandolin players, and Brian lives up to that. reputation. And just what a great guy and tells an incredible special story, um, about his, uh, his mom. You’re gonna— he’s got deep musical roots, and it’s just a pleasure to get to know Brian and get to talk to him as well. All his links are below, as are links to all the songs that are featured in this episode. So go out and buy, buy some music from your favorite artist. And yeah, let’s get into the sponsors here real quick, and we’ll get into this episode with Brian. Peghead Nation. With Peghead Nation streaming video courses in mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle, dobo, ukulele, and bass, you’ll learn bluegrass, old-time, and other styles from some of the most talented players and instructors in roots music. Pegheadnation.com features an incredible lineup of mandolin instructors, people like Shara Gilchrist, Joe K. Walsh, Mike Compton, John Reichman, Aaron Weinstein, Marla Fibes, Chad Manning, Ian Corey, and Ethan Satyawan. All the courses include high-quality multi-angle video lessons, downloadable notation and tab play-along tracks, and plenty of tunes and songs to play. And of course, the best part— join any of Peghead Nation’s video courses now, you get the first month for free. Just go to pegheadnation.com and use that promo code mandolinbeer, all one word, at checkout. Northfield Mandolins— let’s build more than a mandolin together. Check out their website at northfieldmandolins.com or download their app at mandosummit.app for lots of special performance recordings, demonstrations, and special workshops. Of course, their Instagram is always incredible. You should be sure to give that a follow so you can keep up with all the incredible stuff they’re doing. Tone Slabs— Brian uses a Tone Slab, I use a Tone Slab, I love the Tone Slab. The new Fonz material is something else, and I dig it. You can go to toneslabs.com, find the shape or size and material you want. If they don’t have the shape or size you want, they probably can make it for you. You just send them a scan of the current pick you’re using. It’s wild, the technology and the stuff that they are able to to do. So get yourself a slab of Tone, go to toneslabs.com now and tell them Daniel Patrick sent you. StringJoy strings, they got me through Ireland. What a wonderful trip once again. But the StringJoys, that crazy weather there, the Foxwoods held up like champs. Matter of fact, I was still playing on it yesterday with the strings that I played, and the weather in Ireland was crazy. It was hot, it was damp, it was, it was all the things. And we played outdoors too, so I love them. And if you get your first set, you can get 10% off by using the promo code Mandolin Beer, all one word, at checkout. That’s at stringjoy.com. Ellis Mandolins, handcrafted mandolins designed and built in Austin, Texas. And Elderly Instruments. Elderly Instruments is your trusted source for new, used, and vintage fretted and stringed instruments. For the experienced to the beginner player, their vast selection of mandolins, guitars, banjos, ukuleles, and did I say mandolins, includes all of the accessories and books to go with them. All instruments are inspected and set up for easy playability, and their down-to-earth, knowledgeable, and award-winning staff are there to help. They’re in their 54th year. Their family-owned operated. They ship worldwide. You can visit them anytime at elderly.com. That’s it. Thank you guys so much once again for tuning in. Oh yes, again, if you want to support this podcast, head over to my Patreon for as little as, uh, $1 a month, maybe $2 a month. I forget. I think it’s $1. Very low price. For a very low price, you can support this podcast. And of course, you can always do it for free by sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, social media, telling your friends, and all that wonderful stuff. All right, that’s all I’ve got. Let’s get into this episode. Have a fantastic week. Cheers, everybody. All right, well, it’s my absolute pleasure to welcome to the to the podcast. I think my 4th special consensus mandolin player, Brian McCarty. Brian, how’s it going, buddy?Speaker B:

It’s going great, Daniel, man. I appreciate you, uh, having me on. It’s quite an honor, honestly.Speaker A:

Oh man, thank you so much for doing it. I’ve, uh, I’ve been seeing you’re playing for a while now all over the Facebooks and all that stuff, and it’s just, you know, the— always you’ve had your name on my list for a minute now, and it’s always just a matter of scheduling and getting to it, and there’s always some last-minute things. And so I’m glad I could finally get you on here, man. I’ve been especially listening to your, your performance on that last Special C album.Speaker B:

Thank you.Speaker A:

Dude, one of the things I’ve— or 2 of the things I really noticed about your playing is like you have a cool bouncy sort of feel, which I think is hard to do, and you’re not afraid of having a little space every now and again, which I, which I think again in this style of music is— it can be a challenge to, uh, to do.Speaker B:

Sure, sure. Yes. Yeah, uh, I appreciate that observation. Yeah, that You know, that bounce, like, it’s— that is something that’s always stayed with me. And I don’t know if that’s hardwired in from, you know, the Doyle and Ricky kind of thing, sort of that bouncy, swingy type of thing. And then marry that with, like, I’m a huge Reichman fan. So a little bouncing and sliding is, uh, oh, that’s just the beautiful, beautiful thing.Speaker A:

Yeah, with a lot of the years I’ve done, like, transcribing and stuff like that, especially really trying to listen the last few years and pick up like more nuance and different things. And like all the great players have like some, like a little nuance of feel that if you do, you know, you don’t notice it, I guess, when it’s like blasting by, but then you kind of listen to it and slow it down and start trying to play it back and you’re like, boy, if you don’t do this little thing here, that’s, you know, you don’t really sound exactly like those guys. And that’s—Speaker B:

yeah, right.Speaker A:

I think it sounds great.Speaker B:

Yeah. The subtleties, man. Well, I appreciate that. That’s— I never was terribly concerned with filling that sonic space, you know, with as many notes as I could. I don’t remember the quote. It was probably some jazz guy that was like, hey, the most important note’s the one you didn’t play. Yeah, that stuck with me, you know?Speaker A:

Yeah. I mean, even those jazz guys, like some of the stuff, I think even the ripping guys, you know, it’s like when they take that breath, I think that’s part of the, part of the magic. You know, those that can do a flurry of notes and then stop on a dime and then pick up somewhere and you’re like, whoa.Speaker B:

Yeah. What just happened there? Did I get whiplash or—Speaker A:

Yeah, exactly.Speaker B:

Yeah. Yeah, I did. You know, I grew up also playing kind of with some jazz musicians. There was an incredible saxophonist and piano player in the next town over. And they were just part of the house band where my, my mother would play and sing on Saturday nights. And I didn’t realize they were like jazz guys until later on. But so like, I guess listening to that a lot, that just kind of became standard operation for me. And then later I was like, oh, that’s jazzy, sort of, you know, maybe, maybe a different approach than the country approach, which is what we were playing.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

country music, essentially. But when did—Speaker A:

yeah, so you grew up in a musical household?Speaker B:

Uh, yeah, actually. So my mother, she’s a— she was a very prolific songwriter. She’s probably written over 500 country gospel songs.Speaker A:

Whoa, really?Speaker B:

Yeah. And, um, so she had a, a country band and a gospel band called Cross Country when I was a kid. And that was— it was very local, regional, you know. Our things were like maybe playing some gospel music clubs here and there. Um, nursing home gigs was a big thing. Nana, she called them playouts back then. We got a playout on Saturday.Speaker A:

Cool.Speaker B:

I don’t know where that— where that came from, but yeah. So I grew up, uh, yeah, I started on drums with them, just kind of shuffling country rhythm, hi-hat, snare stuff, and just got hooked on being— wanting to groove with a band from that, I think, is where that started.Speaker A:

Was it always country music that you, that you were listening to then as well because of the household? Or were you listening to other things on the side?Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah. So it was a pretty— I mean, I grew up fairly conservatively Christian raised, you know, so our music was really limited to mostly gospel, country, and then a little bit of oldies, you know. Which back in those days would have been ’50s, ’60s. Now it’s what, ’70s, ’80s?Speaker A:

Yeah, ’90s, 2000s.Speaker B:

In the ’90s. Yeah. So, but yeah, that, that was exclusively pretty much it. So all that stuff in that country shuffle has just, just been hardwired in. But my mom, she claims that I would, when she was pregnant with me, that they’d have band practice, and she’s like, you’d kick on beat with the band. So I said, I don’t know about that. At least it’s— at least it’s always been there as an outlet.Speaker A:

So where did you— where did you grow up?Speaker B:

I grew up in the Kansas City area, a little town called Lee’s Summit, just outside of Kansas City, and pretty much lived there till 17. Then I moved out and started my own path and Went down to the big city of Kansas City.Speaker A:

So is that where you’re currently located to?Speaker B:

That is, yeah. Yep, I’ve been here since then.Speaker A:

Nice. Did you go there— was music always the plan then?Speaker B:

Uh, not— well, at the time, oddly enough, it was, but not bluegrass or country. I had met a friend through a different hobby, and he was like, hey, I know you play banjo, you play guitar at all? And I said, Well, a little bit, kind of country. He goes, well, we’re putting together a punk rock band and wanted to know if you’d want to join us. So I started playing punk rock with this kid that I grew up with in Lee’s Summit who lived down there, and he was kind of an artist, uh, and, you know, free spirit punk kid. And I went down there and I was hooked. I was like, this is cool, these guys are fun, I want to have fun. That was it.Speaker A:

Wow. Oh, so had you listened to punk rock at that point?Speaker B:

I had not. It was a bit— so my first— and that’s the funny thing. So we practiced and we learned all this material, and it was weird, you know, like probably more art rock than, than punk, I would say. Um, but then at the first show, I was like, what is this? And they were like, this is punk, man. And I was like, it’s terrible. Oh, you’ll, you’ll get used to it. And I did it. I mean, just the the wall of sound, you know, that, that comes through. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to like an underground punk rock show, DIY, but it’s—Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

It’s a whole other ball game. That was, that was my first small taste of, of touring, was, you know, and I had to play bluegrass before that, but I kind of quit and was like, I’m gonna play punk now. So I abandoned all that and was like, I’m gonna go couch surf and have fun. Well, that was fun for like Year and a half. It builds—Speaker A:

I’ll tell you what, uh, Couchsurfing builds a certain ethic that you kind of need, uh, I think later in life, even when you get more successful, because you kind of realize like when curveballs get thrown. We were talking about that a little bit earlier before we started recording, you know, you know, all of a sudden you have to spend 3 days in a place that— in a country that’s locked down because of weather, and you’re like, this is nothing. Yeah, yeah.Speaker B:

No, it does make you reflect on every— you know, if your head’s in the right space, you should be thinking, what’s, what’s the worst experience I’ve had? This isn’t that bad, you know? Yeah.Speaker A:

So when did the mandolin appear in your hands?Speaker B:

So I had started in 3rd grade through our— the school I grew up at, it was a wonderful school district. They had a strings program that ran for 3rd through 6th graders. And I played violin in that. Now, I, I had had piano lessons up to that point starting when I was 7, but I never really learned how to like read music. So I would play by ear and just mimic the other kids in the orchestra. And then they figured out that I couldn’t read music and kicked me out of the program. What?Speaker A:

Oh geez.Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, I mean, and that’s how certain programs keep their accreditation. I know they have evaluations and things they have, you know, they got, they got box— boxes they have to checkmark. But, um, so yeah, I was sort of cast aside from that. Well, fast forward a few years, I had still kept playing the fiddle because I wanted to play fiddle, not violin. That was another issue. So I was still sawing around with my mom’s band. Well, a family friend had just bought a mandolin because she wanted to learn to play it and was like, well, Brian, you should try this. They say it’s tuned like a fiddle. And I picked it up and just immediately, oh, here’s my G scale. Well, shoot, okay, that’s way easier than the bowing, which was what I had never mastered, was my bow hand. So from that moment I was— and I was 13 at that time, so, which is an incredible age for that to happen to somebody.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

Um, I think I, I do too.Speaker A:

I mean, that’s— you have so much free time of like—Speaker B:

Oh yeah.Speaker A:

You know, there’s— that’s for me. I was a drummer as well when I started, and man, I think back to how much time I spent in my teen years playing drums and think back like, man, I wish I would have, you know, I had that. You know, it all leads to this, but I still wish I still had that time With mandolin or, you know, a different instrument.Speaker B:

I wish I had that. I wish I had that drive and passion still to practice and, and, and grow. But I mean, you know, then you grow and you eventually you hit— you plateau, you know, and things like that. And so yeah, it was— but yeah, it was the perfect timing. And then that was actually— I didn’t even know what bluegrass was at that time, so I was just playing sort of, I guess you’d say, country style mandolin.Speaker A:

Who are some of the fiddle guys that you were listening to? Because some of that country fiddle stuff is— it’s incredible.Speaker B:

Oh, yeah. So I also was fortunate having grown up in Missouri, we— our vacation spot was Branson. So some of my earliest memories are actually Silver Dollar City. And I don’t know if you’ve been there much. But back in the day, it was like that music was piped in, you know, it was ambient throughout the park, there was always a bluegrass soundtrack rolling. So I knew that was there. But from being in Branson and knowing— and actually, so my mother recorded with a fellow named Jamie Hagy, who’s a well-known bluegrass and fiddle player down in Branson. He had a studio, so he was one of my early influences as far as style goes and things like that. But, uh, you know, also my mom had a fiddle player in her band that also played a little mandolin, and it was like One of those things that I was too young for it to register at the time because he was an older fella and wound up moving on and doing different things. So then eventually I get the mandolin in my hand. She goes, well, Lloyd played the mandolin, her old fiddler. And I, oh, that’s right, you know. So then boom, my ear and my memory is like, I remember this. Okay, I’ve heard this. And it just sort of, sort of clicked from there, but The the bluegrass bolt was really was Del McCoury. I was heading home from a show with my parents one night, and I caught them on Austin City Limits playing, and they opened with All Aboard, and was just like taking bluegrass into the future. It’s the Del McCoury Band, blah blah blah. And then they hit that bounce on banjo, and I was like, what is this? It just blew my hair back. I watched that whole set on the way home, and then my mom was like, Well, that’s bluegrass. I said, okay, I want to learn everything there is to know about bluegrass. And my mother, bless her heart, she went out of her way to figure out, okay, are there bluegrass clubs or anything around? And next thing I know, she’s taking me to jams, and that was it. From there, I was hooked.Speaker A:

So what era kind of is this as far as like year-wise? You know, we don’t have to date it if not, but I’m just like, how easy was it to get music, I guess, was— is my next question.Speaker B:

Yeah, so it was definitely before all the digital stuff. I mean, like, Napster was a thing. Some— like, probably 2002, ’03 would have been when, uh, when they performed that specific night. And that was live, so they were opening for Patty Loveless, who was— she was doing her bluegrass thing at the time, Never Leave Harlan Alive, and all that stuff. So I’m guessing 2002, right around the O Brother, Where Art Thou? you know, era. And then boom, here comes O Brother, Where Art Thou? Here comes Nickel Creek on CMT. Like, wow, okay, that’s a whole other— But it just seemed like at— I— it was really just a perfect place in time. I mean, when it was that last great bluegrass revival, and I just happened to have a mandolin in my hand right at the beginning of it. So I was hooked.Speaker A:

Yeah. So then what did you— did you like go up and buy Del McCoury stuff? Who were the guys then that you started, you know, listening to to help develop your style?Speaker B:

Yeah, definitely Del McCoury. And then of course, like, my mom was like, well, Ricky Skaggs is a bluegrasser, you know. For her being a country person, it’s just— was thinking, okay, anybody I know that does country and bluegrass, so let’s you know, try to steer them that way. So Ricky Skaggs was a good first one, and Del McCoury was definitely the first CD I had. She bought me the Del and the Boys that year for my birthday, so that started my record or CD collection there. And, um, from there it was just like— so at that time too, you could still buy bluegrass stuff in Walmart back then, um, which is crazy to think about now, but unless you’re, you know, someone like Billy Strings or somebody, right? Yeah, you’re probably not popping up in Walmart often. So yeah, back then they carried, you know, Ricky Skaggs and, um, who else? Lonesome River Band was also a really big one.Speaker A:

Yeah, that, um, gosh, what was— that’s around— this is around the time I started playing mandolin as well.Speaker B:

And yeah, that was about the time I started with them, would have been Don Rigsby. On mandolin, uh, and still Ronnie in the band, Ronnie Bowman. That was before he had left and then came back. So, uh, yeah, that was a great— I can’t even remember the name of that. That was right, there was the album before Head On Into Heartache.Speaker A:

Yes, that was that. I was thinking ahead into Heartache. That was the one, that was the first one. I remember going to a bluegrass jam and they played the first track off that album.Speaker B:

Oh, Tears on My Tracks. I remember what you promised. Forever and always. And it’s raging through my memory. Every word I heard you say. Through the mist and the rain and the fog and the cold, cold wind that blows me down. It’s a lonesome road to travel. Hope you never have to walk this ground.Speaker A:

And I was like, I was like, what is B-flat? But, but, um, I— they’ve covered that and I’m like, what is that song? And the next day I, you know, went to Best Buy and, and fortunately again they still had a big CD selection. I bought that album, was just floored.Speaker B:

Oh yeah, yeah, that was, that was it for me, man. And I was lucky too, there were 2 really good bluegrass music clubs in Kansas City at the time. There was one called the Heart of America Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Club. That’s a mouthful. Habit for short is what we called it. And it’s still around, actually. Both these clubs are. And there was the Kansas City Bluegrass Club. So at those things too, you know, you get— you go pay your $5 donation, you get a raffle ticket, and they would always raffle off CDs halfway through. So I would pick random stuff there too, which was really great. I think that might have been how I got my first New Grass Revival in my hands, was through that as well.Speaker A:

That’s cool, man.Speaker B:

Yeah, really old-timey approach, you know. And those clubs, they’re still like that. You still show up, they got a little table back there in the back where they’ll be raffling off CDs, and it’s, it’s adorable. It’s nice to have some things that don’t change.Speaker A:

Yeah, no kidding. So now, like, learning some of the, like, like the Ronnie stuff or the, the Skag stuff, because again, that’s— those guys are some advanced players, especially, you know, starting to play mandolin. What was your approach to, to learning this stuff? Did you have a teacher? Were you, you know, people in your mom’s band showing you? Or did you just sit down and be like, all right, I can do this?Speaker B:

Yeah, you know, luckily it was Watching those guys, there were some incredible mandolin players around Kansas City at the time. There was a fellow Bruce Graybill who was a Winfield champion. He would show up to some of those jams sometimes. Mike Collins was my biggest mentor early on. He was, he was with a group called the Collins Brothers and the Drifters later on. They were a family band out of Kansas City and they were all second-gen guys. So their dads had grown up singing this stuff in the ’50s, ’60s.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

And so on. Mike was a huge influence, and he was a guy that I could— he was a little gruff, but I could sit there and say, Mike, you know that kickoff? How does he do that? And that was the first time I was ever showed like the B scale or the closed kind of B position double stop system. And, and I was like, oh, okay, that makes sense. He goes, yeah, but watch. And then he moved it to B-flat.Speaker A:

Wow.Speaker B:

And did the same thing. And then he moved it to C and did the same thing. And I, and I was like, what did you just do? So once I had that under my fingers, I was like, okay, now I’ve got the mechanism. I can pick. I have a really good ear and, and memory too. That helps a lot to just like be able to recall these breaks. What did he play there? You know, that sort of thing. And, uh, once that mechanism though was under my fingers, it was like, okay, hunt and peck until you find it. And start slow, build on it, and build it up a little faster, which, you know, I still work on to this day. I am, I am not the fastest player out there, but— and, and that’s, you know, a lot of why I’ll strip things down to more basic form, uh, with maybe more gaps in those notes, is because that’s what I can play clean. That’s a leftover from Adam Steffi advice that I had heard, which was his approach to tremolo. And it was he had figured out that he didn’t play really nice, fast, clean tremolo, but he could play really nice, slow tremolo. I said, okay, maybe there’s something to that.Speaker A:

Oh man, Steffi’s been coming up recently on a few episodes. Man, I would, I would love a new Steffi album. And I mean, You know, not that you need it. There’s so much incredible stuff out there. But gosh, it would be— sure, it would be exciting to hear a new Steffi album, I think.Speaker B:

Yeah, it’s been, it’s been a nice evolution. And then when he got into the more, you know, ancient tonal kind of old stuff too, it’s like, it’s just neat to see those guys develop, you know, the people you grew up listening to. And it’s like, okay, this is the standard. But then it’s like, well, the standard changes, ebbs and flows.Speaker A:

So, and then, so when did you— what was like the first kind of bluegrass project that you jumped into?Speaker B:

Um, I was fortunately through those clubs asked to join a band. Well, yeah, early on. First bluegrass band I joined was called, uh, Darryl Klein and the Tri-State Ramblers.Speaker A:

Oh man, nice.Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah, he was the— he was the president of one of the local bluegrass clubs. And it was a, uh, just 4-piece band and had his girlfriend sing with us too. So we had 5 altogether, but that was it. I was 15 or 14 when I joined. I mean, my dad had to drive me to band practice and to gigs at that time. So, and that was very regional, you know, we’d play local music shows or maybe a festival in a gazebo in a park somewhere.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

little town things that pop up. So that was, uh, that was the first like bluegrass group. And the first serious group was when I was 15. I was asked to join a group called the Bluegrass Missourians, and they were a 5-piece band, really strong vocals and picking. And that was my first like, okay, this is how you belong in a band. You know, this is how this works, sort of thing.Speaker A:

What were the age range of the players in that, with you being a young person playing?Speaker B:

Yes. So me at 16 and the oldest being at that time, I would guess probably 70.Speaker A:

Whoa. Okay. Wow. Yeah, that’s a, that’s a big— but boy, what a great way to learn. Yeah.Speaker B:

Yeah. So the fortuitous thing about that was when I showed up to— they were like, hey, our mandolin player’s sick this week. You want to come jam? So, okay, sure. So I went over foolishly to this guy’s house because I didn’t know what was going on. But when I got there, uh, Greg Blake walked through the door, and he was the guitar player and the lead singer for that band at the time. And I was like, oh, that’s the guy that can play leads, because he was one of the only real good lead pickers around KC at the time.Speaker A:

Wow.Speaker B:

So yeah, that was— and so that formed a lifelong, you know, since then, bond and friendship there and mentorship, really.Speaker A:

When you went to these things, like, were they— did they have a song list you had to learn? You know, what was it like going into that? Was it— did you just go in and thinking like, well, I guess I’m just gonna jam on some bluegrass songs? Were they like, okay, here’s stuff you need to learn?Speaker B:

Yep. Yeah, that’s exactly how it was, was it was basically just like, it was like a 15-year-long jam that I got into there with those guys. And I stuck it out for a really long time with that band up until I had children and started doing different things, you know.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

So they saw me go through a lot and saw me quit and come back and have my meltdowns and generational differences. And, you know, because here’s this punk kid and, you know, obviously there’s the bluegrass crowd tends to be a little, a little older. and maybe a little more conservative and old school about things. So naturally generations will butt heads.Speaker A:

Right.Speaker B:

But yeah, they saw me through a lot there for sure. But mostly that material was, you know, it wasn’t originals, although did have a great songwriter in the band. Actually, there were a few good originals from different guys, but most of it was just traditional stuff, you know, and they were really big fans of Blue Highway. So that was where I’m like, where’d this song come from? Oh, it’s Blue Highway. Here, we’ll loan you this CD. Because our bass player had just an incredible, and still does, incredible collection of music and records. And so a lot of my first exposures were through him just loaning me something for the week. I’d go listen down and come back next week and say, okay, now I kind of get that approach to, you know, this song. And tweak my breaks from there and my backup from there.Speaker A:

And now another band that I discovered then while doing some research was the Match Sellers.Speaker B:

Yes.Speaker A:

Yeah, let’s talk a little bit about that. But what cool tunes.Speaker B:

Yeah, man. Andrew Morris, that man might be— he might be a genius. It’s— I’d swear I’m thinking That’s, that’s kind of the conclusion I’ve come to. I’ve never— that was the first group that really pushed me out of my comfort zone and to grow as a musician. That’s when I realized, like, oh, okay, you think you know certain things, and— but you’re so focused and blinded, you know. I got my blinders on in this traditional approach to mandolin or whatever, and then it was like, no, we can play whatever we want.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

all of a sudden with that group. So that was a really great growing and learning experience. And honestly, like, that got me out on the road touring for the first time, going to different states and things. And, uh, yeah, Andrew Morris though, his songwriting, like, it’s— it can range from esoteric to political to just almost borderline psychedelic at times, which I love. I’m, I’m all about the juxtaposition of all those things into traditional bluegrass form.Speaker A:

That, that listening to those tunes was like— he’s one of those guys where I’m like, what? Where did you come from? What did you listen to and read? And how did this come out? Because it’s just— I— it was— it is so cool and different, but yet not different. Like, it’s, you know, Familiar but unique. I don’t even know how to describe it, but I was just like, whoa, I can’t believe I’ve never heard this yet.Speaker B:

Yeah, right. Yeah, my first exposure to them was they did a project called the Bluegrastronauts, and then they were too— and it was essentially like a bluegrass opera. So they were taking that out on circuit, and they went all the way to Bean Blossom with that thing. And I was like, holy cow, I don’t get it. What is happening here with this group? And, you know, it was about maybe— I met Andrew through a mutual friend. He was— we used to jam together. It was this banjo player, Carl Anderton, and he was like, hey, I got this kid that plays guitar and sings. I think you’d like him. I’m gonna bring him over to jam. Okay, I don’t really like people my age, but we’ll give him a shot. And, uh, it was maybe a year or two after that that he just called me and I was like, hey, I was curious if like we got some gigs we’d like to do as a 4-piece. And because it was usually him and Julie as a duet at that time. So yeah, the 4-piece thing came up and we started jamming and then that was it. We had a little nice, nice 4-piece going there for about a year and a half, 2 years with them. But definitely the most creative, on-the-edge, wild stuff that I’ve ever done, like full production shows. costumes, story plotlines as well. I mean, it’s— yeah, his mind is maybe a scary but beautiful place.Speaker A:

Well, so then, and then you played with Greg in his project. Is that after the Matchsellers?Speaker B:

No, that was actually before, kind of before and in the midst. So Greg had moved out. So when he— and I got to enjoy a few years playing with him in the Missouri begins. Then he was— at the time, he was still doing his pastoral duties through the church, so he had moved out to Colorado. And it was like, well, there goes Greg, he’s gone, so see ya. Well, then eventually he moved back, and that was after he had already been— you know, I’d been watching with Jeff Scroggins in Colorado and starting to get a little bit of notoriety out there. And when he moved back to Kansas City um, because of career change, he said, hey, you know, we’re thinking about— I got a few shows is what it was, you know, if you’d want to play mandolin. And I was like, of course, like, I’m loving what you’re doing out there. And just to get to play with somebody that’s been on the road, you know, would be cool. Like, you’re flying into Kansas City, of course I’ll play with you. So that was that. Then that was right before COVID I’m thinking. So probably ’19, uh, when we got that off the ground and running. And yeah, that is still an ongoing thing. It’s the— that’s the, uh, the band that you can’t kill. It’s out there going. And anytime that Greg’s got a little bit of downtime and can make it out here to the Midwest, like, he’ll call us up and we just go run again, you know. If it— the nice thing now is it coincides with our downtimes, so Yeah, he’s got a built-in mandolin player.Speaker A:

So is that— obviously, is that how you got into Special Consensus then?Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah, definitely. That was just, uh, you know, we were actually heading back from a Greg Blake and Hometown gig that night, and he was like, you know, uh, Michael’s thinking about— Pruitt is thinking about coming off the road. And that was it from there. So he’s like, you know, is that something you think about? I think that you’d be a good fit. And I was like, yeah, right. I’m not— you wouldn’t hire me. Like, I’ve heard their mandolin players. I’ve seen you guys. You guys are great. But he goes, no, I think you’d have a good shot at it. And I said, well, I don’t know. And I couldn’t, I couldn’t stop thinking about it at that point. I was like, oh man, is this my opportunity to You know, finally do this. And, uh, I came home and, and talked to my wife about it, and she was, you know, very supportive and open to it. So actually, the next day— and I was still with the Match Sellers actively then, but I was not going to even try to attempt to be in 2 different bands, you know, with heavier schedules at the same time. So I had to go to them and be like, hey, so Greg kind of mentioned, you know, maybe I should try out for Special C. And they were like, oh, well, you got to do it. And I was like, no, I’m not gonna do it. I don’t think I’m gonna do it, you know. Okay, that’s cool. Well, well, that night after I had broached that, Andrew Morris calls me from, from there and says, uh, he’s like, hey, I was thinking about that You know, um, audition or opening in Special C. Hey man, if you don’t want to go for that, you mind if I try that? And I was like, and, and that, that took the wind out of my sails. I was like, I wasn’t expecting that at all.Speaker A:

Oh yeah, no kidding.Speaker B:

Um, in hindsight, I think it was Andrew maybe trying to light a fire under my butt, you know, to maybe do that. But I was, you know, then my competitive streak stepped in and I was like, that’s my gig, you ain’t taking that, right?Speaker A:

So what was the audition like?Speaker B:

Uh, it was really cool, and actually it worked out what— like, so the Match Sellers were playing the very first— there’s a, there’s a festival that’s upstart. I think they’re in their third or gonna be their fourth year next year. Um, the festival is Folky Fish Fest. So we played there, and it turned out that that was— that Special Consensus was going to be playing there as well. And they said, okay, this is where we’ll, we’ll do your audition. So I was automatically stoked and on cloud nine. That’s— it was really a good time too, because the Match Tellers are very regionally popular. So everybody there was like, yeah, this is great, you know, and we were all amped up and feeling good and like rock stars and It was just really the perfect time for me to be able to audition because I was feeling 10 feet tall and confident, which normally I would not be going into that situation. I mean, they’re, they’re very serious and accomplished musicians. So I just, I kind of had to put that out of my head and say, you know, Greg, you’ve been playing with Greg since you were a kid, you know, just pretend you’re playing with Greg. And That’s really what I did. Um, I mean, I had prepped my butt off up to that point. Like, every night I came home from work, I was out here in my workshop woodshedding and learning as much Special C material as I could leading up to that. But audition process, he said, you know, here’s 3 songs we’ll try you out on, and, uh, we’ll just see how it feels, you know.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

And, and that was it. I practiced the heck out of those songs.Speaker A:

What were the, uh, what were the tunes?Speaker B:

Uh, let’s see. Gosh, that would have been our— that would have been our A set. So we would have started with Long to Ride, then we would have done Life Stories, and then She Took the Tennessee River.Speaker A:

Oh, I love that song. Yeah. She took the Tennessee River.Speaker B:

She took the Tennessee River down to Chattanooga, on into Cairo, then the Ohio through to catch the Mississippi and ride it down to New Orleans. So those were our that that was the three they threw down for me, and I was like, that’s that’s good idea from their point too. Those are 3 very dynamically different songs, um, and they challenge you. There’s speed, there’s delicacy, there’s slow. And so that’s a good, you know, little run. And when we got through with those, that, you know, Cahill was— he was kind of leaning back against the wall just watching us because it was, you know, Danny Banks, Greg, and me doing most of the singing. He’s listening to the blend and seeing how we support and interact with each other. So. He was like, okay, that feels good. Do you know any of our other stuff? And I was like, I know all your stuff. Let’s go.Speaker A:

Amazing. Oh my gosh.Speaker B:

I think we wound up jamming for about an hour and a half, and this was like in the weight room in the hotel they were staying at. So.Speaker A:

And boy, that’s the other wild thing about that is just the number of mandolin players that you— that are completely different style-wise. that you pick up from, you know, you listen to all these different mandolin players along with all the influences you have. What a cool experience.Speaker B:

It was. Yeah. And it was, it was honestly like a really good gut check, you know, like that reality check of like, man, you don’t know what you think you know, and you better buckle down on some things here because— and then I started realizing like, oh crap, that’s right. Josh Williams was in this band. Ashby Frank was in this band.Speaker A:

Yeah, good Lord. Oh, I’ve had Ashby on too. I forgot that. Gosh, that’s 5.Speaker B:

Oh, wow.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

It’s the school of special C.Speaker A:

I know.Speaker B:

That’s probably— you probably got every one of us since, uh, since the, the podcast has been around, I would guess.Speaker A:

I think so, yeah.Speaker B:

And that, you know, the funny thing is when this came up, I was like, well, when the audition opportunity came up, I delved in deep, not only to the material. I was like, I want to learn everything to, to know about Cahill, about the band, about all these guys. So I’d listen to these interviews and podcasts. I listened to Nicks and Michael Pruitt and all those guys, just, just trying to get a feel of like, what is it like? What kind of people are they? What am I getting into here? Because that’s a big factor with the touring band not a lot of people think about, and that kills it, is personality and fit.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

Offstage.Speaker A:

Yeah, that’s— I mean, geez, you know, when you think about a 90-minute set and all the, all the rest of the time you have to spend together, you know, driving 8 hours, sharing hotel rooms. Oh boy. Yeah, yeah, that’s, uh, that’s the big one.Speaker B:

How— it’s an incredible— yeah, it’s a, it’s a, it’s a ratio you gotta maintain.Speaker A:

Yeah, yeah. And then the other thing I guess I forgot about, you know, I just think of it from the mandolin perspective, but yeah, the vocal blend, the, the harmonies in all those songs, having that, that’s a whole nother skill set to, uh, to have in your pocket, you know.Speaker B:

Definitely. I was just talking, um, with somebody the other day about like the Special C sound because they were like, it’s really incredible how through 53 or however many members you guys have maintained like a sound And I was trying really hard to quantify it because like I don’t play like Ashby and I don’t play like Michael Pruitt or Nick Dumas or any of those guys, but it’s the vocals. It’s that blend. It’s those parts. It’s like if you’re honoring the feel and the vocals there, you can really play whatever you want back behind that. It’s still going to be grass and it’s going to work out. So. I think that’s been the biggest— like, honestly, it’s probably one of the things that got me the gig was I might have been a little more vocally strong maybe than I was. I’m sure I wasn’t the only guy to try out. You never know in those situations. But, um, yeah, that’s, that’s definitely the core, I think, of, of that sound, you know. And then of course Cahill’s banjo, which is just— Totally different.Speaker A:

Yeah, yeah. Just, um, you know, listening to this, this album, and actually there, there’s a couple twin— is it Rick Ferris that you’re playing with? There’s a couple twin mandolin songs on this album.Speaker B:

There’s 2 different ones. So I get to twin with Rick there on, uh, Wish We Had Our Time Again. We do Whiskey Before Breakfast there.Speaker A:

All right, Rick and Brian.Speaker B:

And then I get to twin with Ashby a little bit in, uh, gosh, which song? He sings it, um, The Singer. There’s just a little mandolin interlude there that’s, that’s twinned out with me and him. Dreaming life away. And that was awesome. I love that, dude. That was, that was Alison Brown being like, come up with something to do there, Brian. And I said, well, okay. Came back 10 minutes later and I said, what about this? And then he’s above me, you know, a third Oh, that’d be cool. Let’s try that. Yeah, sounds good. Let’s do it. Was it—Speaker A:

what was that studio experience like? Was it different than any studio experience you had? Was, was it like a high-stress situation for you?Speaker B:

I tried really hard. So that was— let’s see, I joined the band in October of ’24. We went into studio, uh, December 1st.Speaker A:

Oh my God.Speaker B:

So, whoa. I hadn’t even been with them a full 2 months, uh, and I’d maybe had 4 or 5 gigs under my belt with them at the time. And Greg Cahill was incredibly— because I was of course doubting Thomas here, like, I cannot go play for Alison Brown in studio, like, she’s gonna rip me to parts. Like, I can’t even fathom. No, no, she won’t do that. Just you— what you’re gonna do is you’re gonna grow, is what he said. He’s like, you’re gonna find your sound and what you’re bringing to the band through this experience, and then you’re gonna be there for the rest of history with it on the record. So chill out, you got the gig. And, uh, that was that. But that experience, yeah, was in And that was right on the tail of we played the Opry, which was the band’s second appearance there, but my first. So yeah, I was just like pinballing, you know, from side to side, just getting whiplash. But—Speaker A:

And then did you just— you just played the Opry too recently, right?Speaker B:

Yeah, we did. Uh, we did Saturday. Yeah, Saturday. So this is Wednesday. Yeah, last Saturday we were there. That was my second time and it was incredible. Yeah, we got to take Nico, our new bassist, for the first time. He did great, sang Mr. Postman for us, just let it rip. But it, it was cool going back a second time. It— well, the first time is, is freaky. And it was really cool because I was able to— my wife and kids were able to come to that, so I got them backstage and it was a really neat experience. Besides that, my entire family, it seemed like, from Kansas City area came down there. So I had about 3 rows that were just people I knew, you know, embarrassing me, hooting and hollering when they said my name over there. But yeah, it was, it was overwhelming. I mean, everything from just— I had never even experienced a sound check that professional in my life. You know, you go in there, you’ve got a guy designated for the monitor, you got a You got a microphone guy, you got a front of house guy, and they’re all talking radio because they’re pro union guys, you know. So I was like, wow, this is impressive. And it was honestly some of the best sound I’ve ever had. And I was just leaning into the moment, enjoying that. This next time I went back last Saturday was a little more reflective. I was able to calm down and be like, wow, this is where you’re at. like, be thankful for one. And also, you know, take it all in. Maybe stay a little more sober than you usually would. You are at church tonight, you know, sort of thing.Speaker A:

Is your mom still alive?Speaker B:

She is, yeah.Speaker A:

So was it— I mean, what is it like for her To see you up there. I mean, I mean, that’s got to be amazing, right?Speaker B:

Yes, it is. And she is the proudest mother that, uh, any son could ask for. She’s been just, you know, like, to the point where it’s like, gosh, Mom, like, because I’m a blusher. I’m a— it doesn’t take much to get Brian red in the face, and they all know that, so they can kind of push my my embarrassment buttons, you know. But I know it comes from a place of love. And her— my mother, um, would have— I’m sure she would love to play that stage. And it’s, in a way, it’s a way for her to see an extension of herself do that. So she’s— yeah. And what got me— so she was, she was sitting on the 3rd row with my childhood best friend, who had bought, you know, up-close tickets just to see his buddy, and he brought her up there with her. But in the middle of our second song, I looked over there and she whipped out a picture of my Nana who had passed a few years prior, and I was like, oh, why would you do that to me? I’m gonna fall apart up here. But I, I held it together for the most part.Speaker A:

Wow, how special.Speaker B:

Yeah, but she’s still— I mean, and she’s a big— she subscribes to Bluegrass Junction, so every time they play us, I get a little picture like, hey, look, they’re playing you again. Yeah, I love her to death. Yeah, she, you know, she, she gave an effort to do full-time, uh, touring and ministry back when I was a kid and with my stepfather. My, my, uh, father passed when I was young And I was fortunate enough to have a good stepfather step in at the age of 4, that he was a drummer, and that was my honestly first instrument. So I kind of, kind of do owe him that at least. But yeah, they— she would have— she’s just a very proud mother.Speaker A:

Yeah, well, I bet. I mean, just, just like you said, like, she, she told you you were kicking in beat in utero, you know what I mean? Like, it’s, uh, just the fact to— yeah, just for her to be able to see that from you starting out and playing with her, and, and then to see you on— like, I mean, gosh, is there a bigger— is there a bigger stage for a country music person to step on? You know, more honorable, I guess? You know?Speaker B:

Not really. You know, I think about that all the time, and I think about, am I going to be jaded because that was so right out of the gate, you know.Speaker A:

I don’t think so, dude. Just from talking to you, you don’t seem like, uh— I, I, I, I would be stunned if, if, if you were, you know.Speaker B:

I try to stay pretty normal.Speaker A:

Now let’s talk a little bit about your gear, man. What is your, uh, what’s your main mandolin?Speaker B:

Yeah, I’m currently playing a Hein right now, and, uh, This thing is a beast.Speaker A:

Yeah, he is. He makes some killer instruments.Speaker B:

Yeah, it was one of those moments where, you know, I had another mandolin at the time. It was a local builder in Kansas City, John Boyd. Wonderful mandolin.Speaker A:

Oh, I know John.Speaker B:

Yeah, John’s great. Yeah, he is. Yeah, he’s— you can never forget John. No, sure. Yeah, and he’s a really good promoter of the arts and music here in town. He’s got a concert series he does where he brings in— gosh, Mark Schatz is going to be there next month. So yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s great and it’s off the beaten path and, you know, just, just a little gem of Kansas City. But yeah, uh, I was playing that for years. That’s the mandolin I had in hand for my audition and whole first year of touring. And, um, yeah, I got a, I got a Hind in my hands at Stigma last year. I think they might have cornered me. Maybe Nick Dumas and Steve Hind might have— Might have leaned on me a little bit, but they’re good guys and I highly respect both of their opinions. But yeah, this is— I play MF90 now. It’s his Heritage series of F mandolins. I’ve had it since April and it’s— there’s rarely a day that goes by where I just don’t want to play that thing. It’s a, it’s a woofer.Speaker A:

I played his for the first time at IBMA the first year I went and I’m like, whoa.Speaker B:

No, there’s something to it for sure. I’d been seeing him for years because, you know, he’s from Iowa, I’m from Missouri, so we’d be at the same festivals and I had tried some of them out. But, you know, I just started seeing more and more of these guys playing Heinz and guys that I really respected the tone that they were pulling it out of. So it was like, okay, maybe, you know, there’s something to that. And, you know, Touring on a daily or weekly basis puts a lot of demand on an instrument, you know, climate changes, humidity swings, things like that. So you gotta have something that’s gonna accurately reproduce every time. So yeah. But yeah, he’s— it’s, it’s a great axe. And, um, if you— if I want to get into other gear, I’m running a D’Addario XS 11 through 40 strings on it right now. A lot of that’s because of my— I’m just a sticky guy and I will eat through uncoated strings like in an hour.Speaker A:

Yeah, same. Yeah. Yeah. How about picks?Speaker B:

Yeah, I’m playing a Tone Slab Torlon right now. It’s a 1.5. I do not know what style of pick it is because It’s one that Frank Sullivan literally— he was like, what are you playing? And I was like, well, I got this. I was, I was on a Blue Chip at the time, and he just kind of reached into his pocket and was like fumbling and shuffling picks. Here, try this thing. And that’s the pick I’ve had since then. So last, uh, since last IBMA, I’ve been running a Torlon 1.5 millimeter.Speaker A:

What about live? Do you, do you play into a mic or do you plug in?Speaker B:

Yeah, I’m just straight into a mic. I’ve never tried to DI this instrument. I have DI’d before, like when I was in the Match Cellars, they would do that sometimes. I never was a master at it though. Even just hitting a button to boost, I was like, I don’t know what I’m doing, guys. I’m a— call me a Luddite there. But yeah, so I run a— a lot of times I’ll just use whatever the festival’s got going.Speaker A:

Yeah.Speaker B:

If that’s where we’re playing. If it’s a good gig at a good venue that has good mics, I’ll run theirs. If it’s an outdoor and they’re running me into a 57, I’ll use— I got a Shure BG 4.5. It’s just a little kind of CAD mic. And that’s actually the one I just inherited when I joined Special C. They were like, here’s a Manolin mic.Speaker A:

Oh, good.Speaker B:

He said, this is like the Manolin mic. Oh my gosh. What an honor.Speaker A:

Yeah, no kidding.Speaker B:

It’s, it’s a great mic, but I do run into issues venue to venue, you know, them having issues mixing it with monitors and things like that. So I’m, I’m just adaptable, and if I’m not getting the sound I’m wanting out of that, then I’ll switch out to theirs at a gig and, uh, yeah, just roll with it. But mics are sort of an afterthought for me. I grew up working an SM57 and then also just a single, you know, like a little AT2020 condenser. So, um, those are how I know, how I know to play and blend.Speaker A:

Yeah, that’s a skill, man. That’s a, that’s a skill set when I, I’m used to plugging in and, uh, you know, anytime I do something where it’s just a mic, I’m like, well, I got I gotta get used to this. It’s, it’s, uh, it’s a whole nother thing.Speaker B:

It totally is. Yeah, just the way I feel about DI when I’m, I’m like, wow, now I’m screwed.Speaker A:

Um, so I got 2 more questions for you here, and, and the first one is, you know, if you only had 10 minutes a day to work on something, what would you recommend somebody working on?Speaker B:

Double stops.Speaker A:

Yeah, yeah. Do you have an approach that you would recommend for them?Speaker B:

Yeah, I mean, I kind of— I don’t know if it’s like a Cage system, but it is more of the pentatonic double stop scale is what I would say. Um, that’s it. I mean, that’s gonna— that’s it. That was my first key to unlocking the fretboard. That is still my go-to when I formulate a solo from scratch. I will just build off of that. I don’t go for my end product first. I, I’m just a— I’m a process guy, so I’ll always go back to step 1 and then build up from there on that. So that’s it. And then, and if I pick up my mandolin, that’s the first thing I hit is normally a, a B pentatonic double stop scale. So yeah.Speaker A:

That’s it. Sharon Gilchrist, actually, that’s one, uh, one piece of advice she gave one time that I always held is she’s like, I’d like to know you know, what key or something, if somebody has to sit in, the first thing she’ll do is go figure out the double stops in, in the song that she might be sitting in on or something like that. And I’m like, ah, that’s so smart.Speaker B:

Yeah, then you got your landing points there, you know. Everything else is a ladder, ladder rung up to it, but land here.Speaker A:

Exactly. And then the final question, do you have a favorite beer?Speaker B:

It’s a loaded question, my friend. Uh, so my— I am currently drinking a Stiegl from Salzburg, uh, over in Austria.Speaker A:

Oh, really? Nice.Speaker B:

Yeah, I, I favor a lager, um, and I, I love a good Mexican beer, not gonna lie. So Corona. If I had to pick one beer to drink for the rest of my days, it’d probably be just Corona Yeah, I mean, you can’t go wrong with any beers really, but yeah, lagers just so refreshing.Speaker A:

I mean, again, like I love IPAs, but I just found that they’re just they get heavier and heavier. It seems like man. So like yeah, lagers and pilsners recently have been my. They’re just so refreshing. And dude, you tell me, you tell me there’s something wrong with an ice cold Corona with a lime on a warm summer day. Yeah, come on.Speaker B:

Nada, nada.Speaker A:

It happens. Absolutely refreshing. Delicious.Speaker B:

Yeah.Speaker A:

Dude, Brian, this has been awesome, uh, getting to, getting to talk with you, man, and kind of getting to know you here. What a cool story. And that almost brought a tear to my eye with your thought of your mom whipping out a picture of your, your grandmother at the Opry. Good Lord, that’s—Speaker B:

Oh yeah.Speaker A:

What an amazing—Speaker B:

She just had to lay it on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it’s, it’s Thank you so much for, for talking with me, Daniel. It’s been— it’s an honor to share anything with you.Speaker A:

Oh, thanks, man. Where’s the best place for everybody to find you?Speaker B:

Uh, you can follow me on Instagram. My handle is HP Hovercraft, like Lovecraft but hovercraft. And, uh, you can find me on Facebook. Otherwise, just check out specialc.com. I don’t— I don’t do my own Promo or anything like that. So just a good side man.Speaker A:

Well, man, thank you so much for doing the podcast, buddy.Speaker B:

Hey, you’re very welcome. Thank you for having me on, Daniel.Speaker A:

All right, thanks to Brian for doing the podcast. Thank you for listening. Go and follow Brian on Facebook and Instagram. The links are below. Go see Special Consensus live, pick up their albums, support your favorite musicians. It’s getting tough out there. Have a great week. Cheers, everybody.

Brian McCarty of Special Consensus on Mandolin Tone, the Grand Ole Opry and Bluegrass | Mandolins and Beer Podcast #317

FAQ Section

Who is Brian McCarty?

What is Special Consensus?

What mandolin does Brian McCarty play?

What does Brian McCarty recommend practicing?

What was Brian McCarty’s first Grand Ole Opry performance like?

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FAQ Section

Who is Brian McCarty?

What is Special Consensus?

What mandolin does Brian McCarty play?

What does Brian McCarty recommend practicing?

What was Brian McCarty’s first Grand Ole Opry performance like?

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Like this:

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