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Thread: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

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    Default Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Who is the tall mando player in the Geico commercial with Gallagher smashing watermelons at a Farmer's Market?

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    This is it:



    Don't recognize him. Googled the commercial, found a lot about Gallagher (apparently recovering from heart problems), nothing about the duo. However, the guitarist calls the mandolin player "Ronnie," which may be a clue...?
    Last edited by allenhopkins; Jul-31-2012 at 10:44am.
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Whoever it is, got the good chord.

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    Highly Lonesome Marty Henrickson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Ah, yes. The Sledge-O-Matic. Good clean fun!

    Another clue: the guitarist's name is Jimmy.
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    I tracked down the casting call for the 2 characters from O'Connor Casting in Chicago:

    LOOKING FOR FUN, FOLKSY MUSICIANS!

    O’Connor Casting Company is searching for fun, musically inclined individuals for a national commercial campaign for GEICO!

    Are you a folksy musician with a modern quirk? Do you know how to keep an audience entertained in the Buck Owens and Roy Clark pickin’ and grinnin’ tradition of “Hee-Haw”? We’re looking for duo acts, or solo musicians who play well with others, for an opportunity to add fun and laughter to a national commercial campaign! If you are already part of a strummin’ musical duo or musically inclined comedy duo, we’d love to see you two together!

    Ron & Jimmy Male, 30-45 years old. These guys are a folksy, likeable duo with a real charm about them. Looking for guy(s) who have a witty chemistry between them or can make it work in a fun paring that feels natural, fun and spontaneous. Completely devoid of cynicism, these guys are contemporary rather than country, but still have a very FOLKSY way about them. They need to play an instrument, like the banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle or any other folk instrument.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Wow, Mr. Sausage!! You are some detective. Great impressive work. Now how do we find out who played Ron and Jimmy?
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    Highly Lonesome Marty Henrickson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Well, they are fun and folksy, but I find it hard to believe that they're really "...completely devoid of cynicism."
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Wow, Mr. Sausage!! You are some detective. Great impressive work. Now how do we find out who played Ron and Jimmy?
    Well, I sent a facebook message to the casting guy at O'Connor who put up the ad. You never know...

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    Purveyor of Sunshine sgarrity's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    There was a casting call up in the classifieds recently for a mandolin player for a filming in Santa Barbara.

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Thanks, y'all! I found the same stuff when I googled about the mandolin player. The Google info was all about Gallagher and the other actor behind the counter...nothing about Ronnie and Jimmy. Still wondering who they are! Keep this going 'til we get to the bottom of it!

    I did find out who was playing the music in "Charlie and the Casserole" in the Farmers Insurance ad. The musicians were just a collection of guys from the Knoxville, TN, area...not a band.

    Keep researching!

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    How funny! I was watching the Olympics, saw an ad with my old friend playing the Mandolin, and had to try to find the youtube clip! I googled it and this came up. He's Alex Harvey, a theatre director who also is a wonderful musician. He used to live in Chicago, is now based out of New York. He had a band for awhile called REO Chuckwagon

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    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Quote Originally Posted by BourbonSamurai View Post
    He had a band for awhile called REO Chuckwagon
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons


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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Yeppers! Posted this a couple weeks ago here. If you like that there's plenty more goofiness to enjoy.
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Quote Originally Posted by BourbonSamurai View Post
    He had a band for awhile called REO Chuckwagon
    My day has been made!

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Happier than a body builder directing traffic....


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    Mandolin User Andy Miller's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Keep an eye out for these, there should be a whole slew of them. Me and one of my bandmates auditioned for this campaign. . . .twice. Guess I need to work on my biceps.

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    Fred Gilmartin Fred G's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons


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    Fred Gilmartin Fred G's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons


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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    So what kind of mandolin is he playing? It's a fern.

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    What kind of mando is he playing?

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Just a guess, but to me it looks like a Stan Miller.

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    perpetual beginner... jmagill's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    Does it appear that the instrumental track doesn't sound quite in sync with the hand movements in either video? Of course, the audio was recorded in a studio and not in a farmer's market or in traffic, but sheesh, you'd think they could take the trouble to get it right... even if it is 'folk music'.

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    Registered User rb3868's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    What if it's Ron Gallagher and not the real (Leo) Gallagher in the ad? Last time I saw Gallagher he was totally gray, and I can't see him getting a dye job

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    Default Re: Mando player in Geico ad w/Gallagher smashing watermelons

    I think he'd do the dye job to get the job these days. This was pretty easy money for him.

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