Rhonda & the rage

[Bob Asher]

RHONDA & THE RAGE (ALONG WITH BOBBY 0SBORNE) WERE HERE IN HYDEN KY ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO.IT WAS THE NEW GUITAR PLAYER'S FIRST SHOW WITH THEM. ON ABOUT THE 6TH SONG THAT KID LIT INTO THAT FIRST LINE OF "PRECIOUS JEWEL" LIKE HE'D BEEN DOING THAT ALL HIS LIFE. RHONDA & THE RAGE AREN'T GOING TO SUFFER FROM LOSING JOSH. HARMONY STILL TIGHT AS A HATBAND!

THAT GIRL HAS MORE ENERGY AND TALENT PER SQUARE INCH THAN ANY PERFORMER I'VE EVER SEEN! YOU CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THE RADIATION FROM ABOUT 20 FEET OUT!

[mboucher]

Josh sometimes relieved Rhonda on mandolin. I wonder if the new guitarist will also have that responsibility.

Mark

[Tom Mullen]

Is the new picker Darrel Webb or did she get someone else. If it is Darrel, he is a hoss on the mandolin, too.

[JEStanek]

When I saw them on October 26 the guitar player (a 19 year old talent from near Farmville, VA) had been with them for 1 maybe 2 gigs. He was quite good but played only the guitar. Hunter Berry was the only one to play mando other than Rhonda. The guitar player on her website (Darrell Webb) was not the one at the show.

It was an action packed show.

Jamie

[Tom Mullen]

I just looked up Bluegrass Blog and she is having her Studio Special on XMSat Radio (just recorded) with the new guitar player Darrel Webb.

[Bob Asher]

HOSS AND OTHERS: I THINK RHONDA SAID THIS BOY WAS FROM BOWLING GREEN, KY. ALSO,I MEANT TO MENTION THAT KENNY INGRAM DID EARL'S BREAKDOWN THE FASTEST I'VE EVER HEARD IT DONE IN MY LIFE.

[Ted Lehmann]

That's only because you never heard Lil Roy Lewis play it. But that doesn't mean Kenny isn't a great banjo player or Rhonda's band doesn't deserve all the awards they've won. And I've never seen a top-of-the-line performer stay out with fans as long or as conscientiously as she does. She stays till the last fan drops. A real trooper. - Ted

[jmpullen]

I recently saw Rhonda and the Rage at
Dollywood. It was a good show, but I'll be honest
I was a little surprised at how unexciting and
blah they seemed to be. It just really seemed like
they were over it, and just really didn't care to
be there. For instance, she did not take one mandolin
break the whole show, no joke, not even one. She was
the most unenthusiastic I've ever seen her. Wish
she had Audey back with her again. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[johnwalser]

Rhonda and the Rage are simply the best bluegrass has to offer and we see her whenever she gets anywhere near. We have the "Good Thing Going" CD on pre-order and only hope it will be nearly as good as "All American Bluegrass Girl". We play her "Fishers of Me", "Homecoming" and "God Bless the Soldier" at the Chapel my wife pastors and everyone there loves Rhonda as much as we do.
John

[Willie Poole]

Since we are expressing our opinions here let me give you mine...To me she sounds like she is screaming a lot of times...Not the same Rhonda that I knew back around 1997 at Christopher Run in Va...She had a mandolin workshop and then jammed with us for hours after her show and spent long hours talking to a young lady that had surgery just before the festival and I asked Rhonda if she would go the the ladies RV and spend some time with her, and she did...We wheeled her down to the stage area later and Rhonda dedicated her last show to this new friend that she made...Bet she wouldn`t do it now days...At Gettysburg she parked her bus right in the roadway between the crowd and got booed for it too.. She changes pickers more often than any band I know of, must be a reason for that....Willie

[woodwizard]

My band had the prevelege of opening for her this summer. Josh was with her then. He is one heck of a guitar player as well as a great singer. They were all so friendly. I talked with Josh for quite awhile. Their performance was perfect to say the least. Great bluegrass. Rhonda picked the heck out of the Doyle Lawson Gibson mandolin she had. After the show the whole band visited with all the fans it seemed for ever. I think Rhonda is a wonderful person atleast that's the impression I felt from her. Have you ever looked at her schedule. They play so many dates. I'm sure there has to be some times when you're not feeling very well and still get up and perform. We're only human you know. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[earthsave]

The times I have seen them, she really doesnt take many mandolin breaks. The ones she did take were tasteful and strong.

Darrell Webb is the new guitar player and he can play the heck out of anything with strings. Played Mando for JD Crowe New South, and then for Wildfire. Not sure what he played in the Lonesome River Band. Has a wide vocal range, but mostly sang lead and high tenor in Wildfire.

[Willie Poole]

Scot...I seen Darrell Webb fill in with a band here in Md. a few years ago and you are correct about his mandolin picking, very tasteful and like you said he can sing just about all of the parts...I HATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, not really, I envy them though that they don`t get burnt out playing so much bluegrass, a lot of the younger pickers do just that and then they try and change the bluegrass to something else that most people don`t recognize....As long as they are happy I guess thats all that matters but I am happy just keeping it traditional and get enough bookings doing just that....Of courde most of my clients are on the older side.....Willie

[Gutbucket]

Darrell was on board ship last Febuary on a Bluegrass cruise I went on. He was with Wildfire and taught a few workshops during the days at sea. I got to play his Hutto for one afternoon. What a Hoss.

[DryBones]

how long have all the current members been with Rhonda besides Darrel? How long were they together as a group including Josh? I don't believe that she changes pickers that often but she has been around playing music most of her life so there are going to be occasional changes like any other band.

[cooper4205]

Darrell was on board ship last Febuary on a Bluegrass cruise I went on. He was with Wildfire and taught a few workshops during the days at sea. I got to play his Hutto for one afternoon. What a Hoss.
I've got the chance to play it a few times when Will Parsons had it doing a refret and some other routine maintenance. It is definitely a hoss of a mandolin.

[Gutbucket]

Another member of the Mark Newton Band had his on board, too. It was cool listening to the differences in the two Huttos. I wasn't familiar with these mandolins before. I met Darrel last month in Springfield IL. while he was touring with Rhonda, and got a chance to chat about that mandolin again. He had no idea that the price of Huttos were going up higher and higher.

[dmamlep]

I was really surprised that Darrel Webb joined Rhonda's Rage. he has so much talent. Like Jamie Daley he could have his own group. I have seen him with Wild Fire,but maybe he's tired of making decisions and will just sit back and rest, if you can call that schedule rest.

[earthsave]

Josh joined the Rage in Winter 2004. My wife and I went on the 2004 Bluegrass Cruise and I was wondering why he was there, then when the concerts started, he was picking guitar for Rhonda. Wildfire and Mark Newton band with Ashby Frank on mando was also on that cruise. Dale Ann Bradley with Michael Cleveland, Nothing Fancy, and Carolina Road I think rounded out the bands.

I think joining the Rage was a great step for Josh, since they are one of the most seen bands in the bluegrass circuit. Similarly for Darrell, hopefully he'll get some good exposure.

[ManjoMan]

I heard recently that Kenny Ingram is no longer part of the Rage. Can anyone verify that?

[Gutbucket]

He was still with her on XM radio's Studio Special show. But I'm not sure when this was taped. It's the second time the band has been on.

[earthsave]

Didnt see anything mentioned on Rhondavincent.com about Kenny re-retiring.