Mandolin at the Tonys

[Ken_P]

Don't know if anyone else was watching the Tony awards last night but my wife is a huge theater fan so naturally we were and imagine my surprise when I see a familiar sight from a completely different musical world. When the cast of Oklahoma were doing their showcase number there was a string band as part of the scene and very prominent in the frame was Joe Brent playing his wonderfully unique grand concert mandolin. I had her pause the DVR and spent a good couple minutes explaining who he was and where the mandolin came from and that this was a big reason why I put a deposit down on a 10-string of my own.

The performance was quite good on its own and you couldn't hear the mandolin anyway but it was fun to have two parts of my musical life that normally have nothing to do with each other mix up a little bit.

[digitalshrub]

I got a kick out of seeing Joe on the Tonys as well. I saw Joe perform in Oklahoma last week — it’s a fantastic production, and the arrangements really get to showcase his playing well. Sadly, his 10-string didn’t make the cut for Broadway, I’m guessing it didn’t have the right look for the show. He played a Phoenix at the performance I attended.

[BradKlein]

Sadly, his 10-string didn’t make the cut for Broadway, I’m guessing it didn’t have the right look for the show. He played a Phoenix at the performance I attended.

Hahaha... I too did a double take, and then a triple take when I saw his Brian Dean(?) mandolin on the Tonys. I haven't seen the show, but it sounds like a great production. It's such a unique and unconventional instrument - and the band is playing on stage in full view of the audience and you just do not expect to see a radical design like that in an 'Indian Territory' string band!