Late Night Trashy Mandolin Music

[mandocrucian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh3danLzgFk

[Mandolin Cafe]

Observing the 130th anniversary of Late Night Trashy Mandolin Music, unknown musicians with a special place in our heart.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Wonder what happened to the OP (Ed). Haven't heard from him for a while. Hey Ed... You still out there?

[JeffD]

I keep a notebook of tunes that I write out as soon as I have learned them. I bring it with me to most jams. Late Night Trashy Mandolin Music is the cover title of the notebook.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Another August 5.

Stay trashy, my friends.

[Charlie Bernstein]

The entire quote from that piece was something like:

Neighbors near South Park have complained about trashy music being played on mandolins and guitars late into the night, and how it is wished they would give it a rest!

I think they mentioned libations were involved, not sure. . . .

You can be sure. People (men, especially) started drinking first thing in the morning in those days. The pre-breakfast snort was where we got the term "eye-opener."

Sea captains didn't worry about cutting sea rations on food or drinking water, but if they ran low on rum, they knew mutiny was a real possibility.

In those days, Carrie Nation was actually responding to a real emergency.

Here's Gin Lane, London:

[Dagger Gordon]

Here's Gin Lane, London:

Gin Lane does look pretty wild, Charlie. Don't think I can spot a mandolin, though!

[Sheila Lagrand]

I'll take trashy mandolin music over disgruntled cows any old day.

[Charles E.]

Wonder what happened to the OP (Ed). Haven't heard from him for a while. Hey Ed... You still out there?

Last I recall, Ed took up the electric guitar some years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Hope he is well.

[TonyEarth]

Is there a copy of this article online somewhere?

[mandodelerium]

Ed... I like the idea. My issue is I'm too old for late night trashy mandolin playing.
I might be able to handle some late afternoon trashy mandolin playing, after I get an after lunch nap in.
But you youngsters do what you will!!
Post the sound clips when your project is finished up. Don't postpone and squander the mission.

[Jacob]

At one time, drinking gin was safer than drinking the water in London.
In the fall of 1854, 500 people died in just 10 days in the center of London in the worst of a series of cholera outbreaks.
At the time, the way that cholera spread was a mystery, generally attributed to miasma, or bad air.
Dr. John Snow, however, had a different theory: the drinking water was killing people.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Is there a copy of this article online somewhere?

Not that I'm aware of since I was the one that dug it up, so to speak. I intended to go to the public library today and see about getting a copy. It's fairly short but I don't have a copy myself and would like to. If I do that I'll be sure to share it out.

[Mandolin Cafe]

So I found the reference from the newspaper I was reading in 1990 (posted below) online just now but I've yet to find the original article from the actual paper from that date, but at least I know the name of the newspaper and plan to keep looking for it. Looks like I may have to actually go to the Watkins Museum which is still open and only a few blocks from Cafe headquarters.

[Louise NM]

Making the night hours hideous for over 130 years: trashy mandolin music.

My new goal in life—or a new name for an old goal.

[journeybear]

Not that I'm aware of since I was the one that dug it up, so to speak. I intended to go to the public library today and see about getting a copy. It's fairly short but I don't have a copy myself and would like to. If I do that I'll be sure to share it out.

Oh, my, yes - please do! That would be great to see. Ever since first seeing this referenced, I've considered it one of the most enjoyable published appraisals of mandolin music, right up there with the article from the NY Times stating that "Few noises are so disagreeable as the sound of the picking of a mandolin" and "no well-informed person ever called the picking of a mandolin music." (Side note: that also was published in August - 8/20/1897. Perhaps the effect of heat of the dog days of summer were a factor in the authors' moods, long before the term "Dawg days" might have brought smiles to readers' faces.)

People (men, especially) started drinking first thing in the morning in those days. The pre-breakfast snort was where we got the term "eye-opener."

Sea captains didn't worry about cutting sea rations on food or drinking water, but if they ran low on rum, they knew mutiny was a real possibility.

The tune "Whiskey 'Fore Breakfast" didn't appear out of nowhere."

During the American colonial era, homebrewing and public consumption of beer were quite popular. The commonly held belief was that the alcohol killed water-borne microorganisms, and thus it was safer to drink than fresh water. Benjamin Franklin is on record as having said: "Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy." :grin"

Wonder what happened to the OP (Ed). Haven't heard from him for a while. Hey Ed... You still out there?

He's still involved, though nowhere near as much so as he used to be. He may not have posted in 3 1/2 years but he checks in now and then, as recently as June. It's as if #26 on the all time posters' list hit #6000 and moved on. We keep in touch through social media. His taste in music and ruminations on various topics in social, cultural, and humanitarian areas are most welcome, being often in line with mine.

[journeybear]

As I was researching and writing that, centered on events reported on 8/5/1891, I recalled that I'm spending a few days in Room 805, Mt. Sinai Medical Center (undergoing a cardiac procedure in the morning, serious but fairly routine, so please don't let this - or me - sidetrack this most entertaining thread), and that one of my favorite songs from the Psychedelic Era is Moby Grape's "8:05." Coincidence? Probably. But kind of strange, all the same.



Just love the harmonies and counterpoint. Just a smart, subtle, simple but sweet vocal arrangement. They do a good job with this live version, too. So well done, they fool the host with the false ending.



What does this have to do with LNTMM Day? Other than the abovementioned numerical coincidences, not much. No mandolins, no trashy music, and this was a daytime talk show ... But that 805 keeps showing up, no matter how it's punctuated.

[Bill McCall]

Keep the beat, don’t drop the groove.

[Charles E.]

Looking forward to some "late night trashy mandolin music" at Rockbridge in Sept.

http://rockbridgefestival.org/

[Sheila Lagrand]

undergoing a cardiac procedure in the morning, serious but fairly routine, so please don't let this - or me - sidetrack this most entertaining thread

Wishing you a quick, complete, and comfortable recovery from a perfectly successful procedure. And praying for same.

[Denis Kearns]

And they were probably mostly guitar, uke, and banjo players using an earlier version of this fine publication:



And probably playing & singing something like this:



Ed - Thanks for bringing this important bit of mandolin history to our attention. I’ll request my congressman to propose it as a National Holiday.

- Denis

[journeybear]

Remember, this was 1890, well before either publication existed. And those late night trashy mandolinists were probably musically illiterate, anyway.

Oh, and credit where credit is due - our source is Fearless Leader himself, Scott. Ed started the thread in reaction to a story on the news feed.

[Mandolin Cafe]

Finally located the original newspaper clipping from the August 5, 1890 issue of the Lawrence Journal-Tribune, thanks to the research department at Watkins Museum in downtown Lawrence. After more than 30 years of telling the story appears I added at least a bit of information, or wished it into the story. No mention of libations, or the phrase "late night," and in my mind I thought it referenced the city's downtown park, South Park, home to the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships the last weekend of August the past 40 years. South Lawrence, according to maps I've seen, ould have likely been no more than 600-800 yards to the South from the park at that time. Delighted to see this finally, and the thought of this occurring still brings joy.

[Charles E.]

[QUOTE=journeybear;1832811]Oh, my, yes - please do! That would be great to see. Ever since first seeing this referenced, I've considered it one of the most enjoyable published appraisals of mandolin music, right up there with the article from the NY Times stating that "Few noises are so disagreeable as the sound of the picking of a mandolin" and "no well-informed person ever called the picking of a mandolin music." (Side note: that also was published in August - 8/20/1897. Perhaps the effect of heat of the dog days of summer were a factor in the authors' moods, long before the term "Dawg days" might have brought smiles to readers' faces.)



For those of you that might have skimmed over this the first time (as I did) it is worth enlarging and reading. Hilarious!

[Charles E.]

[QUOTE=journeybear;1832811]Oh, my, yes - please do! That would be great to see. Ever since first seeing this referenced, I've considered it one of the most enjoyable published appraisals of mandolin music, right up there with the article from the NY Times stating that "Few noises are so disagreeable as the sound of the picking of a mandolin" and "no well-informed person ever called the picking of a mandolin music." (Side note: that also was published in August - 8/20/1897. Perhaps the effect of heat of the dog days of summer were a factor in the authors' moods, long before the term "Dawg days" might have brought smiles to readers' faces.)





Lets try that again....