Videos Archive - The Bluegrass Situation

The Good Country Goodtime: “Who’s Gonna Feed Them Hogs”

When we started The Good Country Goodtime in the fall of last year, we knew we wanted our new variety show to continue many country traditions – great music, good hangs, excellent songs, a killer band, and of course hilarious hijinx. From Minnie Pearl and Roger Miller to Hannah Dasher and Gary Mule Deer, humor and comedy have always been a keystone tradition in country.

At our September Goodtime, plenty of hijinx ensued, especially with our extremely funny guest host Robbie Fulks. But one of our favorite gut-busting moments from the Good Country Goodtime was this sketch and song featuring writer-comedian-producer Greg Hess and our all-star band fronted by the Coral Reefers’ Mick Utley.

Utley is rudely interrupted, mid-Hank Williams cover, by Hess (who co-produces the show, and here plays the show’s producer). The melancholy country vibes of Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome” and Ralph Stanley’s “Oh, Death” are not peppy and positive enough, it seems, so Utley and band are tasked with bringing something fresher, newer, and “hot” to the stage.

“I guess I’m confused about what a ‘good time’ is,” Utley declares at the producer’s ill-timed feedback, before launching into a hilarious – and yes, peppy and positive – rendition of Tom T. Hall’s classic, “Who’s Gonna Feed Them Hogs.” To cheers and laughter from the Dynasty Typewriter crowd Utley sings, “400 hogs just standin’ out there/ My wife can’t feed ’em, my neighbors they don’t care… Here I am in this dang bed/ And who’s gonna feed them hogs?”

Our inaugural Good Country Goodtime show, hosted by Robbie Fulks, also featured appearances by artists Victoria Bailey and Aubrie Sellers as well as a hilarious set by comedian and actor Kurt Braunohler. Dynasty Typewriter is one of LA’s premier spaces for comedy, music, podcasts, improv, and so much more.

Enjoy this hilarious sketch and rendition of Tom T. Hall’s “Who’s Gonna Feed Them Hogs” by Mick Utley and the Good Country Goodtime house band and stay tuned for even more songs and silliness from the Good Country Goodtime coming to you soon right here on BGS and Good Country.

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The Good Country Goodtime: Victoria Bailey, “Honky Tonk Woman”

For our third installment of our exclusive Good Country Goodtime sessions, California cowgirl Victoria Bailey steps to the center of the Dynasty Typewriter stage to perform “Honky Tonk Woman” with our house band. Given it was our first variety show, the theme was pretty straight forward – “Firsts” – so it was more than apt for Bailey to pull out the number. “Since we’re on the theme of firsts,” she says, announcing the song, “This next song is actually the first country song I wrote, I realized backstage.”

From her 2020 album, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline, “Honky Tonk Woman” certainly doesn’t feel like a first effort. It’s an idiomatic country & western tune with a loping, danceable groove and a subject matter that could’ve easily been pulled from the catalog of say, Patsy Cline, or Tammy Wynette, or Loretta Lynn. “I wanna be a honky tonk woman,” Bailey sings – almost like Billy Joel when he renders “Piano Man” – inhabiting the character she text paints while singing about her in third person.

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, Bailey combines so many textures and styles of the state’s deserts, coasts, and ranches with bluegrass, gospel, classic country sounds, and more. Her most recent album, A Cowgirl Rides On, leans more in a string band direction, but as “Honky Tonk Woman” demonstrates, whatever genre stylings come to the fore of her song, Bailey is Good Country through and through.

Back on September 27 of last year, Good Country and BGS debuted our brand new variety show, the Good Country Goodtime, at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. The inaugural show was hosted by country and bluegrass singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks and featured appearances by artists Victoria Bailey and Aubrie Sellers as well as a hilarious set by comedian and actor Kurt Braunohler. Backing up the talent was our first-class Goodtime house band led by the Coral Reefers’ Mick Utley.

Dynasty Typewriter is one of LA’s premier spaces for comedy, music, podcasts, improv, and so much more. The very first Good Country Goodtime was livestreamed online, captured by the venue’s fully built-out rig of cameras, so we’re incredibly excited to get to share exclusive clips, performances, and sketches from the Goodtime – not only from our first show in the fall, but going forward as we continue these events this year, too.

Enjoy Victoria Bailey’s lovely representation of Southern California country above with “Honky Tonk Woman” and stay tuned for more songs and silliness from the Good Country Goodtime coming to you soon right here on BGS and Good Country.

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The Good Country Goodtime: Aubrie Sellers, “Make the World Go Away”

On September 27, Good Country and BGS debuted our brand new variety show, the Good Country Goodtime, at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. The inaugural show was hosted by country and bluegrass singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks and featured appearances by artists Victoria Bailey and Aubrie Sellers as well as a hilarious set by comedian and actor Kurt Braunohler. Backing up the talent was our first class Goodtime house band led by the Coral Reefers’ Mick Utley.

For our second installment in our series of clips from the September edition of the show, “garage country” artist and singer-songwriter Aubrie Sellers offers an incredible cover of a country classic, “Make the World Go Away.” Sellers is a fascinating roots artist with a deep and broad country and Americana pedigree. Her music combines so many genres – indie, folk, rock and roll, grunge, and blues blend effortlessly with bona fide old country chops and pop-meets-countrypolitan glamor. But here, on the Dynasty Typewriter stage, her rendition of the indispensable Hank Cochran-penned hit is remarkably simple and down-to-earth.

“Make the World Go Away” has been recorded and covered dozens of times. First a country chart hit for Eddy Arnold in the ’60s, the song has been a timeless, perseverant sensation in the decades since. Superstars like Elvis, Dean Martin, Donny and Marie Osmond, Martina McBride, and Alison Krauss and Jamey Johnson have released their own studio versions; the song is even a common “call” at jam sessions and guitar pulls, even in bluegrass and old-time communities. It has earned its place in the country canon and American songbook.

Here, the lyric is showcased expertly by Sellers. Intricate vocal twists, turns, and runs serve the song more subtly than showy. Sellers certainly has a powerful voice, capable of filling rock clubs and commanding festival stages, but it’s just as lovely and perhaps even more entrancing in this more understated context. It’s easy to tell this is a song at her command, a classic as well-worn and comforting to Sellers as her version will be to her listeners – and was to our Goodtime audience!

Enjoy Sellers’ nostalgic and beautiful performance of “Make the World Go Away” and stay tuned for more songs and silliness from the Good Country Goodtime coming to you in 2025 right here on BGS and Good Country.

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Rootsy Summer Sessions: Judy Blank

While much of the U.S. – and really, much of the Northern Hemisphere – has been plunged into the frigid throes of winter, let’s stroll back to balmy summer and to Falkenberg, Sweden. During Rootsy Summer Fest ’24 our videographer friends at I Know We Should were once again on hand to capture a few special live performances of artists and musicians from the festival lineup. Earlier this year, we featured an entire series of sessions from Rootsy Summer Fest ’23 (view those videos here), so we’re especially pleased to bring you these special encore performances captured this August.

For our latest session, we’re excited to introduce our BGS audience to indie-folk artist Judy Blank. Born and raised in the Netherlands – though now based in Nashville, Tennessee – Blank has her own sort of transatlantic style, combining textures and tones from Music City, Los Angeles, Europe, and beyond. Pop sensibilities combine with a raw earthiness that feels authentic and grounded, while simultaneously polished and highly conceptualized.

Her first number, “Karaoke,” is warm and charming in this solo context, accompanied solely by her well-loved and broken-in Gibson acoustic guitar. The original song is pulled from Blank’s 2022 EP, Saddies, where the production is something of a broken dreamscape dressed in acoustic alt-pop and lush, layered vocals. The song still shines in this stripped down, solo setting – especially with the beautiful Falkenberg riverside as a background.

Blank continues with her second selection, “No, Thank You,” which she introduces slightly mischeviously: “I wrote this song when I first came to turns with my mortality…” If that intro doesn’t hook you, the first lyric will.

I’m not going to die tonight/ If that’s alright?
I’ll just stay alive/ That would be better…

Still, the song isn’t gratuitous or morose, a deft balancing act by the singer-songwriter. Whether the song’s speaker is addressing herself, another, or the Grim Reaper in their flowing cloak, the message here is striking and resonant.

It’s been a number of years since Blank’s most recent EP or full-length releases, and “No, Thank You” appears as yet unrecorded, so hopefully this is an indicator of new music coming from the artist soon. It’s certain her songs and lyrics will stick with listeners, echoing with an aftertaste of the mortality she addresses in the song. As she questions, “Who’s to say I’m not allowed to live forever?”

(Editor’s Note: Explore more of our Rootsy Summer Sessions and our nearly endless supply of live performances here.)

Video Credit: Brad Wagner, I Know We Should

The Good Country Goodtime: Robbie Fulks, “I Just Lived a Country Song”

On September 27, Good Country and BGS debuted our brand new variety show, the Good Country Goodtime, at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. The inaugural show, hosted by country and bluegrass singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks, featured comedy, country, and performances by musicians Victoria Bailey and Aubrie Sellers, comedian and actor Kurt Braunohler, and our all-star Goodtime house band led by the Coral Reefers’ Mick Utley.

Dynasty Typewriter is one of LA’s premier spaces for comedy, music, podcasts, improv, and so much more. The very first Good Country Goodtime was captured by the venue’s state-of-the-art cameras and we’re so excited to begin sharing exclusive sessions pulled from our debut edition of the show with our readers and fans. To kick off the new series, we’re highlighting our impeccable host for the evening, Robbie Fulks.

For one of his several selections during the variety show, Fulks performed “I Just Lived a Country Song,” a sardonic and self-referential western-flavored tune all about the hilarious and lonesome ups-and-downs of a life lived within country tropes. The original number trots along, propelled by the first-rate pickers in our Goodtime band, while it follows the rise and fall of a perhaps fictional country star.

It’s a perfect representation of Fulks’ dry, hilarious style – which fit in perfectly to our vision for the brand new Good Country Goodtime. Comedy and country have always gone hand-in-hand and this tradition is safe in good hands with multi-hyphenate musicians like Fulks. Between his deadpan one liners, delightfully sarcastic line reads, and heartfelt renditions of originals and covers alike – including a show-stopping acoustic homage to Kris Kristofferson, who had recently passed – Fulks epitomized the kind of fun-filled, country community-centered evenings we hope to host regularly at Dynasty Typewriter in 2025.

Enjoy Fulks’ performance of “I Just Lived a Country Song” and stay tuned for more songs and silliness from our very first Good Country Goodtime coming to you soon right here on BGS and Good Country.

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Tønder Sessions: Jon Muq

Earlier this year, during the waning days of summer, our videographer friends at I Know We Should traveled to Denmark to capture a handful of special sessions with Americana and roots artists performing at Scandinavian music festivals. For our next installment in this mini-series, we’re excited to feature singer-songwriter Jon Muq performing during his time at premier Danish music event, Tønder Festival.

Born and raised in Uganda, Jon Muq has made waves since relocating to Austin, Texas and leaving his mark on the American roots music scene. Earlier this year he released his debut full-length album, Flying Away, on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. That’s the project from which Muq’s first selection is pulled. On a waterside boardwalk with a marshy backdrop, Muq offers “Bend,” a song about resiliency, flexibility, and connection.

“So come on, come on, don’t let me love you,” Muq sings, plaintively, to a loping acoustic guitar rhythm. “You’ll come on, you’re strong enough to bend…” He offers his own take on a not-so-uncommon lyrical hook, breathing freshness into it and bringing his own perspective to the idea that strength isn’t unflinching or stoic, it’s flexible and responsive.

For his second number, Muq performs “Hello Sunshine,” another track from Flying Away – one just perfect for August in Denmark. “Hello, hello sunshine/ Goodbye rainy days,” he begins, foregrounding the hopeful message in the song’s text. His message of encouragement and perseverance is more than apropos to carry with us into wintertime and our uncertain future. (Whether facing a Scandinavian-level winter or one a bit more balmy.)

These two tracks begin to illustrate the depth and breadth of Muq’s style, even in this simple and unadorned context. With just one album to his name at this early point in his international career, there’s certainly so much more great music to come from this singular roots artist.

Want to learn more about Jon Muq? Check out our 5+5 interview from earlier this year here.

Rootsy Summer Sessions: Katie Pruitt

Earlier this year, we partnered with our friends at I Know We Should to share a set of gorgeous sessions captured during their time at Rootsy Summer Fest in Falkenberg, Sweden in 2023. We’re very excited to once again partner to bring you a handful of special encore performances, shot at 2024’s edition of the event by videographer Brad Wagner. (See more from the full series here.)

So that’s how we find ourselves returning to the banks of the Ätran, the picturesque river that winds its way through historic Falkenberg to the North Sea, where Americana singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt first performs “If I Call You Mine,” with a beautiful August golden hour backdrop. A few passersby linger on the sidewalk, enjoying the surprise-to-them rendition.

“If I Call You Mine” is new, or as yet unreleased, and begins with a tender and longing guitar melody, giving way to a lyric that’s as grounded as it is winsome – or perhaps, pining. “This [song] is about that kind of nervous phase of a new relationship, being able to trust someone again after being heartbroken,” Pruitt explained, when introducing the song before performing it at Tønder Festival in Denmark on the same trip. You can hear the tension and hesitation in the words, the fear of losing – or of accepting – love.

“Is it all gonna change?/ If I call you mine…” she sings, turning around the chorus with that delicious picked hook once again.

For her second selection, Pruitt offers an acoustic take on “Leading Actress,” a track from her critically-acclaimed 2024 album, Mantras – we featured the album in a Cover Story interview in the spring. The song carries a similar theme of longing to “If I Call You Mine,” each number the perfect bookend to the other. The song’s speaker, whether Pruitt or a character, finds themselves orbiting another, or the space left behind by their absence.

“I’m sleeping in the middle of the mattress/ Thinking about changing up my address/ Somehow you’re still the leading actress/ In the movie of my life.”

(Editor’s Note: Explore more of our Rootsy Summer Sessions and our nearly endless supply of live video performances here.)

Video Credit: Brad Wagner, I Know We Should

AEA Sessions: Zach Meadows, Live at AmericanaFest 2024

Editor’s Note: Over the last few weeks, BGS has partnered with AEA Ribbon Mics to share special live sessions shot during AmericanaFest at Bell Tone Recording in Nashville, Tennessee. The series features a variety of performers and Americana artists, a small selection of which have premiered weekly here on BGS. While today’s session is our last installment, you can see more videos from the series here. And, see the full set of sessions on YouTube via AEA Ribbon Mics.

Artist: Zach Meadows
Hometown: From Orlando, Florida; currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee
Songs: “Three White Crosses,” “Cardinal Song,” “Marianne,” “Texas Two Step”

In Their Words: “Since moving to Nashville, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some incredibly talented folks. Having just put out my debut record, Road to Nowhere, getting the chance to share some of my journey through music with AEA and play a bit of the album live with Brandon Bell in the room, who was absolutely so instrumental in helping to bring this record to life, was truly a one-of-a-kind experience.” – Zach Meadows

“Brandon Bell had worked on Zach’s album and recommended him for this session. I looked Zach up online and couldn’t find much info about him. This was our last session that day and the sun was setting and starting to throw some weird shadows in the room (you can see them in the video). We mostly wanted to get through it and go to dinner. Then Zach started performing and it was like time stood still. His authenticity and talent left us all speechless.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

To purchase AEA Ribbon Mics or other gear, please contact your local dealer. More information is available at AEARibbonMics.com. See the full series of AEA Sessions shot live during AmericanaFest by subscribing to AEA Ribbon Mics on YouTube.

Video Credits:
Audio – Brandon Bell
Audio Assistant – Annie Petrik
Video – Michael Perlmutter
Host – Julie Tan
Filmed at Bell Tone Recording, Nashville.

AEA Sessions: Tony Arata, Live at AmericanaFest 2024

Editor’s Note: BGS is excited to partner with AEA Ribbon Mics to share special live sessions shot during AmericanaFest at Bell Tone Recording in Nashville, Tennessee. The series will feature a variety of performers and Americana artists, a small selection of which will premiere weekly here on BGS. See more videos from the series here.

Artist: Tony Arata
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
Songs: “When I Remember You,” “Here I Am,” “The Dance,” “Getting Older”

In Their Words: “My hometown is Savannah, Georgia, but I grew up on nearby Tybee Island, which I always claim as my hometown. Jaymi and I have been in Nashville since 1986.

“The shoot was done in one of my favorite places I’ve ever worked – Bell Tone Studios in Berry Hill (Nashville, Tennessee), and could not have been easier nor more relaxed. I know I met you, Julie, for the first time that day, but you made me feel like an old friend. And though I’m not a gear-head, the mics were super cool! Thank you for making and representing great stuff. And I love Roger Nichols, my only hope is that he never realizes how talented he is, because he might be hard to live with! He is a truly brilliant musician/engineer/producer/human.” – Tony Arata

“Tony Arata is so revered in Nashville, not only because he is songwriting royalty, but because he’s still a regular at the Bluebird Cafe and continues to mentor and bring up the next generation of songwriters.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

To purchase AEA Ribbon Mics other gear, please contact your local dealer. More information is available at AEARibbonMics.com. See the full series of AEA Sessions shot live during AmericanaFest by subscribing to AEA Ribbon Mics on YouTube.

Video Credits:
Recorded by Roger Alan Nichols.
Mixed by Brandon Bell.
Audio Assistant – Annie Petrik
Video – Michael Perlmutter
Host – Julie Tan
Filmed at Bell Tone Recording, Nashville.

AEA Sessions: Kim Richey, Live at AmericanaFest 2024

Artist: Kim Richey
Hometown: Zanesville, Ohio
Songs: “Chapel Avenue,” “Angels’ Share,” “The Absence Of Your Company,” “Take The Cake”

In Their Words: “I really enjoyed working with the gang at [AEA] Ribbon Mics. The mics are great and the folks are wonderful to work with.” – Kim Richey

“Kim is a treasure. Every song is like a masterclass in songwriting and her voice invites you right into tableaus her songs create.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

Video Credits:
Audio – Brandon Bell
Audio Assistant – Annie Petrik
Video – Michael Perlmutter
Host – Julie Tan
Filmed at Bell Tone Recording, Nashville.