TSGA Jamboree 2012…
a weekend in Dallas.
This year I timed my trip to the US so I could be present at the “28th annual TSGA Jamboree, March 8 – 11, 2012” at the Sheraton Grand DFW, Irving, Texas. My second time at this show, and I sure hope I'll be able to be present a few more years.
Here follows a few of my impressions, illustrated mainly with my own pictures taken at the show.
Johnny Bush
performed backed by Jim Loessberg on
steel guitar. Jim's steel guitar sounded a bit too sharp to me (and to most
others in the audience, I think) during his solo performances and when he
backed up Johnny Bush, but his playing was impeccable.
Paul Franklin
was on stage both Friday and Saturday night, and, as usual, he performed well.
Actually: on Friday Paul forgot the melody to a tune he tried to play, so
that one ended in a lot of laughter — goes to show that even a top
professional like Paul can get lost sometimes. On Saturday he played the same
tune again, and of course it came out flawless this time.
Mike Johnson is another of the
hardworking professional steel guitar players that performed both Friday and
Saturday night at the TSGA Jamboree this year, along with his wife. Always
a real treat to hear Mike live.
The list of performers on stage in the big hall was pretty long and stuffed with good players all 3 days. I have included a photocopy of the official scedules, and more pictures from the show can be found in the addendum at the bottom of this page.
Sound in the big hall was better this year than I remember it from my last visit — in 2010. Although not consistent all the way through, for the most part the sound-guys seemed to do a reasonably good job at balancing the PA system to the hall.
The members of the bands backing up the artists, were also well versed, and, as expected after having seen most of them performing on many occasions, they all did an excellent job all the way through.
Those amongst the players and in the audience who had not had enough music when the clock rounded midnight, could enjoy stage performance and dancing for a couple of hours longer into the night. Quite a few people showed up on both late night arrangements, and the comments uttered afterwards were very positive so these “extras” clearly was popular.
Although I did not stay up long after midnight myself, the opportunity to check out how country and swing loving Americans enjoy entertainment into the late hours could not be passed on. So here are two of the pictures I took as they started warming up the dance floor night till Sunday.
sideroom shows.
Lots of side rooms both upstairs (at the mezzanine level) and
downstairs around the entry hall, and music came out from most of them.
The way the Sheraton hotel is built there were little
to no disturbance between these rooms and neighboring rooms and areas, and the
big hall is completely separated from all the other sound sources.
The “Rick Alexander Non-Pedal Sessions” unfolded
upstairs, and although I am a pedal steeler myself I enjoyed the
performances on non-pedal steels very much.
It always amazes me to see and hear how much of what I do with pedals,
others can do without them.
Come to think of it: I used to play non-pedal myself back in the 1970s, but
not quite in the same league as these guys.
John Stannard (guitar) and Mark Dunn (pedal steel) performed in the
“Telonics cave”, and they performed well in front of the small
audience that could fit in there.
Mark later asked, and got, permission to use pictures I took of him and
John. Fun…
great show.
As I get to visit more and more steel guitar shows, the TSGA Jamboree seems to stand out as something special. Maybe it is the very relaxed atmosphere everything unfolds under despite it being such a big event, that attracts so many people.
Dallas, Texas, is a long drive from Weeki Wachee, Florida, but the show and all that goes on around it is well worth the time spent on the road. It is my favorite show.
I got sick when returning to my place in Florida. Such things happens and it had nothing to do with the TSGA show. It does however explain why it took so long — more than a month — to prepare this article. Anyway, now that I am fine again and even have been able to visit another steel guitar show, my impressions and some of the many pictures taken at the TSGA Jamboree 2012, have finally found their place on the web.
sincerely 
Weeki Wachee 26.apr.2012
last rev: 07.apr.2023
side notes.
Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel.
The Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel is quite an OK place to stay for a weekend,
or longer, and is well suited for an arrangement like the TSGA Jamboree.
That it was cold and rainy from before I arrived on Thursday, until the
show ended Sunday afternoon, did not matter much. The view from my room at the
upper floor was good, and the room itself was not bad either.
Even the “smoking lounges” looked inviting…
presenting stuff…
Demo'ing instruments, amplifiers and various gismos is an important part of
everything for the various vendors, and such activities went on everywhere
all day long during the event.
copy of official scedules…
Nothing goes exactly as planned at such large events, but as far as I can remember most artists showed up when they were supposed to so the lists below are pretty accurate.
I did
not try to correct or compensate for varying light-conditions while taking
pictures. Also avoided using flashlight whenever possible, so the amount of
light and color variations do show on the originals and then also on the
web-prepared copies seen above.