CBA News Article

X Hooked--Mark Anderson

Back about '94, I was playing drums in a punk/alternative band. A friend of mine, Kevin Barnes of Minnesota's Stoney Lonesome bluegrass band, knew that I was about at the end of my rope with the people I was hanging with and suggested a switch to bluegrass music. It seemed his band was going to be in need of a bass player soon and offered me a chance to audition if I had a bass.

I had some experience with bluegrass. I had been listening to a radio show on KBEM called Bluegrass Saturday Morning since I moved to the cities in '83 and had a few recordings by Hot Rize and the like, but I had never thought about playing bluegrass. It was Kevin playing me some old Stanley Brothers and early Bill Monroe that kind of cemented the idea for me. I found the drive of the old school bluegrass really exciting.

So I bought the bass and two weeks later, auditioned. I didn't get the job but I kept the bass. A year later I was in a couple of bands. In 2000, I eliminated the other bands for Monroe Crossing. My favorite part of bluegrass continues to be the people you meet.

Posted By: Rick Cornish