Every year around this time I remember how much I miss seeing the Seldom Scene at the Birchmere, back when Mike Auldridge and the late John Duffey were in the band and back when the Birchmere was in a smaller building a few doors down from its current location. Maybe it’s because Duffey passed away in the month of December or maybe it’s because the Seldom Scene’s anniversary falls in November each year (the band celebrated its 40th last month) or maybe it’s all those New Year’s Eve shows the band used to play at the Birchmere. Whatever the case, it seemed appropriate that I post this Mike Auldridge record that he signed for me at the Birchmere in the late 80s when the band was between sets of one of their regular Thursday night appearances. For anyone who doesn't know: Mike was the Dobro player in the Seldom Scene from the band's inception in 1971 until 1995 when he left to form a new band called Chesapeake.
After the first set, Mike joined a few friends at a nearby table and I remember feeling a little nervous when I approached him—after all, I was a 17 year old kid out on a school night, likely interrupting the conversation of old friends. Mike was very friendly and happy to oblige, scribbling his giant sloppy signature down the right side of my LP. In the late 80s and early 90s, I probably saw about twenty Thursday night Seldom Scene shows and Mike was the only person I ever approached, though I did have a chance encounter with John Duffey in front of the Arlington County Public Library.
At that time in my life and throughout my college years, the Birchmere was my favorite place to go and I was sad to see it move to the larger building. Though I have heard some great music in the current venue, I miss the intimacy and charm of the old place. There was the man with the long white beard who guarded the door, took your ten-dollar cover, and used his foreboding stare to discourage talking during the performances. There was the used record store downstairs, the pull-knob cigarette machine, the beautiful chandelier to the right of the stage, the worn out swinging doors of the men’s restroom that inevitably slammed into you as you entered. The place was so quiet and respectful during the Seldom Scene's performances that you could hear water spraying dishes in the kitchen during the quieter moments of a song.
On one particularly memorable evening Doc Watson was an unbilled mystery surprise guest (Can you imagine them doing that now?) and Mike shared the stage with him for several songs including “Treasures Untold,” which they had recently recorded together. I remember this well, as it’s the only time I’ve heard Doc play live with Dobro accompaniment. On other nights, Tony Rice would pop up on stage during the Scene’s set and sing “Old Train” or play a jawdroppingly fast “John Hardy.” These occasions were the only times I‘ve heard Tony sing in live performance, as dysphonia silenced his voice shortly thereafter.
Not surprisingly, the Seldom Scene member who made the biggest impression on me was mandolin player and high tenor vocalist John Duffey. I remember the hair sticking up on the back of my neck the first time I heard him sing “Bringing Mary Home.” I remember doubling over in laughter as he donned star-shaped sunglasses during a spirited rendition of “Lay Down Sally.” But mostly, I remember silently and attentively watching him on stage; in particular, I loved to watch him take mandolin breaks. Often, he would stare at his fingers in astonishment as if he couldn’t believe how fast they were moving. Then, as soon as he finished, he would fling his mandolin around his back and look out at the crowd as if to say “how’d he do all that?”
Mike always impressed me too, because, more than anyone in the band, he just exuded music. Duffey could sound a little unrehearsed and slightly out of tune, but he had so much soul and charisma that it didn't matter. In contrast, Mike seemed more refined and smooth. His playing was as immaculate as his personal appearance—as if he had been practicing six hours a day for the entire week leading up to the gig, which I'm sure was the case. He also seemed to really enjoy himself on stage and his ever-present smile was infectious and uplifting. During each Thursday night appearance, Mike was featured on instrumentals such as "Pickaway," "Panhandle Country," and his wonderful arrangement of Benny Goodman's "Stompin' at the Savoy." I remember requesting that the band play another instrumental "Appalachian Rain," mainly so I could hear Auldridge's Dobro break and on one such occasion, this number, played at my request, got the biggest applause of any song played that evening.
It’s for all these reasons that this signed Mike Auldridge record has sentimental value, even if it isn’t his most representative album or even one of the many solo Auldridge records that feature other original members of the Seldom Scene.
