DRINK SWITCHBACK! CIDER SAYS
issue 34 working _ Layout 1 8 / 1 / 2013 8:06 PM Page 51
years back and once again find himself in the Opry House band.
“ I started playing blues, and Raymond plays a lot of blues licks,” Blythe said.“ His timing is phenomenal. He’ s the best and most generous musician I’ ve ever played with. He’ s always encouraging us to incorporate our own styles onstage.”
The show ends with a scattered round of applause from the faces in the audience. Fairchild comes offstage to shake a few hands, sign a few photos and albums for folks with hair as white as a mid-winter storm in South Dakota. Outside, patrons head for their vehicles or take a seat on the well-worn couches and chairs lining the wide, covered pavilion that serves as a front porch.
Meanwhile, jovial noise from a bar next door echoes loudly towards the Opry House, a scene far different from Fairchild’ s hallowed halls of music purity. A rock band soon takes the stage to hearty applause from a good-sized crowd. Filled with piercing electric guitars and barely audible words, the sound is fuzzy and chaotic, one that would have Bill Monroe turning over in his grave.
Fairchild sits back down in his musty armchair. He’ s a little tired, from the show tonight and from the shows he’ s played every night for the majority of his life. But, no matter, for tomorrow is another day and another show, in front of another small crowd of curious people.
“ Well, I don’ t know how long I’ ll be here at the Opry House. I may be here five years or this may be my last year,” Fairchild said.“ My wife’ s sick. I’ m sick. But when I leave here, it’ ll be sad day. With a quarter century, this has become a second home. I’ m here for the people and of course you got to charge to pay the light bill and the rent. I’ m here for them.
I just hope they would realize this is the place to hear it.
DRINK SWITCHBACK! CIDER SAYS
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