In 2011, I became the banjo player for the popular Idaho progressive bluegrass band Chicken Dinner Road (CDR). We’ve had a great time playing throughout Idaho, eastern Oregon, northern Utah, western Nevada and as far away as Darrington (WA), Lexington (KY), and Bell Buckle (TN). We made great lifelong friends and memories but none more memorable than with our colorful friend J. D. Webb who also contributed a chapter for What We Saw from the Stage. Many times, CDR and J. D.’s band played at the same regional bluegrass festivals.

None of us seem to remember how it got started, but when we played the same event we sometimes played practical jokes on each other during performances. One time at the Council (Idaho) Music Festival, when J. D. was on stage just before us, one of the CDR “roosters” had a great idea. In the middle of one of J. D.’s songs, we lined up in front of the stage with our backs to the stage, bent over, and pretended to moon J. D. Of course, J. D. and his band cracked up — but the band played on. The audience at first gasped but then roared with laughter and applause. We knew there would be retaliation by J. D. when Chicken Dinner Road played the next set to close out the show.

Sure enough, during a song about half way through the set, J. D. strutted out in front of the stage. Now, you have to understand that J. D. is one of those guys who carries a lot of weight between his shoulders and hips. He dramatically ripped apart his shirt like Superman and there – for all the world to see – was his abundant gut flopped over his belt and a Chicken Dinner Road bumper sticker attached to his bare chest. Sometimes you simply get too much information, but the crowd went wild.

And then there was the time the Pocatello (Idaho) bluegrass festival. Some guy who J. D. claims (without proof) was a CDR band member appeared on stage during a song in his set, dressed garishly as Dolly Parton. “She” danced around and then planted a big smacker on J. D. while he was singing. This time J. D. was speechless – and the crowd again went wild.