Twisted Laurel

 Well, this has been Bowen’s “Banjo Summer.” In early June, he dropped in to visit Paul Callicoat at Route 60 Music and, on a whim, Charlie traded an old guitar he had for a shiny new five-string that he spied on the wall there. Charlie didn’t know a thing about banjo, but he started watching some videos he found on YouTube from the remarkable Dr. Josh Turknett and his “Brainjo Academy.” He practice a bit every day and has been having an absolute ball. Now, we don’t think he’ll ever been an especially proficient player — honestly, banjo seems to be something you could study the rest of your life and still have more to learn — but… well, we remember a line in an old song that said, “I can be the doctor ’til the doctor comes…” We think the same could be said about banjo players. Here, from a recent rehearsal, was Charlie’s first bit of banjocity with the band, on a great old Tommy Thompson tune.