Trailer Park Troubadors-LB to play on their album

[Livia]

COURTESY OF ANTSY MCCLAIN
With his band, the Trailer Park Troubadours, Antsy McClain sings about the colorful characters and life experiences he encountered growing up on a trailer park in Kentucky.

BY ROBERT HICKS
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD

Antsy McClain is an observer of human nature. It's reflected in his humorous drawings that have appeared in Newsweek, Psychology Today and The Atlantic Monthly, and it's expressed in songs performed by his band, the Trailer Park Troubadours.

"Everyone is my muse," he said. "I just observe and see how people interact or don't interact with each other and I write about it."

Antsy McClain & the Trailer Park Troubadours will perform at the Stanhope House in Stanhope Thursday.

"It's gonna be a party," he said. "We just come and invite everyone to the trailer park. Our trailer park is called Pine View Heights."

The sextet will play a mix of old and new songs, including "It Ain't Home Until You Kick the Wheels Off" and "One Less Trailer Here in Pine View Heights."

McClain often comes out in between band sets to play a solo set of new songs.

He began writing songs at a young age and tried them out at local parties in Kentucky. After listening to the "Grand Ole Opry" and the "Dr. Demento Show," he gravitated to personable, likeminded musicians and found inspiration from Jim Croce, Jim Stafford, Jerry Reed and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show for his songwriting.

"I've just taken the zany world of Dr. Demento and meshed that with the country and folk music I heard on the 'Grand Ole Opry' to make the music we play, which I call folkabilly," he said.

As a Christian missionary, he went to Japan in the early '80s. He mainly taught guitar and English to the Japanese. He became fluent enough in Japanese to get work as an interpreter for the auto industry once he came back to Kentucky.

The Troubs (as their "Flamingoes" fans call them) are currently working on a forthcoming Christmas album and a new studio CD, "Trailercana." McClain promises a rocking, retro-style Christmas album in the tradition of Elvis Presley, featuring many Nashville studio musicians.

For his band's studio CD, he has invited Tommy Smothers, Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, Bobby Cochran of Steppenwolf and Bonnie Bramlett to join the Troubs.

"I hope to put us more on the map nationally," he said. "We've just been happy with selling our CDs at shows and on the Internet in the past, but now our fan base is getting larger."

McClain writes songs about the colorful characters and life experiences he encountered growing up on a trailer park in Kentucky before he moved to Nashville 10 years ago. His songs address personal relationships and the human condition.

His songs are very personal. "I Married Up"is based on a true story. "Doris' Dark Side" is about living with a moody person, and "Dysfunctional" is about a party girl McClain knew back in Kentucky.

"I'm singing about my life and my friends'and family's lives and folks back home in Kentucky," he said. "It's all done in an endearing way. There's no pointing the finger and laughing at anyone's lifestyle. Living in a trailer park is a lifestyle, and it's one that's not chosen by many people. Poverty is not a fun thing. We're not poking fun at poverty. We're laughing at life."

http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.../1082/SPORTS08
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[MacMan]

You can hear a snippet of "When Ruby Falls" Here from Antsy's solo album. This album has been out for awhile I believe.

http://www.antsy.net/music.htm

[chiliD]

Isn't the connection actually that former Fritz drummer Bob Aguirre is the TPT's drummer?

[Livia]

Yes, if you click on the link I posted, there's a pic.

[ragandbone]

They are playing a couple of miles away from me, Fri. Aug. 25 9pm. I am thinking of going. I meant to go last year, when they played there, and I missed it. Seems like it might be a fun show.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by ragandbone

They are playing a couple of miles away from me, Fri. Aug. 25 9pm. I am thinking of going. I meant to go last year, when they played there, and I missed it. Seems like it might be a fun show.

let us know how you liked it! I'm interested.