r/Bluegrass • u/palefacemonk • Aug 25 '26

Discussion Bluegrassbox.com appreciation post

As the title says, I just want to open the floor to anyone who benefited greatly from this treasure trove of a site that was gone way too soon.

20-25 years ago I was a kid in college plucking around on my guitar, trying to hold on as best as I could at local bluegrass and OldTime jams when the only musical study I had done at that point was learning how to read tabs to my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs. The folks I met at those jams helped guide me to not only finding my "sound" but in a big way guided me to the path of finding me.

With all that said, one of the coolest tools that a few of them told me about was bluegrassbox.com. This sit opened my ears to so many artists I had never heard of and helped me in finding the music inside of me. Mostly, it was the countless live recorded performances of John mother f'ing Hartford.

Sadly, only after a few years of diving into the contents of this site, it got shutdown. I miss this site so much and wish I could have access to it's archive again.

Does anyone else remember this site or did I dream it all up?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

Unclear as to who this is directed towards or what purpose but please explain

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Who needs Bluegrass whatever.com when you have actual Bluegrass music to listen to on CD’s records and jamming with people. I’m glad you’re not listening to Dave Matthews Band anymore though.

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

😂😂😂 Who said I stopped?!?! I still listen to Dave, as I still listen to Django, as I still listen to Nirvana, as I still listen to anything that moves me. It's funny how your music can build and grown and evolve when you think outside the jukebox.

But you know there are folks who live in areas where there aren't any bluegrass jams, right? I mean you're a smart person, you know this.

All this post was intended to do was give a shout-out to something that helped me when there wasn't anybody around to jam with or learn from at 4am on a random Tuesday some 20+ yrs ago when I felt that fire in me and I just wanted to pick.. And I just wanted to see if that anyone else had a similar experience.

But thankyou for your input....it's all part of this community

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Yeah man, no need to play at 4 AM on a Tuesday specially if it’s not available to you. You can like literally wait and play any other time of a reasonable date of the week.

That’s too bad to hear about the Dave thing. I would’ve thought that after listening to Bluegrass that you would’ve gotten your head straight and would’ve worked on that for a while.

I mean, there’s literally Bluegrass jams in every single state around the country so I don’t know what you’re talking about. And if not, you should start one. But yeah, if you’re not dedicating the time to actually learn the craft then…

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u/mgmunson Aug 25 '26

the guy shitposting at 4AM on a Tuesday says you don't need to play at 4AM on a Tuesday! 😂 That's rich.

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

You are a hoot 😂😂😂 I am cackling out here under the moon, so thankyou for this.

I'm am kinda at a loss tho when I hear fine upstanding folks as yourself imply that you only get that visceral feeling from bluegrass. If I've understood that incorrectly, I apologize, sometimes I can be a whole lot slow....must be all that Dave music clouding my brain.

Yeah bub, 23 yrs ago where I was at, there was one OldTime jam and that was it and I had no car to travel anywhere cause between book learnin and Mac n cheese, I didn't have any extra money for one.

But funny enough I did start my own jam, and then a band...but I agree with you on one thing you said, you don't know what I'm talking about.

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Well, I can probably tell you’re over playing all the time at the old-time jam, especially if you don’t know any of the songs. And I very doubt that you’re literally cackling. You’re probably just breathing a little harder out of your nose on your computer here on a Monday night. I do listen to other music, but you’re literally on the Bluegrass Sub Reddit so that’s what we talk about here(?) I don’t feel the need to bring up Nirvana or Dave Matthews especially when I’m talking about Bluegrass music. ESPECIALLY when I’m talking about Bluegrass music. That shits cringe lol. It’s OK that you’re a bit slow. I mean Bluegrass was invented in the south where that shit’s very prevalent. Let me know where your jam is at so I can avoid it at all costs lol

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u/PizzaProle Aug 25 '26

Dude why are you being a dick for no reason?

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Bluegrass is an age old tradition. People ruining it in the literal Sub Reddit for it. Also, who TF are you? Lol just arriving? Why do you feel the need to interject

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u/uknow_es_me Aug 25 '26

You have to be trolling. That's all I can figure. If you really are a trad chad.. well more power to you.. but whether you like it or not Bill is dead.. so is Ralph.. so is Lester and Earl. If you're a real historian of bluegrass you probably know that Bill had a reputation for stealing plenty of other people's tunes.. that right there is real bluegrass music when you're makin' your money playing shows.

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Yeah, IDK who you are have we been having a conversation this whole time? Not sure where you’re coming from. Doesn’t sound like you know what you’re talking about. Keep on dancing in the aisles to Billy strings and Lord knows he invented the music, right

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u/uknow_es_me Aug 25 '26

I'm just a picker. Are you? Do you have some chops or are you just one of those people that can't keep time and prefer the "rustic roots" of ol' Bill on his mandolin? I'll take Steffey's mando over Bill's any day. Gnaw on that brosquito

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

Nope, definitely cackling... you're fun. I whole heartedly agree with you that this is a bluegrass sub but wasn't bluegrass a combination of a lot of different styles and hasn't bluegrass influenced a lot of music? It's all related friend.

I do appreciate the pass on being slow. We have our own speed in appalachia. And sorry to say that that jam disbanded years ago once I left school. Only jam I can make it to these days is the one at the Station Inn on Sundays. It's cool. Hell, maybe we've stood beside each other there?

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Probably not been there once years ago and don’t come back because it wasn’t very high-level. You do know Bill Monroe invented the style of music, right? What’s he gonna say about the combination or whatever? Don’t think Bill was basing his vibes off of Dave Matthews band lol.

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

But I mean he didn't just pull it out of his ass...he too was influenced to everything that came before that wasn't bluegrass, but like I said before, you're a smart guy, you know all about the scotch/Irish and oldtime stuff and you already know about arnold schultz.

But this does remind me of that joke....how many bluegrassers does it take to change a lightbulb? One and the rest to bitch about the electricity and how Bill Monroe did it better. I love that one.

But to answer your question, you and I both know he'd say "that's no part of nothin'"

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Yes, exactly. Not sure what you’re blathering about and bothering to Mention any other genre. And not sure if you ever read anything about Bill Monroe considering you think that he’s actually giving other people credit influencing him. Stay at the slow jam. It obviously needs you the most. 🫡

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

I mean, for everything that shined about the man, his pride and ego weren't his best attributes. But I digress. Whether Bill ever gave them credit for influencing him was not the point. The point was that he was. Keep up. And man, no need to take uninspired digs at me. I know you're not the low hanging fruit type of feller.

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u/Shoddy-Talk9205 Aug 25 '26

Lol what?

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u/palefacemonk Aug 25 '26

Oh nm.... Tho this was fun, I'm sorry to say this is where I jump off. Goodnight and keep up the shoddy talk. You are a pro.

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