Pickin' Up the Pieces:

LOOSE CABOOSE Reunite After 23 Years to Benefit the Saginaw Choral Society

'Loose Caboose Back in the Day': (left to right) Dave Eggebrecht, John Hagaman, Tim Grefe, and Chris Barton)

 

 

By Robert E. Martin

     For those that remember Loose Caboose in their heyday when they would pack local watering holes such as Paddy's Pub, Tiffany's and Bay Lanes with an infectious blend of humor & non-traditional Bluegrass music, or for those yet to experience the wonders of this locally eclectic phenomenon, their Reunion Benefit for the Saginaw Choral Society on Saturday, September 24th at The Temple Theatre in Saginaw is certainly guaranteed to deliver a hybrid of popular music entirely unique to both our geographic area as it is to conventional notions of what bluegrass music is all about.
    

Conceived back in the early to mid-70s at a time when Rock 'n Rollers such as The Grateful Dead and The Byrds were moving in softer directions bathed in the melodic textures of Country music, Loose Caboose focused on the rarely heard renderings of Bluegrass Music, combining it with contemporary flourishes, expertly rendered harmonies, and concoctions of good-natured anecdotal humor that were unlike anything ever seen or heard.
 

Consisting of Tim Grefe on 5-string banjo, Chris Barton on guitar, hammered dulcimer & recorders, John Hagaman on guitar, and Dave Eggebrecht on fiddle, the group disbanded in 1983 and recently reunited for rehearsals 22 years later to solidify the sound for their reunion show, which will be augmented by Tim's son Andy on bass.
      

Recently I caught up with three of the members of Loose Caboose to discuss the spark of genesis behind the group and the staying power of their music today.
   
Review: Can each of you recall how you initially got involved with Loose Caboose?

Tim: We were together for about eight or nine years, but really the band goes back farther than that.  I was a Rock 'n Roller in a big Rock 'n Roll band that fell apart. I'd heard some Claw Hammer banjo one day and tried playing it myself, only to walk into Whitehead Music one day because they had a banjo teacher by the name of Jim Forbes. I took five lessons and then he quit, at which point Marty Kempf, the owner of Whitehead's, said 'You're now the new banjo teacher!'
 

I'd only taken 5 lessons and thought he couldn't be serious. His reply was, 'Yeah, but we only have 4 other banjo students and you know more than them, so stay one page ahead and everything will work out fine."
 

So that's what I did. I stayed a page ahead and taught myself how to play banjo. At that time I started attending a lot of Bluegrass festivals and met Ralph Stanley, mainly because I had long hair and stood out like a sore thumb. One day Dave came in and said he played violin in the symphony, only he wanted to try something else like banjo, and from that we formed the Beantown Valley Ramblers.

We knew eight songs and for one summer over 30 years ago we grew to the point where we packed the Crump Pump. The crowds got so big that the fire Marshall had to shut it down.
Chris started to play the bass and we put another outfit together called Sunset Express and finally John was the last piece to fall into place and Loose Caboose was born. It was a long genesis.

Chris: I first got involved with LC because I was married to Tim at the time.  I think that because we sang pretty well, combined with our "personalities", we developed a following in places that would have seemed unlikely, for instance, bars.  We weren't the typical club band, but we basically turned the clubs into our own private music parties.

Dave: I played violin as a kid and always had an interest in music. After graduating from high school, I decided that I wanted to learn how to play the 5-string banjo, so I bought a banjo and started looking for a teacher.
 

As Tim notes, he was the only banjo teacher in Saginaw during those days, so I ended up taking lessons from him. Eventually we formed our version of a bluegrass band called The Bean Town Valley Ramblers and started playing in bars. In a way the Bean Town Valley Ramblers eventually became Loose Caboose. So my involvement started with my desire to learn to play the 5-string banjo, and because I could already play violin I ended up playing fiddle in a bluegrass band.

Review:  What do you feel distinguished the group in terms of establishing and forging a niche' that struck such a major chord with fans?

Dave: We had great harmony vocals and we played with a lot of energy.  Also, we played acoustic "Americana" type music at a time when not very many people were doing it, at least not in Saginaw. Most of the music we played wouldn't be found on commercial radio. Add to all that the fact that we tried to be entertaining and give the audience a show. I think people liked the show aspect of our band as much as they liked the music.

Tim: My Dad raised me on folk music, so I knew all about the Chad Mitchell Trio and the New Christy Minstrels and had a healthy love for good ole' country and gospel arrangements.
Frankly, we were the only act around. A bunch of Dow chemical engineers called the Chicken String Band were around, but they just got together in a garage to have fun.
 

A lot of people will tell you Loose Caboose started bluegrass music in this area, which isn't true, of course.  There was a huge world of it and we got credit for a whole bunch of stuff out there that nobody had heard of, plus we attacked it with youthful enthusiasm.
 

And we were outsiders - Northern Rock 'n Rollers that liked Ralph Stanley, but weren't steeped in the traditions of bluegrass. We were wide open. Plus we loved to sing, so our harmonies weren't typical bluegrass harmonies. 
 

Musically, I was the weakest link in the band, but we had a lot of fun. We played a lot of bars that just weren't ready for us. We knew we had to be more than a typical dance band. It was a gas. I loved every minute of it.

Review:  What have you been doing since the break-up of Loose Caboose?

Chris: Since LC days, I moved to Ann Arbor, worked as a Music Therapist at the U of M Child/Adolescent Psych Hospitals, then in the Monroe and Farmington School Districts as therapist in their Autism Programs.  Since living in Indianapolis, I have started my own Music Therapy practice and see kids with autism and Deaf children with Cochlear Implants.  I also consult with Advanced Bionics, a company that manufactures the implants.  Whenever we can, my husband and I perform as "Sensible Shoes" an acoustic, Celtic, Scandinavian, Swing, whatever duo.

Dave: After Loose Caboose broke-up I graduated from college and eventually moved up north to Ellsworth where I've been teaching high school for the past 20 years. I got married when I was still in the band and have been married for 24 years and have 4 kids ages 23, 20, 19 and 16. I still play music and have been in a variety of bands over the years. Currently I play in an old time string band called Fog Harbor, a trio called The Waltz Pistols and in an acoustic duo. Playing music is my summer job.

Tim: I took a year or so off after LC broke up and worked with Dave as a duo, who was going through school at the time. We put another band together with my wife Tammy and our drummer, Jeff Shaw, a 5-piece called Total Strangers that was cool because Tammy would haul her electric baby grand around.
 

That ran two or three years and then I was done.

Review: What was the reunion like when you first rehearsed?

Chris: It was a bit scary seeing everyone for the first time in about 20 years, but, once we got playing, it felt like it was just last year

Dave: Actually, we got together at my house and I live 40 miles north of Traverse City. It was fun to be able to get together and see everyone, but I was a little apprehensive about how we would sound. Chris and I are the only ones that have continued to play on a regular basis, so I wondered if Tim and John would be able to do it. I was pleasantly surprised that the rust fell away pretty quickly and we were able to play some of the old stuff and sound pretty good, considering it's been 20 years. Our most recent rehearsal in Saginaw went very well and we're psyched to do the concert.

Tim: The reunion was pretty bizarre. I haven't performed in about 18 years, since my son Andrew was born, so I had to find my banjo. It still had the same strings on that it had 18 years ago, if you can believe that!

 

The day we got together for the first reunion rehearsal was a beautiful day and we just wanted to see what would happen. My son is playing bass with the band for the reunion, because Chris doesn't have a bass now.  Dave's a better player than ever and so is Chris. John hasn't lost a lick. We're right back to where we were before when we first started out - three phenomenal people that I can let carry me through!

Review:  What did the experience performing with Loose Caboose do for you as a musician?

Chris: LC gave me the confidence to perform in front of many different audiences.  I feel at home on a stage and in someone's living room. It will be great to see so many friends all at once and in a beautiful space that holds many childhood memories.

Dave: It made me want to keep playing and continue being a musician. I've played in a lot of bands over the years and because of Loose Caboose my expectations are pretty high, I know how good it can be and what it takes to get there.
I'm always on a quest for those times when it's so much fun it should be illegal. I had a lot of those times with Loose Caboose and I'm still having them. That's what keeps me doing it.
                                           
Tickets for the Loose Caboose Reunion Concert, which will kick off the Saginaw Choral Society's 70th Anniversary Season, are currently on sale for $30, $24, and $15 by calling the Choral Society Box Office at 989-753-1812. The performance will take place on Saturday evening, September 24th at 8:00 PM in the Temple Theatre. A 'Meet the Band' reception will be held afterwards, offering keg beer, munchies, cash bar for those wanting other fare, and a fundraising auction.