"A Good Family Show"
Red Barn Jamboree

The Red Barn, one mile east of Nashville, has recently reopened featuring the music of the Country Plus Band. They are the latest in a line of memorable musicians who have set up residence at this venue, including Lloyd Wood, Bruce Borders, Sheila Steven, and Gordon Lowry.

“We’re excited about having the Red Barn Jamboree,” says impresario Rich Anderson. Anderson, who ministers “a little country church over in Stinesville,” understands that “You’ve got to have a love for music and you’ve got to have some love to entertain people—and we love to entertain people.

“The people that come through Brown County are just good old home-town folks that’s coming through here looking for some fun things to do.”

Nashville already offers plenty of good musical entertainment. “We’re kind of the new kids on the block,” Rich says. “We want to put on a good family show, have fun, and have people come and see us. Been a few headaches along the way, though, but we’re getting settled in now.”

According to partner Ronnie Scott, the Country Plus Band had been playing together for four years when Rich decided the band needed a place of its own after reading Jingle Bell Rock, the biography of Bloomington music legend Bobby Helms.

“Bobby lost all kinds of money with his agents,” Scott laughs, enjoying ribbing his friend. “So I guess Richard wanted to start losing money, too.”

“We’ve put a lot of hard work into this place,” Anderson allows. “A lot of paint, a lot of elbow grease, a lot of energy, and a lot of time. We went through every one of these chairs, took them apart, replaced some broken legs, and tightened up all the screws. Old Ronnie’s been in the hospital—I put you in the hospital a couple of times, didn’t I?” Rich laughs.

“I should have been in the hospital,” Ronnie agrees. “I managed to go to a doctor for a week or two and then the chiropractor.”

As we speak band members arrive for this night’s show.

“There’s ‘Cowboy’s Sweetheart’ Shirley Long,” Rich announces as a slim woman enters the room. Shirley is known for her buoyant singing of Patsy Montana’s classic The Cowboy’s Sweetheart.

“They just fall in love with Shirley,” Rich enthuses. “We couldn’t get by without her.

“We play mostly older country music,” he continues. “Traditional country: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Ricky Scaggs, and then some Roy Orbison, Creedence Clearwater Revival, a little bit of bluegrass—not very much—and tradition gospel. We do a big variety of music and have a lot of different singers. We have a good balance, a good variety.”

“We got about 450 songs on our song list that we could do,” Ronnie adds.

“This is our accordion player that just walked in, Rich announces. ‘Cool hand’ Randy Cowden. What’s been one of the most fun things for you down here, Randy?”

“I’ll tell you what—just entertaining the folks,” Cowden quietly replies. “I like to see good crowds. It’s kind of an adventure, you know, to see what folks like. Kind of a challenge.”

“I think what Randy enjoys,” Rich adds about his old friend, “is when people enjoy listening to him play. He likes to get the audience to participate in his music.”

The band also includes guitar players ‘Gentleman’ Jim Gater and ‘Smokin’ Butch Miller. “He does thumb-style picking like Chet Atkins and Joe Edwards did. Butch is one of the best guitar players around.”

The band is rounded out by “Little” Ronnie Scott on bass and “Rockin’” Rich Anderson on drums.

“We definitely want to give Lloyd Wood some praise,” Rich says. “He made this place. We have the highest regard for Lloyd and he’s going to come back, probably sometime in October, and do a show here. Lloyd is a fabulous entertainer.”

Wood built the Red Barn Jamboree out of a 100 year old barn, playing here for fifteen years.

“About every show we do people ask if he’s coming back,” says Randy Cowden.

The reason he has such loyal fans is “His reputation for good family entertainment,” Rich says. “He is a real patriotic man.”

Rich and Ron want to keep the Red Barn open during the week. “I wouldn’t mind having a bluegrass night,” Rich says. “We’re looking to get some other groups in here, too. We want to do an open jam thing, maybe on Thursdays.

“We’ve got a guy out of Indianapolis who does a one man show—Steve Jeffris. Steve’s a good entertainer. He does a lot of country, comedy, storytelling songs, audience participation. If you can put on a two-hour show by yourself, and you entertain people, and they come back to see you again and again—you’ve got to be doing something right.”

The Stinesville church brings gospel music to the Red Barn on the first Sunday of each month from three to five and they expect to have a gospel group out of Indianapolis cover the 2nd and 3rd Sundays, too.

“What we have to offer is good clean family entertainment, at a reasonable price,” Rich emphasizes. “In a lot of theaters you go to, the front row is twenty feet from the stage. Well this stage is two feet from the front row. This is an intimate theater. Your audience is right there. And there’s not really a bad seat in the house. So when they come here they get a real up-close personal feel. When people are three feet from you, and they’re watching for two hours solid, you’ve got to entertain them!”

“They come to listen,” Ronnie adds, “which makes a real good atmosphere.”

“And when people leave,” Rich finishes, “they’re our friends. And we’re making a lot of friends. I think people are happy to have the Red Barn Jamboree open again. We appreciate the support of the local people. We want to be an asset to Brown County and the Nashville area.”

The Country Plus Band performs at the Red Barn Jamboree every Friday and Saturday night starting at 7 pm. Steve Jeffris will be performing August 6 and 30, and on September 12. Look for Lloyd Wood in October. Drop by the Red Barn on the south side of SR 46 one mile east of Nashville behind Maldonado’s Mexican restaurant to pick up information or call 317-791-7067 and 812-323-7125.