Published: July 04, 2008 10:00 am      

MUSIC & MOTION

MARTY STUART, SARAH JOHNS GET ASHLAND CLAPPING AND SINGING

ASHLAND — It was a “Marty Party” Thursday night at Summer Motion 2008 as Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives hit the stage with a strong dose of electrified country, boogie and bluegrass.

Thousands made their way to the banks of the Ohio River for the annual event. With an “electric lizard green” Mohawk haircut, Dustin Boggs of Ashland may have had as many people commenting about his appearance as the star of the evening’s show.

Jeff Frazier of Cannonsburg caught Stuart at the side of the Summer Motion stage and made a point to ask him an important question.

“I asked him if he was going to play any bluegrass. He’s got bluegrass roots,” Frazier said with a grin, indicating Stuart told him the band would definitely be visiting those roots.

Stuart and his band hit the stage wide open with a boogie song featuring a pair of Telecaster guitars handled by himself and guitarist Kenny Vaughn. The famous musician and vocalist earned a strong laugh from his audience by saying, “Thank You. Goodnight,” as the song came to an end.

“Do we have any hillbillies in the house besides me?” Stuart asked, earning another roar from the crowd, causing him to respond, “Thank God.”

Demonstrating his skill at working the crowd, Stuart had young and old alike singing the line, “A woman warm and willing, that’s what I’m waiting for” from his hit “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin,” as recorded with Travis Tritt. Stuart also kept the chuckling as he recalled how the song came to be recorded without he and Tritt ever meeting, and their later efforts to borrow money to tour and promote the hit single.

The four-piece band had many opportunities to show off its considerable musical chops with renditions of a song made famous by the Ventures, who played the same stage the night before, as well as “Blue and Lonesome,” the only song ever co-written by Hank Williams and Bill Monroe.

In a tribute to the late Johnny Cash, Stuart sent the band off stage and grabbed an acoustic guitar to deliver a haunting rendition of “Dark Bird,” smiling appreciatively as the audience applauded a soft passage before he brought the song to an end with the help of a few train whistle sounds from his bending strings.

Stuart welcomed local musician Rob McNurlin to the stage for a duet of “Are You on the Rock and Roll?” which will be included on McNurlin’s forthcoming album. In the audience, McNurlin’s father sang along as Stuart manned a mandolin to accompany his son.

Coming off stage, McNurlin said he cherished the chance to perform with Stuart.

“It was an honor. I remember seeing Marty when I was just a kid. He was at the Grand Ole Opry with Lester Flatt — he was just a kid, too,” McNurlin said.

The local singer/songwriter laughed as he recalled a shopping trip to Wade’s Work & Western Wear with Stuart and the rest of his band earlier that day.

“Kenny Vaughn, the guitar player asked where he could get a black cowboy hat,” McNurlin said, adding he was a little surprised when Stuart asked, “You got room for everybody?”

Amanda Jeffries, manager at Wade’s in Coal Grove, said the staff was caught a bit off guard by the celebrity visit, but treated Stuart and his band “just like we would every other customer.” Jeffries said Chris Lafon shaped the hats selected by Stuart’s guitarist while staff members Kayla Saunders and Rebecca Dingus showed the others around the store.

McNurlin noted the “funny part” of the shopping trip came when Vaughn was deciding how his new hats should be shaped, ultimately deciding he wanted it rolled in the manner preferred by the boys in Ernest Tubb’s band. After watching some old Tubb performances on youtube.com, he said they found the shape they were after.

“Like a taco shape,” he explained. “And, as Dave Prince would put it you have to ‘rooster’ it, wear it kind of on the side of your head.”