(The following story by David Silverberg appeared on the Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic website on May 28.)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Passengers on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle enjoyed four free performances by Buzzard Run, a local bluegrass band, during a weekend experiment to test reaction to live music on a train.
“It was great. They were enthusiastically received. Live music and trains are a natural fit,” said Dr. Bill Pollard, a Conway, Ark., dentist who is chairman of TEMPO (Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization).
“The band enjoyed it. They engaged the passengers who began clapping and interacting with the band,” Pollard said.
Buzzard Run members were glad they could make the trip between Poplar Bluff and Austin, Texas.
“I had not been on a train in 40 years. They have changed. It was a quiet, smooth ride. I enjoyed it,” said Bernard Allen of Naylor, who is the band manager and fiddle player.
“Our band is named after Buzzard Run Creek between Fairdealing and Naylor,” Allen said.
Other band members on the trip were Dennis Graves of Poplar Bluff with his mandolin, Ed Hagan of Doniphan on the guitar and David Kimbrough of Naylor with his banjo. Guitar player Fred Patty of Harviell did not go.
The men were seated while they played, but Brenda has to stand to play the bass fiddle.
“It was hard to play while standing on a moving train,” Brenda said.
Graves, who also is a TEMPO member, said the band played two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon going each direction between the Texas cities of Longview and Austin. They left from Poplar Bluff early Friday in mid-May and returned early Monday.
“It was a really nice trip. The passengers really enjoyed the music. They joined in with us,” Graves said. “It was a new experience performing on a moving train with the different landscapes going past.”
In exchange for their performances, the band received free sleeper space and meals.
“We got to sleep in the crew car,” Graves said.
Pollard was on the southbound Texas Eagle when the band, along with Hagan’s wife, Pearl, and TEMPO members Dennis and Betty Glaze of Poplar Bluff, boarded the train at the historic Poplar Bluff depot. Pollard had flown to St. Louis from Little Rock so he could meet the band. Betty took photos of the band on the train and at several depots.
Dennis Glaze said 15 college students from San Antonio, Texas, were going to Washington, D.C., for the National World War II Memorial dedication.
“They joined in the singing,” Glaze said.
He also related how passengers waiting for the train at the Austin depot participated in the band’s church service Sunday morning.
TEMPO, which sponsored the live music experiment, is a grassroots, all volunteer organization that has been working with Amtrak about five years to increase ridership on the Texas Eagle.
“Everyone involved (Amtrak, TEMPO and band) thought it was a tremendous success,” Pollard said. “We would welcome any band that is interested in playing the kind of music train passengers would enjoy.”
Graves said the Buzzard Run Band would be interested in performing when the possibility of live music was being discussed at a TEMPO meeting.
“Austin bills itself as the live music capital so we thought we would use it to test the concept of providing live entertainment on part of the Texas Eagle run,” Pollard said.
The trip was mostly promoted in Texas by TEMPO as a way to enjoy a train ride, listen to bluegrass music and spend time in Austin’s music venues Saturday.
Logistics of having live performances had to be determined before they are scheduled on a regular basis.
“The only problems were the inability to get more people in the large sightseer/lounge car and the lack of a speaker system so people at the end of the car could hear the singing,” Pollard said.
Ridership on the Texas Eagle continues to grow, outpacing the growth in ridership systemwide, according to Pollard. From Oct. 1, 2003, to April 30, ridership on the Texas Eagle increased 21.4 percent as compared to an increase systemwide of 6.4 percent.
“People are increasingly seeing Amtrak as a viable alternative, especially considering air security problems and higher gas prices,” Pollard said.
Marketing groups like TEMPO are helping to raise interest in train travel.
“There’s been a lot of involvement with communities along the route. Many cities, including Poplar Bluff, have been working on refurbishing depots. This increases awareness by business and community leaders, which increases ridership,” Pollard said.
He commended the work of Glaze and Graves and others in Poplar Bluff who are seeking to restore the depot. Two Texas Eagle trains (one southbound and one northbound) stop each night in Poplar Bluff. Daily service is provided to St. Louis, Chicago, Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
“Train travel is a relaxing and enjoyable way to reach your destination. It’s on its way back,” Pollard said.
For more information on the Texas Eagle, visit www.texaseagle.com or call Pollard at (501) 329-9060.