The Sympathy Valley Boys

Nov 11, 2016 | Welcome Column

I opened the cupboard this morning, and the first thing I saw was my sympathy valley boys coffee cup, right there on the second shelf. The perfect way to start the day, a cup of coffee and sympathy. Those misty water colored memories overtook me for a moment… my favorite band that I’ve never heard, the sympathy valley boys, the evidence right there on the second shelf of my kitchen cupboard, right there between the mason jars and the measuring cup. I’ve followed them for years, watching every festival announcement to see if they were on the bill, faithfully checking the pennysaver to see if, just maybe, they might be playing at one of my neighborhood establishments, perusing the corkboard at Dennys’ looking at the upcoming events, all to no avail, always hoping, that this time, I’d be finally be able to see my illusive heros in concert.

Six months ago, I saw a posting on a unreliable web site about an upcoming performance at Fat Hermans pork barbecue and transmission repair in Badger Idaho. My heart skipped a beat. I circled the day on my calendar, and though it was the middle of winter, I packed up and drove 16 hours into the outskirts of that little town. The address was kind of suspect, but some things in life are worth taking a chance on, and an opportunity to hear the legendary sympathy valley boys is not something you take lightly, and after many wrong turns through some pretty rough neighborhoods, I finally found the place.

They were closed. They’d gone out of business. There wasn’t nothing left but boarded up windows and a couple of old transmissions out on the back lot. I drove back home with a heavy heart.

Now, I’ve met several of the members of this group, Even one time saw Big Tim pick up his banjo, and for a moment, I thought he was gonna play it, but I was disappointed. I guess he saves all his strength for the performances that I’ve never seen. And I’ve had many conversations with lead singer Jim Ingram, while he sat napping in his canvas camp chair outside the R.V., of course I’ve never had the courage to speak to him when he was actually awake, but then again, I never seen him awake. Somebody told me he had narcolepsy or something.

I’ve heard some scurrilous talk that maybe they aren’t a real band, but I know better. One of the Gibson brothers said, “ the sympathy valley boys are unbelievable!” and another member of the band told someone that not only are the unbelieveable, but they are UNREAL. If the Gibson brothers say that about them, that’s enough for me. Besides that, I know they’re real . I own all their merchandise. I’ve swatted many a fly with the sympathy valley boys fly swatter, and I treasure my sympathy valley boys guitar polishing cloth and my latest acquisition, the sympathy valley boys song book. It’s a first addition, so new that it doesn’t even have songs in it. I’m looking forward to the expanded version with real songs. I’m sure it will be a block buster.

Dave Nielson, the sound man, roadie, and webmaster of the group, gave me a sneak peak at the latest high tech development of this great band. It’s the mechanical foot raiser that is used to signal the end of a song. It looks like a bass drum pedal with a shoe attached that allows their leader to let the others know its time to stop playing, Jim’s getting older now, and it’s harder to raise his own foot, and well, it’s easier to push the pedal. Someday I’m gonna own one of those.

And someday I‘m gonna hear the sympathy valley boys play a song. I’ve heard so much about their high lonesome sound. it’s often been compared to a cross between Del McCoury and the sound a cat makes when your rocking chair comes down on it’s tail. And that there is a sound worth waiting for.

A last thought: I’ve heard a rumor that they have been in the studio recording a C.D. Well, maybe not actually recording, but they have been thinking about it.

I can’t wait.

Read about: