# Letterman tonite: Holy Crap! Sleepy Man Banjo Boys kills! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230 "2011-06-29T04:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/1 "2011-06-29T04:41:45Z")
Three guys playing fiddle, banjo and guitar (duh, bluegrass), none of whom probably shaves, absolutely torch an old Earl Scruggs tune (the name of which I do not recall at the moment). I want MOAR! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/2 "2011-06-29T12:25:33Z")
Until my coffee deprived brain processed “Letterman,” your thread title made me think there was some kind of Stephen King serial killer called “Sleepy Banjo Man” and I was picturing some excessively creepy person like Salad Fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/3 "2011-06-29T13:14:30Z")
Three _guys_? Three little boys! I just watched it on [CBS.com](http://CBS.com). They were fabulous! The banjo player is only nine years old. I loved how he would turn the tuning knobs to play some notes. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. They were great! ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/4 "2011-06-29T13:43:17Z")
They can be [seen here](http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=WWWERMUocQ3gG07oJzx5eM81BthABK2x) at the 39:00 minute mark. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/5 "2011-06-29T14:11:16Z")
that’s sick. and I mean that in a good way - ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/6 "2011-06-29T14:27:19Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Three guys playing fiddle, banjo and guitar (duh, bluegrass), none of whom probably shaves, absolutely torch an old Earl Scruggs tune (the name of which I do not recall at the moment). > > I want MOAR! OK, When I saw the words “none of whom probably shaves” I was expecting to see big long beards ala ZZ Top. Wow, that was pretty incredible. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/7 "2011-06-29T15:47:12Z")
They were incredible, and cute as hell. I wish they had played something easier though, or something more recognizable. That was a difficult piece, hard to tap the toes to, which is what you’re supposed to do with banjo music. Little showoffs. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/8 "2011-06-29T15:50:05Z")
Holy cow. You know that line from “Johnny B. Goode”, the one that goes, “he could play a guitar just like ringing a bell”? That’s about how easy it looked for that kid on the banjo. Unreal. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Skinny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Mr.Skinny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Skinny)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/9 "2011-06-29T16:05:37Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Three _guys_? Three little boys! I just watched it on [CBS.com](http://CBS.com). They were fabulous! The banjo player is only nine years old. > > > [@](#): > > > > I loved how he would turn the tuning knobs to play some notes. > > Thanks for bringing this to my attention. They were great! I’m not a banjo player, but I believe those are called Scruggs tuners and were invented by Earl Scruggs. It’s a tuning key with preset stops that allow you to change the tuning of a string quickly, then quickly return the string to the original tuning position ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/10 "2011-06-29T17:51:25Z")
That is bloody amazing. I want a CD! Why are they not on CD? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/11 "2011-06-29T19:16:27Z")
Awesome, but the sound guy needs a kick in the pants. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/12 "2011-06-29T19:22:40Z")
How fun was that. Thank you for posting about these guys. I wish the guitar player (looked like a D-18 Authentic to me) needed to have better amplication on his guitar; I wanted to hear the leads he was ripping through more. ETA: No surprise than another guitar played simul-posted with me on the sound. A guitarists’ brain, eh, **Ogre**? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/13 "2011-06-29T19:32:49Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > How fun was that. Thank you for posting about these guys. I wish the guitar player (looked like a D-18 Authentic to me) needed to have better amplication on his guitar; I wanted to hear the leads he was ripping through more. > > ETA: No surprise than another guitar played simul-posted with me on the sound. A guitarists’ brain, eh, **Ogre**? You know it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/14 "2011-06-29T19:41:07Z")
Wow. That actually was quite impressive. Great feel and technique. Those kids are _good_. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/15 "2011-06-30T00:06:47Z")
Wow that was AMAZING! There’s this little odd bit of Kentucky left in me (ooh! it hurts sometimes!) that is so happy when it hears banjo music! ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/16 "2011-06-30T00:44:37Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > That is bloody amazing. > > I want a CD! Why are they not on CD? You can [pre-order it](http://www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com/cart.html) on their [site](http://www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com/). Yep, even eight-year old bluegrass banjo boys got websites. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/17 "2011-06-30T01:28:03Z")
That song is called “The Flint Hills Special” by Flatt and Scruggs. They are awesome! Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/18 "2011-06-30T01:36:53Z")
They have a [YouTube channel](http://www.youtube.com/user/sleepymanbanjoboys). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/19 "2011-06-30T03:35:01Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I wish they had played something easier though, or something more recognizable. That was a difficult piece, hard to tap the toes to, which is what you’re supposed to do with banjo music. The fiddle player got out of synch with the guitarist a couple of times. Their Mama needs to get busy and birth a bass player to hold them together. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230/20 "2011-06-30T03:47:49Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > You can [pre-order it](http://www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com/cart.html) on their [site](http://www.sleepymanbanjoboys.com/). Yep, even eight-year old bluegrass banjo boys got websites. No song list. ☹ Not that I’d recognize much beyond Foggy Mountain Breakdown. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-tonite-holy-crap-sleepy-man-banjo-boys-kills/587230.md?page=2)