ANTSY MCCLAIN AND THE TRAILER PARK TROUBADOURS: Way Cool World

Antsy McClain and The Trailer Park Troubadours

Way Cool World

© 2001 Rugburn Records (635759127823)

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Playing a style of music they call "Folkabilly," they have been described as The Smothers Brothers meet The Blues Brothers.

notes

(This is our story, quick and dirty)

Antsy McClain and Stephen Foster Fleming III (Flem, for short) comprise the duo called The Trailer Park Troubadours; a musical comedy act with a rock n' roll attitude. Having played across the country to audiences of all sizes from 100 to 100,000, these polyester playboys know how to put on a party. The Troubs, as they are affectionately called by their "Flamingo Head" cult following, are backed by their three-piece Sons of Hitches Band, and play a style of music they call "Folkabilly." They sing about what they know, contending "Woody Guthrie sang about trains, Red Sovine sang about trucks, we sing about trailers. It's who we are."


The Trailer Park Troubadours LONG BIO
(For folks who like to dig deeper, or who simply have too much time on their hands)

On the east side of a small Kentucky town called Screamin' Holler, between the railroad tracks and Route 7, there's a trailer park called Pine View Heights. It's a quiet little community where you can leave your door unlocked at night and walk down to the County Seat Grocery for a can of snuff, an RC Cola, and a couple of lottery tickets. Neighbors watch out for each other. Children play carelessly through the streets and culdesacs. And elderly people watch your every move, and talk about you at the Post Office.

Emerging from this small town atmosphere are two young men named R.J. "Antsy" McClain and Stephen Foster Fleming III. (His friends call him "Flem" for short.) Antsy and Flem are third cousins twice removed, and grew up four trailers down from each other in Pine View Heights.

"We've been buddies as long as I can remember," says McClain, "We're a lot closer than third cousins twice removed. We're more like second cousins, really."

When McClain was 14 years old, his father was killed in a bizarre accident involving a Ronco Buttoneer. This may explain Antsy's unique outlook on life, as well as his reluctance to enter fabric stores. Young Antsy (a nickname given to him by his mother, due to his extreme energy as a child) began to share the responsibility of supporting his mother and two sisters by delivering newspapers, pizzas, and selling hand-crafted lawn ornaments. Flem was born the sixth child in a family of 12 kids. From his early years, he and his brother, Mackrelle (number 7) were constantly competing for middle child status in the home.

Throughout his adult life, Flem has turned to his love of bowling and comic books as a way of dealing with the stress of being one of two middle children in a family. The boys began to look at music as a way of unwinding at the end of a hectic day, relieving stress, and hopefully, impressing girls. Antsy began to play the guitar and write words to the music he played, while Flem, who "hears voices that tell me to do certain things," was soon to follow, teaching himself to play several instruments. Soon, they were sitting around the kitchen table after Sunday dinners, entertaining their friends, and getting out of doing the dishes.

When asked about their name, Antsy explains, "Troubadours were those romantics back in the 1300's who believed poetry was the quickest way to a woman's heart. We've taken that classic romanticism and put it in a trailer park."

Their songs are original, written by McClain, with an occasional Antsy/Flem collaboration. "I write out of my own experience," McClain continues, "Woody Guthrie sang about trains. Red Sovine sang about trucks. We sing about trailers. It's who we are." Playing a style of music they call "folkabilly," the duo has played throughout the country, taking their act to appreciative, easy-to-please audiences.

Now touring with three back-up musicians called The Sons of Hitches Band, they have expanded, giving their audiences the same old Troub sound, only louder. The Trailer Park Troubadours maintain a desire to widen their horizons.

"We have a vision, says Flem, "We hope one day to take our music to exotic, far-away places like Idaho or Wyoming."
Antsy adds, "We're on an adventure that will take us where we never dreamed of going. Kind of like Star Trek, but with a lot more bathroom stops."

reviews

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  • Fresh Air turned me onto it - and it's great.
    author: Kristen

    I heard the tail end of an interview w/ one of the musicians on Fresh Air w/ Terry Gross, and was intrigued. My dad owns a trailer park & always gets stories so this made a good father's day item and I got one for myself so we could compare opinions. Worked out great. Our favorite is the *whistle* song, ya gotta love it.

  • Gotta love any band that makes fun of Wal Mart
    author: Patti

    Catchy tunes making a cult following out of life in a trailer park. This is fun stuff. Great party music. Just try to keep a straight face through these tunes. What's next guys? Maybe a Tiki theme? Keep it up!

  • Way Cool Music.
    author: Renee

    Way Cool Music.

  • So fun
    author: Olivia

    Hey, must be a way cool world when an album makes you feel like giving it all up for a double wide. Love those guys. Only trouble - "My baby whistles when she walks" is stuck in my brain. Last song to do that was "Thats Amore".

  • Great Fun & Great Music!
    author: Reno Lake Tahoe Entertainment Report

    If you like to have fun and listen to great music you will really appreciate this band. From the first song to the last it is evident that this band is not just funny, but that they are really tallented as well. If you try The Trailer Park Troubadours music you will bee 100% satisfied. Two big flamingo's up!! Don

  • Real life songs by real musicians. Actual melodies. Way good.
    author: Denton Ketels

    What Could I Be Doing, Way Cool World, Mom's Tatoo and Trailer On the Bayou are worth the price of admission. Everything else is gravy. Plus, anybody that can make me like an Olivia Newton John song gets my vote.

  • This is truly 'Way Cool'!
    author: Tonia Brown

    Hold onto your hats folks! The Trailer Park Troubadours will definately blow you away with this amazing group of tunes. From the rockin' groove of 'Trailer On The Bayou' to the tender love felt in 'What Could I Be Doing?', they take you through a myriad of emotions and dance moves! I am certainly proud to now be among the flock of Flamingo Heads! This is the one CD you'll want to keep close to your CD player!

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