(wistful upbeat country music) - Welcome to "11th & Grant."

I'm Eric Funk.

Tonight, Brigid and Johnny Reedy perform with boundless enthusiasm, grace, passion, and soul.

♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Down to the graveyard ♪ ♪ Bring along roses ♪ ♪ Bring along roses ♪ ♪ Bring along roses with ya ♪ ♪ Down to the graveyard ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ - [Eric] From rural Dillon, Montana, Brigid and Johnny blend exceptional musicianship, sublime sibling harmonies, and a voracious appetite for good music.

♪ Oh, I've got me a music box monkey ♪ ♪ He's the real deal ♪ ♪ He's really, really, really, really, really something new ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ - There is sort of an unserious seriousness- - Yes!

- To what we do.

The happiness, the joy, the lightness.

Like, we take our work so seriously.

- [Johnny] Yes!

- We know how important it is.

We take our relationship seriously.

We are passionate and devoted.

- And I feel like that's, therefore, how we get to cultivate that delight.

- That's the type of serious.

Yes!

(chuckles) ♪ Wanna pillow my head and sleep by the herd ♪ ♪ While the moon shines bright from above ♪ ♪ I wanna strum my guitar and yodelei-ee hoo ♪ ♪ Oh, that's the life that I love ♪ (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) - [Eric] Brigid and Johnny Reedy, next on "11th & Grant."

(Brigid yodels cheerfully) - [Announcer] "11th & Grant" was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation.

Montana State University, Office of the President.

Quinn's Hot Springs Resort.

Donna Spitzer-Ostrovsky, in loving memory of Jack Ostrovsky, the godfather of "11th & Grant."

Gomez and Mary Routhier, great music will blow the dust off your soul.

Iris Model!

Sanbell.

Betty Clauson, honoring Bob and Suzy Sterling.

Regina M. Wunsch and Walter G. Wunsch.

Music Villa and Gibson Guitar.

The Utzinger Family.

Bill and Jane Gum.

Rob Maher and Lynn Peterson-Maher.

Nancy Thompson Flikkema.

And by these generous donors: (upbeat jazz music) (dramatic upbeat jazz music) (dramatic upbeat jazz music continues) (dramatic upbeat jazz music continues) - One, two, ho, ho!

(uptempo fiddle and guitar music) (uptempo fiddle and guitar music continues) (uptempo fiddle and guitar music continues) (uptempo fiddle and guitar music continues) ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Poke, poke him, kick him and salt him ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Don't let him go ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger, that's the Tiger Rag ♪ (Brigid scatting cheerfully) (cheerful lip-kazoo music) (Brigid scatting cheerfully) (cheerful lip-kazoo music) (Brigid scatting cheerfully) (cheerful lip-kazoo music) (Brigid scatting cheerfully) (cheerful lip-kazoo music) ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, doo, doo, doo ♪ - Hey Johnny, where's that tiger?

- [Johnny] I don't know, Brig!

- Have you seen that tiger?

- [Johnny] I ain't seen him anywhere!

- Where's that tiger?

♪ Wait till they catch you, no good tiger ♪ ♪ Where's that tiger ♪ ♪ Here's that tiger ♪ ♪ Where's that tiger ♪ ♪ Here's that tiger ♪ ♪ Where's that tiger ♪ ♪ Here's that tiger ♪ ♪ Where's that tiger ♪ ♪ No, no, no, no ♪ (uptempo fiddle and guitar music continues) - Yeah!

(dramatic guitar music) (uptempo cheerful fiddle music) (bouncy fiddle music) (bouncy guitar strumming) (uptempo fiddle and guitar music) (uptempo dramatic fiddle and guitar music) (uptempo fiddle and guitar music) ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Poke him, poke him, kick him and salt him ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ Don't let him go ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger, that's the Tiger Rag ♪ ♪ Don't let him go ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger, that's the Tiger Rag ♪ ♪ Don't let him go ♪ ♪ Hold that tiger ♪ ♪ That's the Tiger Rag ♪ - Ho!

(giggling) (wistful country music) (wistful country music continues) (wistful country music continues) ♪ If I didn't say hello ♪ ♪ If I didn't wave and smile ♪ ♪ Would you still come sit beside me ♪ ♪ And talk for a while ♪ ♪ If I didn't ask how are you ♪ ♪ Would your morning be the same ♪ ♪ How I wish that you would wonder ♪ ♪ How I'm doing today ♪ ♪ And I wish that you were cruel ♪ ♪ To make me feel this way ♪ ♪ But since I'm the only one who cares ♪ ♪ I'm the only one to blame ♪ ♪ Am I the only one ♪ ♪ Who sees things ♪ ♪ Am I the only one ♪ ♪ Who can hear ♪ ♪ I know I'm the only one who feels it ♪ ♪ When someone else doesn't care ♪ ♪ Do I ever cross your mind ♪ ♪ Or are you just crossing mine ♪ ♪ With all your bad decisions ♪ ♪ And no time for advice ♪ ♪ And you go about your business ♪ ♪ 'Cause you know no other way ♪ ♪ How I wish that you would wonder ♪ ♪ How I'm doing today ♪ (wistful country music continues) (wistful country music continues) ♪ Now, I'm talking to myself ♪ ♪ Though I'm thinking it's for you ♪ ♪ So I hang myself with honesty ♪ ♪ 'Cause you don't want the truth ♪ ♪ And I wish you'd go home laughing ♪ ♪ And say that I'm a fool ♪ ♪ 'Cause what you don't say hurts me anyway ♪ ♪ So what else can I do ♪ ♪ Am I the only one ♪ ♪ Who sees this ♪ ♪ Am I the only one who can hear ♪ ♪ I know I'm the only one who feels it ♪ ♪ When someone else doesn't care ♪ ♪ If I didn't say hello ♪ ♪ If I didn't wave and smile ♪ ♪ Would you still come sit beside me ♪ ♪ And talk for a while ♪ ♪ If I didn't ask how are you ♪ ♪ Would your morning be the same ♪ ♪ How I wish that you would wonder ♪ ♪ How I'm doing today ♪ (somber guitar music) (lively fiddle and guitar music) (lively fiddle and guitar music continues) ♪ I wanna drink my java from an old tin can ♪ ♪ While the moon goes to shining high ♪ ♪ I wanna hear the calling of the whippoorwill ♪ ♪ I wanna hear a coyote whine ♪ ♪ I wanna have my saddle horse by my side ♪ ♪ Riding him out on the range ♪ ♪ Just to kick him in the side ♪ ♪ Just to show a step and pride ♪ ♪ Out on Montana plains ♪ (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) ♪ Sometimes in my dreams ♪ ♪ Somehow it seems ♪ ♪ I'm back where I belong ♪ ♪ There's a country hick ♪ ♪ We're back in the sticks ♪ ♪ Back where I belong ♪ ♪ Well, the city lights and the city ways ♪ ♪ Are driving me insane ♪ ♪ Oh I wanna go back, oh please take me back ♪ ♪ Back to Montana plains ♪ (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) (lively fiddle and guitar music) (slow-paced somber fiddle and guitar music) (lively fiddle and guitar music) (somber wistful guitar music) ♪ One of these days I'll be going back ♪ ♪ Back where the skies are blue ♪ (upbeat guitar music) ♪ To a little hut just built for two ♪ ♪ That's where my dreams come true ♪ ♪ Well, I'm tired of subways and forty story shacks ♪ ♪ I'm craving the wide open range ♪ ♪ Oh I wanna go back, oh please take me back ♪ ♪ Back to Montana plains ♪ (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) (upbeat guitar music continues) ♪ I wanna be a cowboy sweetheart ♪ ♪ I wanna learn to rope and to ride ♪ ♪ I wanna ride on the plains and the desert ♪ ♪ Out west of the Great Divide ♪ ♪ I wanna ride Old Paint goin' at a run ♪ ♪ I wanna feel the wind in my face ♪ ♪ A thousand miles from those city lights ♪ ♪ Going a cowhand's pace ♪ ♪ Wanna pillow my head and sleep by the herd ♪ ♪ While the moon shines bright from above ♪ ♪ I wanna strum my guitar and yodelei-ee hoo ♪ ♪ Oh, that's the life that I love ♪ (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) (Brigid yodeling cheerfully) ♪ Ooh ♪ (dramatic guitar music) (Brigid chuckles) - One of the things that I love about you guys, there's this playfulness, there's the sibling thing, but there's also this joy, this sort of infectious joy.

And part of that is being so willing to be yourself in public.

- [Brigid] Yeah!

- And bring that relationship that you guys have as brother and sister, but also as musicians.

- Just the way we were raised with homeschool and the culture of our family, there was never hard stops to things.

- [Johnny] Yes!

- Everything smoothly transitions into everything else.

So, you know, if we go to a sound check, we're in the clothes we're gonna perform in.

You know?

Which is a funny thing to say but, you know, there's no difference between what we are on stage and what we are off stage.

- [Johnny] Yes!

- Me in the saddle shop, me horseback, me writing with Johnny.

- Yep!

- Us hiking up in the mountains, you packing with mules.

- Yeah!

- You know?

- [Johnny] It's all the same.

- [Brigid] On a sailing ship, walking down.

- [Johnny] Right!

- You know?

Sitting at the Met watching an opera, English classroom, we're always the same person, and there are smooth transitions between those things.

It's not like, oh, once we step off the stage, "Whew!

Done with that.

I can go back to normal real life."

Because that's the thing we get, like, "Oh you can't possibly be, you know, happy."

- But it is constant!

- You know?

Like smiley!

- [Johnny] It's all in the present.

- And bright.

Like, "No!

This is real."

- [Johnny] Yeah!

- And it takes effort.

- The way we smooth those boundaries is just by fostering it's kind of like as many connections as possible.

It's almost like a game to just be always seeking where those connections are.

Be it, you know, I bring something new, I start singing, a harmony part will just appear.

If we're thinking about something and we see those connections, we write a poem about that connection there.

We make a connection on stage with the audience between audience members.

You know, I think of the times where we're looking at picking out individual people.

We're like, "Oh that's a cool guy.

He's really interpreting that verse in a certain way."

And then you look over and you see that's entirely different, and then you see the connection between those.

- Since you don't ever eclipse one another, the audience doesn't feel like, "Wow, she can really sing and he plays great guitar behind her."

- [Johnny] Yeah!

(chuckles) - It just keeps, you just kind of keep showing up at a next level, and it's like this is a bottomless column and a bottomless connection.

- This is such a deep part of who we are.

- Yes!

- And what we enjoy and how we get to share our relationship and grow our relationship both as friends, professional collaborators, and siblings.

- [Johnny] Yes!

Absolutely!

- And our goal is to maintain this musical and performing relationship as long as we possibly can.

Forever, if possible.

- [Johnny] Absolutely!

- No matter what we're doing in our lives together and separately.

- And I think it's great 'cause it doesn't come from a point of desperation.

Because I think a lot of people are like, "Of course!"

- I could never live without you!

- Yeah!

And it's like- - [Brigid] I can't do anything without!

- You formed a sibling band because you're both there and you don't go.

It's like we've done collaborations with all sorts of artists, various places.

And, you know, I definitely, when she's writing poems and songs, I'm like, "You are a perfectly accomplished artist on your own, that you have that."

But together it is just something so tremendously unique and the collaboration process, what that sharing and connection look like.

- You know, I would search the world over for a partner like you musically.

- Same!

- And the fact that we get to build this together.

- [Johnny] Yeah!

- And I think, you know, there's often out in other situations, sibling rivalry.

And what I think is cool is that however we've interpreted those natural feelings and pull are really like a mutual inspiration.

- Yes!

- Where he'll do something incredible and wonderful and it'll inspire me to up my game.

- [Johnny] Yes!

- And then I'll have upped my game and come back and show him and he'll be inspired and up his game.

- [Johnny] But it's constructive!

- So it's this amazing, positive, constructive feedback loop of inspiration and kind of the right amount of pressure of, you know, respect and wanting to show up for each other and do each other justice.

With just enough personal pride in our own work to be like, "You know, no, I really gotta get to work and, you know, up my game so that we can, you know, I can meet the challenge of you being my partner and collaborator."

- Exactly!

(wistful guitar music) (wistful instrumental music) ♪ I don't think that you know what you're doing to me ♪ ♪ In every way ♪ ♪ I look in the mirror and see my own impossibility ♪ ♪ A comma in the page of today ♪ ♪ Why don't we just let the remuda ♪ ♪ Of our dreams off the line and away ♪ ♪ Out of all these bottom lands ♪ ♪ And up above the treeline ♪ ♪ To where the peaks kiss the sun's final rays ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ (wistful instrumental music continues) (wistful instrumental music continues) ♪ I don't know, but I don't think people understand ♪ ♪ Quite what they're saying and doing half the time ♪ ♪ But I think too much ♪ ♪ And I don't do enough to justify ♪ ♪ This big old ego of mine ♪ ♪ Senseless sound with people all around ♪ ♪ Who lack the space for a heart's solemn rhyme ♪ ♪ It's no life for me ♪ ♪ I'd much rather be ♪ ♪ Lost in the wilds of my mind ♪ ♪ Where I can be ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ ♪ In the high ♪ ♪ In the high ♪ ♪ In the high country ♪ (wistful guitar music) (wistful fiddle and guitar music) (pensive jazz guitar music) (pensive uptempo fiddle and guitar music) ♪ Darling, what did you go and do ♪ ♪ To take and change all the love songs ♪ ♪ Make them about you ♪ ♪ You're all I can sing about now ♪ ♪ Melodies I knew ♪ ♪ And sang for years ♪ ♪ And thought I knew what every word was about ♪ ♪ How'd you do it suddenly ♪ ♪ Each word suits you to a tee ♪ ♪ All about you and me ♪ ♪ How was I the only who noticed ♪ ♪ Especially when you've got me so unfocused ♪ ♪ Songs from a hundred years ago ♪ ♪ Were written about you I know ♪ ♪ Darling, what did you go and do ♪ ♪ To take and change all the love songs ♪ ♪ It's too much for someone to do ♪ ♪ So the love songs must have written you ♪ - Tell me about it, Johnny!

♪ Darling, what did you go and do ♪ ♪ To take and change all the love songs ♪ - All the love songs!

♪ Make them about you ♪ ♪ You're all I can sing about now ♪ ♪ All he can sing about now ♪ ♪ Melodies I knew and sang for years ♪ ♪ Thought I knew what every word was about ♪ - [Brigid] What was it about, Johnny?

♪ How'd you do it suddenly ♪ ♪ Each word suits you to a tee ♪ ♪ All about you and me ♪ ♪ Aw, you and me ♪ (dramatic guitar music) (dramatic uptempo country music) (dramatic uptempo country music continues) ♪ How did you take and change all the love songs ♪ ♪ Make them about you ♪ ♪ You're all I can sing about now, now, now, now ♪ (both scatting cheerfully) ♪ La dee da dee da ♪ ♪ Thought I knew what every word was about ♪ ♪ How'd you do it suddenly ♪ ♪ Each word suits you to a tee ♪ ♪ All about you and me ♪ (wistful guitar music) ♪ How was I the only one who noticed ♪ ♪ Especially when you got me so unfocused ♪ ♪ Songs from a hundred years ago ♪ ♪ Were written about you I know ♪ ♪ Darling, what did you go and do ♪ ♪ To take and change all the love songs ♪ ♪ It's too much for someone to do ♪ ♪ So the love songs must have written you ♪ (playful country music) ♪ Oh I've got me ♪ ♪ A music box monkey ♪ ♪ He's the real deal ♪ ♪ He's really something ♪ ♪ Oh some folks come ♪ ♪ For a handful of peanuts ♪ ♪ Some folks come for the song ♪ ♪ Kids come for the monkey ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ One cranks the box while the other one dances ♪ ♪ He walks the streets ♪ ♪ Like the city's his jungle ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ My music box monkey ♪ (playful country music continues) (playful country music continues) ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ah, ah ♪ (dramatic upbeat guitar music) ♪ Step up, step up, step up, step up, step up ♪ ♪ See him dance ♪ ♪ It only costs a penny and you won't miss it any ♪ ♪ Don't you miss a chance ♪ ♪ Jump up, hop up, jump up, hop up ♪ ♪ Jump up, do a dance ♪ ♪ They paid to see a monkey, won't you do something funky ♪ ♪ Make the people laugh ♪ ♪ Oh I got me ♪ ♪ A music box monkey ♪ ♪ He's the real deal ♪ ♪ He's really, really, really, really, really something new ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ - Play one!

(dramatic playful fiddle music) (playful rhythmic fiddle and guitar music) (slow-paced fiddle and guitar music) ♪ Some folks come ♪ ♪ For a handful of peanuts ♪ (playful country music) ♪ Some folks come for the song ♪ ♪ Kids come for the monkey ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ah, ah ♪ ♪ The city's his jungle ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ My music box monkey ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ My music box monkey ♪ - [Eric] Just watching you with your horse yesterday, he'd get a little bit boxy.

(Brigid laughs) And rather than coming up against that, you took the rhythm of that and you would just walk him back through the same thing again and you just do the same.

The entire motion, the entire gestures at play.

And you can see that same behavior, that patience.

- [Brigid] Yeah!

- [Eric] And it's like, "We're not in any hurry here."

- [Johnny] Truly!

- And I think like you were saying with kind of the lightness, that that's something that we've always cultivated, that's natural.

And kind of like a horse that's young that you can, if you break a horse and take that out, it's really hard to put it back in.

- [Johnny] Yeah!

- That there is sort of an unserious seriousness.

- Yes!

(laughs) - To what we do.

The happiness, the joy, the lightness, like, the almost childlike curiosity that we take to our art.

- [Johnny] Yeah!

- We would defend to the death, tooth and nail, with utmost seriousness.

- Absolutely!

- And take it as seriously as anything.

And I had that with horsemanship!

That I was once criticized for laughing and being light in a situation where my horse was having a, you know, difficult reaction.

And I was like, "You know, griming up and being, taking it seriously isn't going to help.

That's not going to make my horse feel safe, that's not gonna make me relaxed enough in my body to be athletic and communicate properly."

That for everything that we love, having a sense of lightness and unseriousness and lack of ego and being able to- - [Johnny] It's kind of like a sense of delight.

- Yeah!

A sense, it's true!

Like, a sense of delight, a sense of humor, kind of diffuses a lot of the things that I think, especially as a person gets older, as we get older.

- Definitely!

- There's a lot of pressure through experience and through society to get serious about things.

And it's like we take our work so seriously.

- Yes!

- We know how important it is.

We take our relationship seriously.

We are passionate and devoted.

- And I feel like that's, therefore, how we get to cultivate delight.

- That's the type of serious!

Yes!

- Is because it is, we are so confident and genuine in how we want to express these emotions.

- [Brigid] And experience it!

- And experience them!

- That we can be light!

If you are true to yourself of a place, you know what you're doing with your art, have passion and direction.

- Absolutely!

- Solid relationships, then you don't need to tell everyone about it.

- Yeah!

- You can live it and you can sing it and you can play it and write it and express it.

- And I think to cultivate that lighterness, you know, I just feel like whenever I'm able to do that and I feel like we're able to do that together, that it just, it opens up the boundaries in so many ways.

I feel limitless in what I'm able to perceive in a situation and express something like that with horsemanship.

- You're not needing to work with the weight!

- The moment that you're down, and there are serious times and there's hard times, but the moment you lock in, the walls go up and you're limited.

But if you are able to cultivate a bit more lightness with a horse, on stage, any of these times, then you're never limiting yourself and you're able to perceive everything and you're able to grow that and develop it.

And so when you have the confidence to do that, you know, it just kind of fuels everything.

(cheerful fiddle music) ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline was tall ♪ ♪ Head was in the kitchen and feet was in the hall ♪ (cheerful fiddle music continues) ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ (cheerful fiddle music continues) ♪ Sixteen horses in my team ♪ ♪ The leader he was blind ♪ ♪ It'd break Angelina's heart ♪ ♪ When he moved down the line ♪ (cheerful fiddle music continues) ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ ♪ Angeline the baker ♪ (cheerful fiddle music continues) (cheerful fiddle music continues) (slow-paced dramatic fiddle music) (upbeat guitar music) ♪ Down in the country where I come from ♪ ♪ About all there is to do for fun ♪ ♪ Is chasing ground hogs or whittling on a piece of wood ♪ ♪ But the day that I turned 19 ♪ ♪ A few things started bothering me ♪ ♪ So I thought I'd find out the best way that I could ♪ ♪ So I borrowed a mule and I went to town ♪ ♪ That's when I started looking around ♪ ♪ What I saw, I couldn't describe it even if I could ♪ ♪ But I'm right here to tell you now ♪ ♪ There ain't nothing like it behind no plow ♪ ♪ It's a lot more fun than whittling on a piece of wood ♪ ♪ Hound dog howling, shavin's flying, old folks busting ♪ ♪ Children crying, old cow chewing on her cud ♪ ♪ I sit whittlin' on a piece of wood ♪ (dramatic upbeat guitar music) (dramatic upbeat guitar music continues) ♪ Well, I went to one of them juke joint places ♪ ♪ Lights so low you couldn't see their faces ♪ ♪ With couples creeping slowly around the floor ♪ ♪ We had a few glasses of apple juice ♪ ♪ And when that baby turned me loose ♪ ♪ I was heading every which way but towards the door ♪ ♪ She threw both arms around me tight ♪ ♪ Said come on Casey, this is the night ♪ ♪ We'll show them how old country gets around ♪ ♪ Woke up next morning, dawn breaking ♪ ♪ Feet aching, knees shaking ♪ ♪ I tell you this boy really went to town ♪ ♪ Hound dog howling, shavin's flying ♪ ♪ Old folks busting, children crying ♪ ♪ Old cow chewing on her cud ♪ ♪ I sit whittlin' on a piece of wood ♪ (upbeat guitar music) (upbeat guitar music continues) ♪ Well, I went back to that place again ♪ ♪ It was the very next Saturday night ♪ ♪ But buddy, when I walked in somebody hollered for a fight ♪ ♪ You see I thought that she'd be waiting for me ♪ ♪ But I was in for a big surprise ♪ ♪ 'Cause some guy about six foot, three ♪ ♪ Done closed both of my eyes ♪ ♪ Now today I'm back behind the plow ♪ ♪ This old boy done learned a lot ♪ ♪ There's some who has it ♪ ♪ And some who has it not ♪ ♪ Hound dog howling, shavin's flying ♪ ♪ Old folks busting, children crying ♪ ♪ Old cow chewing on her cud ♪ ♪ I sit whittlin' on a piece of wood ♪ (dramatic triumphant guitar music) (upbeat fiddle music) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) ♪ Old Joe Clark's a e old man ♪ ♪ Tell you the reason why ♪ ♪ He's got liquor in his house ♪ ♪ Good old rock and rye ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, I say ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark ♪ ♪ It's time I'm gone away ♪ (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) ♪ I went down to Old Joe's house ♪ ♪ Ain't been there before ♪ ♪ I slept on a feather bed ♪ ♪ He slept on the floor ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, I say ♪ ♪ Fare thee well, Old Joe Clark ♪ ♪ It's time I'm gone away ♪ Yup!

(upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) ♪ Pretty little girl with a blue dress on ♪ ♪ Stole my heart and away she's gone ♪ ♪ Stole my heart, away she's gone ♪ ♪ Stole my heart and away she's gone ♪ (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) ♪ She won't wear cotton, she won't wear tulle ♪ ♪ Won't wear nothing but calico ♪ ♪ Won't wear nothing but calico ♪ ♪ Won't wear nothing but calico ♪ (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) ♪ Sally in the garden, sifting, sifting ♪ ♪ Sally in the garden, sifting sand ♪ ♪ Sally in the garden, sifting, sifting ♪ ♪ Sally upstairs with a hog-eyed man ♪ ♪ Howdy, howdy do ya, hog-eye, hog-eye ♪ ♪ Howdy, howdy do with a hog-eyed man ♪ ♪ Howdy, howdy, do ya, hog-eye, hog-eye ♪ ♪ Howdy, howdy do with a hog-eyed man ♪ (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) (upbeat fiddle music continues) (instruments tapping rhythmically) Hup!

(wistful banjo music) (wistful banjo and concertina music) (wistful banjo and concertina music continues) ♪ Who'll carry me over them old desert sands ♪ ♪ With the yellow moon shining on high ♪ ♪ Let me breathe the sweet air ♪ ♪ Of a pure desert night ♪ ♪ My fair old pony and I ♪ ♪ Well, riding and roping, now that's what I love ♪ ♪ A life in the open I crave ♪ ♪ The wild mountain rose ♪ ♪ And cactus in bloom ♪ ♪ I'll love them the rest of my days ♪ ♪ Who'll carry me over them old desert sands ♪ ♪ With the yellow moon shining on high ♪ ♪ Let me breathe the sweet air of a pure desert night ♪ ♪ My fair old pony and I ♪ (wistful banjo and concertina music continues) (wistful banjo and concertina music continues) ♪ Oh, when I come to the end of the trail ♪ ♪ And my campe embers burn low ♪ ♪ Just bury me deeply in them old desert sands ♪ ♪ And sing me this song as I go ♪ ♪ Who'll carry me over them old desert sands ♪ ♪ With the yellow moon shining on high ♪ ♪ Let me breathe the sweet air of a pure desert night ♪ ♪ My fair old pony and I ♪ ♪ My fair old pony and I ♪ (wistful triumphant music) - I was thinking about the sort of columnar depth of you two individually.

You know, what you do as another manifestation of who you are.

And we spent some time yesterday with you at the saddle shop building a saddle for your father and got into a pretty interesting conversation.

To me, it's not that much different than your poetry or your singing, your fiddle playing, your guitar playing.

Anything that you do, you're all, you know, you have all these different ways of carrying who you are as a creative being.

Most people who are creatives, it's not something they do, it's something they are.

And if you stop doing it, you're just miserable and you take everyone else around you with you.

- Yeah!

(Brigid laughs) - But, you know, just for fun, let's sort of back up a notch and go back into the saddlery, you know, where you're in there and you walk in there and I just got blasted.

Well, first George is such a beautiful being.

Here's this- - [Brigid] Hero!

- [Eric] Craftsman, artsman, you know?

But the hit of the leather smell.

And then pretty soon you're just inducted.

- And just that process, getting to this saddle that I'm working on with George, I've been waiting for years and years to come up in queue to work with him, 'cause he's several years out.

To have the experience of seeing all the invisible work that goes into the finished saddle that no one else gets to see.

All of the shavings that get thrown away, all of the skivings that get thrown away, the tools, that's the process that results in the performance.

The skeletal understructure of the saddle, that's three layers of leather this thick that he puts on one at a time.

And I watched him put a piece of leather on this thick and take a piece of broken glass and shave it away to nothing, all the way down to the skin.

Why would you even put that on there?

It's all on the floor and you have to put!

Because that's the process.

He was putting leather where he needed it in different places and shaving it all the way down methodically until it was right where it needed to be so that the next layer of leather could be put on and shaved down to almost nothing in the perfect way.

So that, in performance, when you sit in that chair, it's perfect.

You feel it!

You feel what you need to feel and you don't feel what you don't need to feel.

- [Johnny] Yeah!

- You are simply in that moment and able to do what you need to do.

So being aware of that process just has made me think a lot more about the process of what we do.

- Certainly.

And I think that's because when you think about it, and this kind of relates back to our conversation of taking pride and joy in the process, not in the pursuit of that end goal, like that project I was working on yesterday when I was re-lacing the back belt of those chaps that, you know, I don't think about that lace much at all.

And as I'm picking out my old work to replace that, what I was reminded of was not so much of all those times that I've worn them and that it was helping me.

I thought about the moment that I was lacing it months and months ago when I had first put in that lace, that in the end what made the biggest impression was the creation of that and what it has gone through, and how wonderful will it be that I'll be able to do this process again.

And every time I can try to be better.

And every time people just look and be like, "That looks nice."

But for myself, I'll know what a cool process that brought that into being.

- The saddle, horseback, doing the work, is us on stage performing.

You see the floral, you're moved by the beauty of line.

You sit in that seat and are perfectly comfortable and able to do everything you need to do, and you don't even know why.

(group chuckles) But it's perfect.

That does not exist without the invisible time, without the 20 years of relationship, and practice and songwriting and refinement and coaching.

Understanding that kind of organic process has been something that's carried me up to this point.

And where that meets with sort of the active process of building has been an interesting kind of bridge as we kind of enter into our adult version of our careers.

- Certainly!

- Because there's this underpinning of love and comfort and joy that we feel truly the most ourselves with each other and with the world when we live this way.

(somber pensive guitar music) (somber pensive guitar music continues) ♪ It was a long hard voyage to the Americas ♪ ♪ In 1493 ♪ ♪ I was afraid that I would die of thirst ♪ ♪ The little mare beside me died ♪ ♪ And was put into the sea ♪ ♪ I survived ♪ ♪ I swam ashore, I'm La Primera ♪ ♪ When Cortes sailed from Mexico ♪ ♪ For that island in the sun ♪ ♪ There were 16 of us ♪ ♪ Sorrels, blacks, and bays ♪ ♪ One of them was my first born ♪ ♪ He was called the Coyote Dun ♪ ♪ He served well ♪ ♪ He conquered all of Mexico ♪ ♪ I am the drinker of the wind ♪ ♪ I am the one who never tires ♪ ♪ I love my freedom more than all these things ♪ ♪ The Conquistador, Comanche and the Cowboy ♪ ♪ I carried them to glory ♪ ♪ I'm La Primera, Spanish mustang ♪ ♪ Hear my story ♪ ♪ The Comanche were holy terrors ♪ ♪ When they climbed up on our backs ♪ ♪ When the grass was high ♪ ♪ They would raid for a thousand miles ♪ ♪ But the Texans had revolvers ♪ ♪ When they returned from the war ♪ ♪ The buffalo had gone away ♪ ♪ The Comanche moon was waning ♪ ♪ Now, it's come along boys and listen to our tale ♪ ♪ We're following the longhorn cow ♪ ♪ Rolling up Mister Goodnight's trail you see ♪ ♪ Those cowboys, they were kind to us ♪ ♪ And we listen to their sad songs ♪ ♪ All the way to the far Saskatchewan ♪ ♪ I am the drinker of the wind ♪ ♪ I am the one who never tires ♪ ♪ I love my freedom more than all these things ♪ ♪ The Conquistador, Comanche and the Cowboy ♪ ♪ I carried them to glory ♪ ♪ La Primera, Spanish mustang ♪ ♪ Hear my story ♪ ♪ High in the Pryor Mountains ♪ ♪ First light of dawn ♪ ♪ Coyote Dun walks beneath the morning star ♪ ♪ He became an outlaw and his blood was watered some ♪ ♪ But the flame still burns ♪ ♪ Into the new millennium ♪ ♪ I am the drinker of the wind ♪ ♪ I am the one who never tires ♪ ♪ I love my freedom more than all these things ♪ ♪ The Conquistador, Comanche and the Cowboy ♪ ♪ I carried them to glory ♪ ♪ I'm La Primera, Spanish mustang ♪ ♪ Hear my story ♪ ♪ La Primera, Spanish mustang ♪ ♪ Hear my story ♪ (pensive fiddle music) (pensive fiddle music continues) (upbeat pensive country music) (upbeat pensive country music continues) (upbeat pensive country music continues) ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ ♪ Down to the graveyard ♪ ♪ Bring along roses ♪ ♪ Bring along roses ♪ ♪ Bring along roses with you down to the graveyard ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Eeh, ooh, eeh ♪ ♪ Eeh, eeh ♪ ♪ Ooh, eeh, ooh, eeh ♪ ♪ Eeh, eeh ♪ (upbeat pensive country music continues) (upbeat pensive country music continues) (upbeat pensive country music continues) ♪ Do your hair pretty ♪ ♪ Do your hair pretty ♪ ♪ Do your hair pretty ♪ ♪ I wait there in the graveyard ♪ ♪ Night birds calling ♪ ♪ Night birds calling ♪ ♪ Night birds calling you down to the graveyard ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Eeh, ooh, eeh ♪ ♪ Eeh, eeh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Eeh, ooh, eeh ♪ ♪ Eeh, eeh ♪ ♪ Fly to me, my little song bird ♪ ♪ Fly to me ♪ ♪ Braided hair and your little bare feet ♪ ♪ Won't you run on down to see me ♪ ♪ Come along Daisy ♪ (upbeat pensive country music continues) (upbeat pensive country music continues) Hup!

(dramatic upbeat country music) (dramatic upbeat country music continues) (dramatic upbeat country music continues) (dramatic upbeat country music continues) (dramatic upbeat country music continues) (dramatic country music) (no audio) (upbeat fiddle music) (Brigid scatting cheerfully) (Brigid scatting cheerfully) ♪ I hate myself for being mean ♪ (Brigid and Johnny yodeling cheerfully) - [Announcer] "11th & Grant" was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation.

Montana State University, Office of the President.

Quinn's Hot Springs Resort.

Donna Spitzer-Ostrovsky, in loving memory of Jack Ostrovsky, the godfather of "11th & Grant."

Gomez and Mary Routhier, great music will blow the dust off your soul.

Iris Model!

Sanbell.

Betty Clauson, honoring Bob and Suzy Sterling.

Regina M. Wunsch and Walter G. Wunsch.

Music Villa and Gibson Guitar.

The Utzinger Family.

Bill and Jane Gum.

Rob Maher and Lynn Peterson-Maher.

Nancy Thompson Flikkema.

And by these generous donors: (upbeat jazz music) (bright dramatic music)