the lodge bROTHERS

Brotherhood

Back in 1993, I started playing music with Wayne Schell. We started out playing at the Pere Marquette Lodge overlooking the Illinois River north of Grafton, Illinois -- hence the name, The Lodge Brothers. Rob Stinehart would join us on bass, then John Nell. Rich Heier added banjo and dobro; Michael Eisenbeis; guitar. Others filled in when there was a gap, most notably Colin Graham and Andrew Bond. Whether playing as a duo, a trio, a quartet, or quintet, we always enjoy playing together, and when the gig is over, we're always looking forward to the next one.

2025: The Lodge Brothers at Leclaire Park Fest, Edwardsville, Illinois - On The M-I-S-I-P

October 19, 2025: Park Fest is an annual fall festival celebrating Leclaire Park, a gem in the midst of Edwardsville, where I live. For the past dozen years or so, The Lodge Brothers have played Park Fest, and it's always a joy to do so. Here we do John Hartford's "On The M-I-S-I-P." Wayne wrote the last verse to honor the impact of John's life and music on us. (L to R) Andrew Bond, mandolin; John Nell, bass; Wayne Schell, fiddle; me, guitar; Rich Heier on banjo behind me.

2022: The Lodge Brothers at White Hall, Illinois- Shafer's Wharf > Range Line Shuffle

October 15, 2022: On a chilly fall day, the Lodge Brothers played the town homecoming event in White Hall, Illinois. Here we play a medley of two tunes that Wayne Schell wrote: "Shafer's Wharf" and "Range Line Shuffle." Wayne plays fiddle, I play mandolin, and John Nell backs us on bass.

2022: The Lodge Brothers at White Hall, Illinois - Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland

October 15, 2022: Here we do a Bill Monroe gospel number, "Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland." I set the tempo little too fast on this one.

2022: The Lodge Brothers at White Hall, Illinois - Mama Always Had a Song . Mansions For Me

October 15, 2022: A pair of our favorite gospel songs. We learned "Mama Always Had a Song" from the Marshall Family and "Mansions For Me" from the Skaggs & Rice cover of the Bill Monroe song.

2022: The Lodge Brothers at White Hall, Illinois - Big Rock Candy Mountain

October 15, 2022: Our version of the classic hobo song, "Big Rock Candy Mountain." We do it the way John Hartford did in Down From The Mountain.

2022: The Lodge Brothers at White Hall, Illinois - Navajo Rug

October 15, 2022: Another one from the White Hall homecoming event. Here we do "Navajo Rug" by Ian Tyson and Tom Russell. My attempted yodel at the end is a tribute to Sim Whitman.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 1

February 15, 2013: Here are the Lodge Brothers playing for a fund raiser for the World Workers Party. It was held at the Aisle 1 art gallery, then on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. The chess-themed painting behind us made for a striking and slightly unnerving backdrop. We play a medley of fiddle tunes: "Bass in the Hollow > West Fork Gals > Dubuque." (L ot R) Wayne Schell, banjo; Wayne's brother Guy Schell, bass; me, mandolin; Michael Eisenbeis, guitar.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 2

February 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers play John Hartford's "Long Hot Summer Days" at the Aisle 1 art gallery, then on Cherokee Street in St. Louis.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 3

February 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers at the Aisle 1 art gallery, then on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. I tell some banjo jokes while Wayne tunes, then we do "Union Maid."

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 4

February 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers sing "Dark as a Dungeon" the Aisle 1 art gallery. I learned this from the Merle Travis version on the first Will The Circle Be Unbroken? album.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 5

February 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers sing "Cotton Mill Man," a song we learned from Jim & Jesse McReynolds, at the Aisle 1 art gallery, then on Cherokee Street in St. Louis.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at Aisle 1 Art Gallery, St. Louis - Part 6

February 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers sing "Sin City" by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman at the Aisle 1 art gallery, then on Cherokee Street in St. Louis.

Videos

2013: The Lodge Brothers at The Phil Ochs Tribute, Off Broadway, St. Louis

March 15, 2013: The Lodge Brothers performing "I'm Not Marching Anymore" as part of a Phil Ochs Tribute night at Off Broadway in St. Louis. (L to R) Michael Eisenbeis on guitar, Mike Brown on bass, Wayne Schell on guitar and vocal, me on mandolin.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at the Third Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival, Bean Blossom, Indiana

July 10, 2013: I can't overstate what John Hartford's life and music meant to me and the other Lodge Brothers, so we were delighted to play the third edition of the self-described "most relaxed festival in the country." This was our set on the main stage. The next day, we did an All Hartford set on the Boogie Stage. (L to R) Rich Heier, banjo and dobro; John Nell, bass, Wayne Schell, mandolin and fiddle; me, guitar and mandolin; Michael Eisenbeis, guitar.

2013: The Lodge Brothers at the Third Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival - On The M-I-S-I-P

July 10, 2013: One of our favorite Hartford songs, "On The M-I-S-I-P." (L to R) Rich Heier, banjo; John Nell, bass, Wayne Schell, fiddle; me, guitar; Michael Eisenbeis, mandolin.

2011: The Lodge Brothers at John's house, Alton, Illinois - New River Train

January 23, 2011: This was from a mid-winter jam session we had at John Nell's house in Alton, Illinois. Not that it matters, but we weren't trying to perform; we were just playing for fun, which come to think of it, is pretty must how we perform. (L to R) Me, mandolin; Michael Eisenbeis, guitar; Rich Heier, banjo; John Nell, bass, Wayne Schell, fiddle.

2011: The Lodge Brothers at John's house, Alton, Illinois - Union Miners Stand Together

January 23, 2011: Another one from the winter jam. Here Wayne sings a labor song, "Union Miners Stand Together" with lyrics set to the tune of "Life is Like a Mountain Railroad." (L to R) Me, mandolin; Michael Eisenbeis, guitar; Rich Heier, dobro; John Nell, bass, Wayne Schell, guitar.

2011: The Lodge Brothers at John's house, Alton, Illinois - Gentle On My Mind

January 23, 2011: From the same session. After Michael left, the four of us stuck around to play a few more, including this relaxed version of John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind."