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Video Spotlight: Miley Cyrus by VoicePlay

We've come to the third and last of the 1 Minute Musicals. Three different subjects. Three different styles. As I said in my "Stuck in Traffic" spotlight, I think these are a great introduction to VoicePlay. They give you a good taste of their versatility and their talents as both a group and as individuals. My hope is that at the end of this one that those of you previously unfamiliar to the group are inspired to check out their other videos and albums. These three musicals are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what they can do. They're all so talented and I believe in them so much and want others to as well. It is in that spirit that I'm going to be serious for a bit before embracing the silliness that's coming. It's VoicePlay singing about Miley Cyrus; of course, there's silliness ahead.

It's July 1st which means that today is my birthday. I've spent the past couple of days thinking a lot about my life. About what these five guys have meant to me in the relatively short amount of time I've known about them. Above everything else, what they've been is a source of joy. They released "Miley Cyrus" a couple of months ago and it was when I was in the midst of a terrible RA flare up. I was in a lot of pain and didn't want to smile, let alone laugh. Well, they made me laugh. They're good at that. They make me happy. One thing I've learned is that when something makes you happy, there's two things you should do about it. Treasure it and pass it on. Because these are crazy times we live in. Just watch the news. Bad things happen to good people, every single day. So why wouldn't you want to hold on to the people and things that make it better? Why wouldn't you want to pass it on?

That's why I write about these guys so much. They're a source of joy to me and others I know. Musically speaking, I find them to be one of the most interesting acts around today. You could never accuse these fellas of taking themselves too seriously, but you know what they do take seriously? Their music and their commitment to their fans. They recently made a few little tweaks to their Patreon campaign. We found out about said changes a video update from Geoff - not in an email like most everyone does. Not that there's anything wrong with sending an email. It's just that they made a point of doing a little more than just what's expected. These are the kinds of things that set the good acts apart from the great ones. It's a great way of showing respect. Plus that message wasn't just informative, it was actually pretty sweet too. These bass singers, man. All of them seem to have hearts as big as their voices are deep. Geoff's a good dude, y'all. They're all good dudes. 

I know. Someone call the schmaltz police already. I just needed to establish the love, respect and admiration I have for them all. For the bass man. I needed to do that because now? Now, I need to call him out. That's right. I'm calling him out.


Because it seems that Geoff has ruined the banjo for me. You know, I love me some country music and I enjoy bluegrass a lot as well so this is a problem. Now it's a VoicePlay video, so why single Geoff out? Because the music and lyrics are credited to him, that's why. How did he ruin the banjo? Well, the word banjo is used in "Miley Cyrus" except it's not referring to an actual banjo. It's referring to, um, something else. Funny, but come to find out, comes with real life consequences. I went to a great show last night and everything was going just fine. Then it happened. The lead guitarist switched over to the banjo for a song. Let's just say I spent the song valiantly trying to fight off a serious case of the giggles. 


Hey, what's the definition of perfect pitch? When the banjo doesn't hit the accordion when it lands in the dumpster. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the VoicePlay effect. When something they do sends you down a path of silly ridiculousness. In this case, this means banjo jokes because Geoff. Here's a new one I got a kick out of - what do you call a beautiful woman on the arm of a banjo player? A tattoo. One that felt appropriate: how many banjo players does it take to change a light bulb? Three. One to change it and two to argue whether Earl would've changed it that way. That would, of course, be referring to Mr. Earl Scruggs. Finally, what's worse than telling banjo jokes? Laughing at them. I'm here all week. Good thing it's Friday, huh?

 Anyway, enough of that silliness. It's time for new silliness where a sense of humor is an absolute must. A word of caution. If you are eating or drinking anything, I advise you to put it down now. For it is time. Time for "Miley Cyrus". In which Earl makes a serious play to become my new favorite member of the group. For real.



Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when they filmed this. This is a bona fide giggle fit inducer for me. Right from the beginning when Earl - I'm sorry, Merle - comes in with that accent. You see Geoff trying not to laugh and then Earl calls him an ignorant wretch and I'm done. So many great moments in this one. Geoff's whistle on the word transcendent. The piece of straw falling out of Layne's mouth when Earl barks "Shut yer yap!".  Tony and Eli look so offended at that moment too. There's Geoff with all his comments and how he's moving his hands on his makeshift bass almost like how he'd play a real one. Earl's hay grinding and Eli's reaction to it. When first Tony and then Layne put their hats over their hearts. Eli, not having a hat, does it with his glasses. The signs? Golden. The "hey y'all!" at the end. Which is wonderful in a very weird kind of way. 

Have I mentioned that I love Earl? I mean, I love each of the guys and there's been one in particular who has been my favorite by just a little bit from the beginning. Probably not too hard to figure out which if you've read some of my posts. But Earl is giving him a serious run for his money. He completely knocked this out of the park. Yesterday, I decided that I was going to make it through without laughing. They were not going to get me. Not today, boys, I thought. Y'all will not make me laugh. In fact, I laugh at your attempt to make me laugh. Wait.

You know, it's said that pride goeth before a fall. I got through the opening dialogue just fine. Felt confident enough in my ability to not laugh that I ignored my own advice. I had some water. Correction: I tried to have some water. Didn't go well.  It's the "like a dude" that got me. Earl - 1, me - 0. Earl, I'll never doubt you again. Can we talk about the absurd fact that he's playing a character and yet sounds more authentically country than a good amount of country acts? Go figure. Earl totally killed it. He did such a terrific job. 

Finally, because I'm not convinced I've given Layne enough props over the course of 1 Minute Musical, let me add that the percussion in all of them has been great. Layne's one who always knows what a song needs. Plus him cracking up at the end might actually be my favorite part of this video

Thank you for joining me for 1 Minute Musical week! If you're not already one of their patrons, please consider becoming one. You can do so for as little as $1. Or more, if you want. I can assure you that being a patron is worth it. Early access to videos and all kinds of other cool perks. They're so great to us and so grateful for all of their fans. Patrons and non-patrons alike. Not feeling the Patreon thing, that's okay too. Stay in touch with them on any or all of their socials below. If you like any of the videos, please share them with your friends. Thanks guys. And remember: angles r reel. 

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