“The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers draw freely from old-time, bluegrass, country, jazz, rockabilly and swing styles to create their tight, high-energy string band music. Well-crafted original songs with emotional depth, masterful picking, and resonant vocal harmonies combine to forge new territories and a fresh take on Appalachian Americana music. Band members Gary Antol, Libby Eddy, Joe Dep and Ed Croft hail from the mountains and river towns of southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.”

The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers are a Pittsburgh based old-timey string band who’s latest release is the fantastic White Lightning Road. You can hear the band selections from it when they play the Deep Roots Mountain Revival at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, WV this weekend (Thursday and Friday, September 15 & 16). I want to thank Gary Antol (Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

• The first album you ever bought?
• Van Halen.
• Your last album bought?
• Town Mountain Southern Crescent.
• Favorite album of all time?
• Paul Simon Graceland.
• Least favorite/most disappointing album?
• Anything REM released after 1990.
• First concert attended?
• Bon Jovi.
• Last concert?
• Donna the Buffalo.
• Favorite concert ever?
• David Byrne at The Ryman, Nashville, TN.
• Least favorite concert?
• Basically,if I go, I’m pretty sure I am going to like it.
• Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
• I went to Duquesne University in the late 90’s. There were a ton of good bands working hard in the city at the time. I loved going to see shows. These days, I’m proud to see what Pittsburgh has become. Everything is different and some things are the same… here are still a ton of good bands working hard in the city.

Thanks, Gary. Ah, The Ryman. That is a bucket list venue for me to see a show for sure. I was actually outside the venue when I was ten years old but never made it inside.