Drummer’s Epic Finish Ends in Crashing Through a Window on Nashville’s Lower Broadway
This story has been updated.
Alright, so normally I wouldn’t post some silly, viral video such as this. But it’s Robert’s Western World—one of the last bastions of true country music on Lower Broadway in Nashville. And it’s the Don Kelley Band, which is one of Robert’s and Lower Broadway’s most legendary bands.
“The Don Kelley Band has been playing on Lower Broadway for the last 30 years at least, and pretty much Don Kelley’s band is the primary school for hot shit Tele [guitar] players in Nashville,” bass player Geoff Firebaugh, who used to play Robert’s with BR549 and now plays with Hillbilly Casino told Saving Country Music a while back. “The guys that are on all the country records like Dan Huff, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert from Merle Haggard’s band, Johnny Hiland, they all played with Don Kelley … I’ve seen musicians go down there and you get put to the test. Either you get good or you go home.”
When Lower Broadway was a virtual ghost town in the 90’s after The Ryman Auditorium was shuttered and the Grand Ole Opry moved across town, Robert’s Western World was the epicenter for the revival that turned Lower Broadway into the bustling part of town it is today. And the high-energy, high-caliber stage shows were the reason it became the destination spot for players and fans alike.
Anyway, Friday night (1-29) at Robert’s Western World, The Don Kelley Band was on the stage in the 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. slot. As the band was putting together a big finish for the classic Western song “Ghosts Riders in the Sky,” and the bass player Slick Joe Fick is doing a bass stand, and the drummer Stan Saxon rises to his feet to pull off a huge cacophonous crescendo, he loses his balance, tips back, and falls out of the plate glass window behind the stage as drums go flying, landing in a shower of glass shards on some unsuspecting revelers outside on Lower Broadway.
“The guy landed on me and another couple with his snare drum on the sidewalk,” says Patrick Harrigan who happened to be walking by at the time. “Broken glass everywhere. Crazy.”
Luckily, Stan Saxon wasn’t injured. But he probably pulled off one of the most awesome finishes in the history of Lower Broadway. And word is after the incident, he brushed himself off, and walked across the street to play another four hour set.
UPDATE: Word is Stan Saxon did injure a rib during the fall, but he’s okay.
P.S. – If you ever find yourself at Robert’s, order the pork chop sandwich!
Wait for it . . . wait for it . . .
January 30, 2016 @ 9:32 am
That’s some pretty funny stuff right there.
He should be playing for Luke Bryan. He’ll fit right it.
I remember seeing a Youtube video of Roy Clark shredding on his fiddle, and the younger fiddler and the banjo picker all take solos, and everybody starts jumping, but when big ol’ Roy jumps, the drummer makes a huge crash and everybody on stage falls over.
Gravity sure has a sense of humor.
January 30, 2016 @ 9:34 am
The drummer is Stan Saxon. Awesome finish…glad he wasn’t hurt.
January 30, 2016 @ 9:35 am
Thanks for the info Lee!
January 30, 2016 @ 9:34 am
Very entertaining Trigger, I kept kinda watching the bass player too,lol!
January 30, 2016 @ 9:52 am
Slick Joe Fick on bass. He is a madman.
January 30, 2016 @ 9:56 am
“The guy landed on me with his snare drum on the sidewalk.” lol
January 30, 2016 @ 10:25 am
Love Slick Joe Flick! I’ve seen him play with The Eskimo Brothers which is a faster paced rockabilly outfit. He really gets to cut loose and slap the shit out of that bass! Love the Don Kelley Band as well. Thanks for posting Trigger.
Off topic:
I went to a Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit show last Friday and they were the tightest I’ve ever seen them. What do you know about the Sumner Brothers? They opened and I was intrigued. They seemed a bit quirky, but in a good way! Thanks again Trigger.
January 30, 2016 @ 11:32 am
Sumner brothers are badass imo, not exactly SCM fare but good musicians / songwriters / etc..just released a new album a few months ago too (fairly different sound from majority of their prior stuff I’ve heard)
January 30, 2016 @ 12:55 pm
I wouldn’t put it past me to feature The Eskimo Brothers at some point. I’ve got their last album.
January 30, 2016 @ 12:05 pm
The Eskimo Brothers are badass.
January 30, 2016 @ 10:26 am
Epic!
I’m glad no one was hurt.
Did the next act just go on with no window?
January 30, 2016 @ 11:23 am
No, Brazilbilly had to wait for the glass company to come put up plywood before they started.
January 30, 2016 @ 10:35 am
Crashing through a window is arguably better than 100% of bro-country choreography… and The Band Perry’s choreography.
January 30, 2016 @ 11:01 am
I wish we could throw TBP’s costume designer out of a window…
a very high one.
January 30, 2016 @ 1:23 pm
That’s country.
January 30, 2016 @ 1:46 pm
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GET THE PORKCHOP SANDWICH! FRIED BOLOGNA IS THE WAY TO GO!
January 30, 2016 @ 1:57 pm
Like Vince Gill’s mouth getting shocked by the Opry microphone
January 30, 2016 @ 10:51 pm
Wow, that’s crazy!
But they sound great, and this makes it look like they put on a fun show (even when they all stay on the correct side of the window), so this is nice publicity for them. Sorry about the guy’s rib, though!
January 31, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
Is there video of Vince Gill getting shocked by the mic?
January 31, 2016 @ 2:16 am
My Son never ceases to amaze me, lol! I’m just thankful he only broke a rib instead of his neck.
January 31, 2016 @ 5:26 am
Knowing Nashville it was staged. Just like the Chris Stapleton rise. The industry saw sturgill and Jason coming up and got ahead of it with puppet Chris Stapleton, that’s why he won’t rally against the bro country and pop music cause that’s what he is. He will be JOINING Luke Bryan’s tour this summer for select dates, Luke will take him under his wing. The songs of traveler are formulaic to be singer/songwriter but each be modeled after a #1 hit. Sorry state we are in.
January 31, 2016 @ 8:30 am
If you knew this venue, and this band, you would know this is the very last place they would stage anything.
February 1, 2016 @ 1:15 pm
Yeah, dude. Stapleton is the real deal, just like RWW. Keep dreaming, Jake.
February 1, 2016 @ 10:44 pm
Jake, buddy, you seem very unhappy. Time to lighten up a tad. Don’t be one of “those guys” who walk around all day saying everything’s “fake” or “staged”. You’ll miss out on a lot of joy in life….like guys on stage having fun and just good music.
January 31, 2016 @ 12:57 pm
Definitely was not staged! The drummer is my brother. My husband and i talked to him last night. When he stood up, his ear piece chord got caught on “something” pulling him backwards and ultimately through the pane glass. He broke a rib but he’s ok! He finished playing that set and went across the street to play another 4 hours with another band. He’s a super fun guy, very talented and dedicated to his profession. Even continues drumming while falling out of a window! Lol. Way to commit to a song bubby!!!
January 31, 2016 @ 5:53 pm
I know I need to stop ranting. That is dedication, really Nashville isn’t the problem it’s record labels.
February 1, 2016 @ 7:00 am
Real life Spinal Tap.