Country remains

Barry and Holly Tashian play traditional tunes

by Don Fluckinger Carving out their own niche in the country-music world, Barry and Holly Tashian play upbeat, acoustic bluegrass duets, sometimes by themselves, sometimes with an upright bass player in tow as they will tomorrow at the Cafe Fantastique. It's a switch from 30 years ago, when Barry had his brush with fame leading the Remains, the legendary Boston rock group who played the Ed Sullivan Show and opened for the Beatles on their 1966 US tour.

Although an important part of Barry Tashian's career, the Remains broke up 30 years ago. They unsuccessfully tried to get back together two times in the 1970s and now, interestingly enough, he's considering a third reunion.

But Tashian had taken root in the country-music world long ago. Turned on to the genre by his pal Gram Parsons in the late '60s, he and Holly started their own country band in the early '70s who included Remains bassist Vern Miller. It was a logical step; growing up in Wesport, Connecticut, Barry and Holly both enjoyed listening to country.

"It's easy to play three chords, it's sort of an extension of rockabilly from that era," Holly says. "Whereas rock and roll went another way, into the Beatles and very aggressive, hard-rock style. There wasn't a lot of choice there. There was a path to keep on going in the rock and roll or go toward the country. As time went on . . . all of that kind of fit together, that country attitude."

Then Emmylou Harris hired Barry to perform in her Hot Band on the road and record in the studio; that gig lasted 10 years. After that band ended in the late 1980s, Barry and Holly started performing together as an acoustic duo. Since then, they've recorded several albums, including last year's Harmony (Rounder).

Their music is folky, down-to-earth country that references rockabilly, bluegrass, old-time country, and a bit of rock and blues. Together, Barry and Holly make a perfect vocal duet, each complementing the other in tone, energy, and inflection. The years of playing guitar together also shine through, as one feeds off the other.

The Tashians' lyrics ponder traditional country themes such as big storms on the horizon and lost love. Their most endearing tunes, however, celebrate couplehood and the good times it brings. "We're better-known for our upbeat, positive material," Barry says. "A lot of people like us for that reason."

Based in Nashville, the Tashians perform a handful of shows each year in the area -- this gig will be only the fourth time Barry has played in Worcester. The first time was back in '66, when they played on the steps of City Hall. A mob scene took place, as a throng of rabid fans went wild. That year, it was like that all over Massachusetts; he describes a gig in Lynn: "We couldn't get back to the van. A crowd, like, mobbed us. They were pulling at us, pushing us, trying to get to us. All of these people were screaming and everything . . . in Worcester, it was the same deal . . . It was crazy. It was like we were the Stones or something, which we weren't. We wished we were."

Barry relived his days on the road when he published the book Ticket To Ride in 1996, opening his tour diary for the world to see. These days he sets up tables at Beatles conventions and signs copies of his book. The Remains members keep in contact with each other, and now Barry's considering an offer for them to get back together as the Remains and play a summer gig at a festival in Spain.

"I could do that," he says reflectively. "It's not like a total commitment, like, `You must play rock and roll for the rest of your life' . . . I'd like to maybe give it a shot. I don't know what kind of offers, financially, they're going to make. If it makes sense, I'll probably give it a try."

This time around, it would be for fun. With Holly and Emmylou Harris, Tashian put out some solid, critically acclaimed albums. No longer is he standing in the shadows of what could have been had the Beatles tour elevated the Remains beyond their regional popularity. The book established his place in history, securing his legacy among fans, collectors, and scholars. Now he can sit back and enjoy it.

"The two times we got together before, I did it for a little while, just [for] a few gigs," Barry says. "I wasn't enjoying it -- I said, `What am I doing this for? It's a step backwards.' And I quit again . . . since then I've had 20 years of real experience in the music business, and probably 20 albums in that time. All that has taught me a lot. And maybe I could approach a Remains reunion with a little bit more objectivity." n

Barry and Holly Tashian play at 6 and 7:15 p.m. on May 9 at Cafe Fantastique. Call 755-5276.