The Shiftless Rounders' StoryOriginally, The Shiftless Rounders were characters in Eli Kaplan’s 2001 play, “Black Eye.” The two wayward musicians find themselves in a Midwest greasy spoon, trapped in a blizzard. Strangers among the locals, all of whom suffer from restlessness and heartache, The Shiftless Rounders quickly identify with their serendipitous company. The play enjoyed a successful run in Western Massachusetts. The Shiftless Rounders began touring in late 2003. |
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Ben SidelingerDobro, vocals. Ben became a shiftless rounder after developing a reputation for two things – driving the most bad-ass Zephyr to ever emerge from backwoods Maine and building top-of the-line guitars in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts(a skill he picked up down in Buenos Aires). His resophonic slide guitar is of his own making. |
Phill Saylor WisorClawhammer banjo, guitar, vocals. Before becoming a shiftless rounder you could find Phill around East Tennessee restringing banjos and later in Northern Vermont - stilt-walking by day and recording ballads above the garage by night, haunting local church basements in-between. His jumbo guitar is of his own making (a skill he picked up over in England) but his banjo’s eighty-one years old. |