Wielding one mean dobro

Jun 24, 2024

Emmett Franz is becoming an Ozarks legend

The Petersens made Emmett Franz and Emmett Franz made the Petersens.

That's the takeaway one might get when reviewing the meteoric global success of the Bluegrass band based in the Ozarks resort town of Branson, Mo.

It's not that the Petersens weren't alluring and proficient at earning a living with their regular shows and tours before they took on Emmett in 2018. But when the band mates found that the covid scare forced them to turn to Youtube and Patreon for income, it turned out that Emmett's mastery of the dobro was a definite plus. (The group was also fortunate in having an excellent video producer, Aaron Clark, to showcase their work.)

An example of what I mean is the group's first viral Youtube hit, Jolene,

sung by svelte siren Ellen. I've heard plenty of Bluegrass dobroists, but never one who demonstrates the dexterity and mastery of Emmett. He is so good that the band sometimes has to dial him down a bit so that he doesn't overwhelm everybody else.

"One of the first times I heard Emmett perform was in a small house concert with maybe 15 people in attendance," gushed Ellen in 2020, when I Want It That Way was released. He sang I Want It That Way and we were blown away with his awesome arrangement and style. We can't sing this man's praises enough and are so thankful he's part of the band (and basically family)."

Of course a dobro is a resonator guitar, which sounds similar to the electrified steel guitar but needs no extra amplification. And yours truly is not the only observer who has deemed Emmett as in the same general category as a really good rock lead guitarist. From the Branson Tri Lakes News:

For their debut concert of 2023, The Nest featured [Arizona indy rock band] BOXEN with opener Emmett Franz on March 13.

“We were essentially sold out. We had a few people that didn't show up to take their seats, which always happens. For the size of the venue, we thought it was great,” Tom said. “I think Emmett Franz just blew everybody away. I don’t think hardly anybody knew who Emmett Franz was, other than his fans that he brought which were plentiful. The pre-show was very well received.” Andrea [Brett] added, it had been BOXEN’s idea to invite Franz to be a part of their concert, which she agreed worked out great.

Another interesting point is that the Arkansas native's excellence at hillbilly-style vocals would serve him well in the straight rock genre, where mellowness of voice is not required. And he has plenty of experience at rock, as the Petersens do quite a bit of grassed-up Rock.

The band no doubt is breathing a sigh of relief that its prize player doesn't remove to Nashville in order to earn a handsome living as a studio musician. But as Emmett is one of sweet kid dynamite Katie's closest friends, that option is plainly off the table.

Emmett Franz playlist

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