In early 2005, native Angeleno Mark Christian, a show-stopping rock guitarist with an abiding love of California country-rock, was hunting down gigs for his high-octane instrumental trio Merle Jagger. He had recently discovered footage from the 1950s TV show "Ranch Party," which had recorded historic performances by artists like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Lefty Frizzell while introducing audiences to LA up-and-comers. More significantly for Christian, it had been hosted by instrumental guitar wizard Joe Maphis.
So when Hollywood's Lava Lounge offered Merle Jagger a third-Tuesday monthly residency, Christian launched a new Ranch Party in tribute to the original.
"Nothing really happened [at the Lava Lounge] for six or seven months," he explains. "Then Welldiggers Banquet showed up and packed the place.
[They became monthly regulars], eventually their audience became our audience, and the night did really well until the Lava Lounge closed."
For two years the Ranch Party's friendly vibe proved a welcome surprise for the club's walk-in crowd of newspaper writers, actors and other entertainment industry workers. During that time Merle Jagger, which also includes bassist Patrick Flores and drummer Brandon Goldstein, signed with indie label LPJ Records and started touring, causing the band to almost grow out of the Ranch Party. "But before we had a chance to admit it, the Lava Lounge closed its doors," Christian says. "It was fun. Because we always had a crowd, the 9:30 opening band wasn't required to bring a crowd to the place."
Recently Spaceland invited him to revive the Ranch Party. Christian agreed — on the condition that it include KXLU/KCSN DJ Cowboy Nick, and that the Ranch Party be kept country.
Yet many bands that have played the Ranch Party — including Merle Jagger and especially Welldiggers Banquet — rock even more than they twang. Christian, who earns his living as a session guitarist playing R&B, rock and Latin music, acknowledges that irony.
"Merle Jagger isn't 100 percent country either — intentionally," he says. "I wanted a California country-rock style band. The Ranch Party is a tribute to the original California country sound. A lot of bands [we've hosted] cross that line, especially I See Hawks in LA, the Welldiggers and Psychedelic Cowboys; they have a true California country sound, which [is] a mix of rock and what I'd call 'hippiebilly.' … A lot of these bands are trying to bring back California country.
"I'm definitely not doing it for the money," he says. "I'm doing it for the love of watching people come down and enjoy themselves, Ranch Party-style." 