The Mean Walton's

By George Nostrand — Local musician, writer, and rabble-rouser

While the dates and details may be a little hazy, one thing is clear – The Mean Waltons love all things music. The Mean Waltons, Earle Provin and Wayne Surrell, have been playing together for roughly twenty-five years. They play the first Friday of the month at Poultney Pub from 6– 9 p.m.

“There’s a certain vibe about the place. It’s a great atmosphere,” said Provin.

“People who show up for the music appreciate and respond to it,” Surrell stated. “Being that Poultney is a vacation spot, people from out of state show up and don’t expect to hear music of that level and are impressed.”

They both agreed that everyone is friendly.

Getting the two to talk about themselves and their music is a bit of a challenge however, as they share pictures of instruments on their phones and stories about their favorite luthier. Both Surrell and Provin have dabbled in building their own instruments. Provin, however, took his “hobby” to a new level recently when he picked up a client who not only played his guitar at the Paramount Theatre but has now decided to order more. That client is Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame, who’s still out there on the circuit.

But let’s not let them sidetrack us.

Wayne and Earle fittingly first crossed paths at Be Music, a Rutland musical instrument store. While their first time playing a gig together was as part of a bachelor party band, the two started really connecting musically when they both ended up in a full-blown bluegrass band called Lincoln Gap. Like many guitar playing singers, Surrell was also in the habit of booking solo gigs and then inviting others to sit in and play. The fact that Earle could play slide impressed Surrell.

“I have a ‘bible’ of twenty-five years of handwritten lyrics – some pages which are singed from when my car caught fire one time and I had to save the book,” said Surrell.

Knowing the two personally, I can imagine Surrell “throwing” tunes from the book at Earle during a gig to see how Provin fielded them. And I’m sure it was with style.

The two like to play a variety of music, leaning more towards B-sides, or lesser-known songs by well-known artists. Their influences are many, including Ry Cooter, John Hiatt, Neil Young, and David Lindley.

“We tend to play songs that strike us,” said Surrell.

Owner Whitney VanBuren appreciates the quirky nature of the group. “Personally, I look forward to hearing them perform “dead skunk” at the end of each gig,” she said. “The one night they closed out with a different song, it threw us off, and we were all questioning our collective sanity amongst the staff in the dining room.”

She also appreciates how they’ve become an important part of the musical aspect of her business.

“The Mean Waltons have been performing every first Friday at the Pub longer than I have owned the business. They’ve developed quite a following, and every first Friday we know to prepare for a busy service. While a lot can be said for their musical talent and chemistry on stage, they’re also both just genuinely kind and funny individuals that we like having around.”

Again, you can catch The Mean Waltons the first Friday of the month at Poultney Pub from 6 – 9 p.m. Check out other upcoming music events at: https://poultneypub.com/music-events