Steve Martin playing banjo in the woods is the balm we all need while in quarantine
Steve Martin hopped on to Twitter on March 21 to share a video of him playing the banjo.
Many might not know this about Martin, who is most known for his work as an actor and a comedian, but he is also a musician and has played the banjo since he was 17. Despite his roots in comedy, Martin has become increasingly dedicated to music and has spent a lot of time in the recording studio and on tours with fellow bluegrass artists.
He has been nominated for multiple Grammys including Comedy Album, Americana Album, Bluegrass Album, American Roots Song and Musical Theater Album. He even won a Grammy along with Earl Scruggs for 'Best Country Instrumental Performance' in 2002. While he has released several albums and singles since the '70s, his first solo album was the 2009 release titled 'The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo'. This album won him the Grammy for 'Best Bluegrass Album' in 2010.
Now, Martin has decided to bring some peace and joy to us all with his latest banjo tunes. Captioned "Banjo balm", the clip posted to Twitter shows Martin dressed comfortably in a warm jacket and cap, playing his banjo cheerfully while standing in a forest. It really is one of the most calming things on the internet right now, which is probably why it has brought a smile to so many faces amidst some rather bleak and dreary times.
Star Wars actor Mike Hamill retweeted the video and said, "Such a relentlessly cheerful instrument... no wonder no one ever plays the blues on the banjo. #BalmsAway," to which one user replied, "Ahhhhhhhh music to stay home to." The user also added a fun little story about Martin, saying, "I have his autograph from long long ago. It says 'Best Fishes, Steve'." Another user responded saying, "Banjos are cheerful but Steve Martin is joyous."
One user shared some vintage photos of Martin playing the banjo, and another responded stating, "The pic on the left is from the Marin County Bluegrass Festival, Summer 1974. One of my favorite pics of Jerry Garcia. Seeing Jerry and John with such big smiles makes me wonder just how fun it would have been to hang out with Steve Martin in a casual setting..."
Actress Mia Farrow tweeted, "Thank you Steve! Stay safe," while lawyer Exavier Pope said, "I literally cried watching Steve Martin playing the banjo and I can’t quite explain why."
'The Office' actress Jenna Fischer said, "Loved this! Love you Steve!" and 'Brooklyn 99's Dirk Blocker tweeted a simple, "Thank you." Even Henry Winkler who played Fonzie on 'Happy Days' jumped in to say, "Thank you Steve."
One user also tweeted a video of Earl Scruggs And Friends featuring Martin on banjo, playing 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' and said, "Steve, do you remember this? You’re a pretty darn good banjo player. This is Lester, you and the gang."
In addition to his soothing banjo tunes, Martin also shared a Spotify playlist of his favorite bluegrass and folk songs, stating "Through the years, I’ve loved bluegrass and folk music, and I’ve collected some of my favorites here."