The Westscott Theater
Syracuse, NY
February 20, 2015
The Set List
Intro
Die Digital >
Electronic Stone
Legoland
American Cars
Never Let You Down
Concrete Beatdown >
One to Ten >
Baby, Put it on Me
Ride the Wave
Feel in Light
Devil’s in the Details
Nightshade>
Chainstore
Encore
We Can Work it Out
Release
The Review
Change can be daunting for music fans. Line-up alterations can create the worst sense of panic with hardcore fans feeling betrayed by the change. So when it was announced in January that bassist Dave Rossi was leaving Jimkata, dedicated fans of the band idly sat by watching and wondering what the future held for the band. It’s no secret that the outgoing and personable Rossi was a fan favorite. But surprisingly, there was no outrage, only concern and well wishes. On the surface, it seemed that everything was copasetic, but as a huge fan of the band, I waited with quiet skepticism.
As tour dates were announced, fans began to grow anxious. The same question appeared on fan pages; who would be filling that spot? Clearly, the band was continuing, but who was the new guy? Shortly after tour dates dropped, it was announced that Stephen Learson would be replacing the now departed Rossi on bass duties. On the surface, Learson, a Berklee trained musician and former bassist and keyboardist for The Indobox, seemed perfect for the job. But I, like so many Jimkata fans, silently worried that the brotherhood and chemistry that made this band so special would be lost with a new lineup. Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong. The boys kicked off their spring tour in Syracuse at the Westscott Theater on Friday. If Friday night’s show is any indication of what's to come, fans across the country will be pleasantly surprised by what Jimkata 2.0 has to offer.
Jimkata now feels less like a regional band working for recognition and more like a band on the brink of national success. There's a new casual tightness about these guys that I hadn’t seen before. It's almost as if they've studied their own music and somehow made it better. A more musically playful and confident Jimkata graced the stage. New nuisances including altered snyth placements, vocal harmonies, new lead-ins and varied song endings show that while on their extended winter break, Jimkata has been finding ways to make their music better without messing with a formula that was already working. It’s just enough change to make even their most seasoned fans turn their ears. There's a stoic but not cocky confidence in the way that they approach their music now. These boys seem to be poising themselves for something bigger and I’m not even sure that they are aware of it. In a musical sense, Jimkata is growing. Overall, the entire band feels more polished.
With a new line-up, I was expecting there to be flaws; not at all an unreasonable probability given that there would be a learning curve. But that expectation was pleasantly shattered as the band exposed a harmonious synchronization to their performance. Stephen exudes an erudite confidence that has clearly split over to the rest of the band. Replacing a beloved member of a band has to be daunting, but he walked on stage like he belonged there. There were no apologizes in his company. He wasn’t there to replace someone else. He was there to create music with his band. He’s taken ownership with an intense, sexy funk that settles well with the rest of the group. In bass driven songs like “One to Ten” and “Baby, Put it on Me” he flawlessly drove the sound. His presence carries a serious assertiveness that brings the right amount of rock and drama that the band has been missing. It still feels like the boys of Jimkata are there to create that same celebratory, dance infused, exuberant sound that they’ve come to be known for, but now it seems to be driven with a bigger purpose.
Evan Friedell’s vocals are much more focused with a raw power that feels direct, attuned and sincere. There is a connective energy to the way he handled vocals Saturday night that shows a lack of self-consciousness and more confidence. On the bands newer songs, “Ride the Wave” and “Never Let You Down”, Evan addresses the lyrics with a related resolve that showcases an almost Stanislavski approach to his lyrical delivery. He seems more vulnerable yet assured in sharing his story.
Even the more reserved and quiet, Aaron Gorsch seems to have let down his walls a little bit. His solo work on the evening’s performance of “American Cars” was brilliant. Without even realizing it is happening, he silently sneaks in and melts you. I love the manner in which Aaron handles the guitar in that way. He doesn’t need to step out front, have a spotlight on him and prove that he can handle his instrument. Instead, he grabs your attention by softly knocking you over. You never see it coming, even when you know it’s coming.
Packy Lunn celebrated his birthday Saturday night by driving a rock steady pace to the band’s sound. His foundation work is solid. He continues to provide a concrete force for the band to build its sound upon. His drum work is defined; I simply can’t fault it. He plays with a relaxed yet immensely accurate precision that is ultimately responsible for the band’s tightness. Amazing, selfless drummers aren’t given enough credit for the tremendous asset they are to their bands. Packy doesn’t need showcasing drum solos to prove his skill set. The fact that you can get lost in the rhythm of the band’s music is proof that he’s there to create a final product that isn’t about him. It’s about the cohesive package that involves three other people. It’s about the fans and ultimately, it’s about the sound.
So what is the Jimkata sound? Luckily, that hasn’t changed; it’s simply gotten better. It’s still that celebratory, feel good music that the fans of the band are so passionate about. But now, it’s presented with a little more of a polished purpose. And trust me, that’s a really good thing. Jimkata even stepped into new territory, striding onstage for the encore by performing an acoustic version of The Beatles classic “We Will Work it Out”, a fitting and mindful reminder that despite the band’s recent changes, there’s always something new around the corner. In addition, manager and lighting guru Russ Friedell has added a more intense light show to the bands venue presence which ultimately adds a more chic and brightened feel to the bands on-stage persona.
That brotherhood and camaraderie still exists. Jimkata is still that powerful package of four guys creating music with each other and for their fans. Egos are still in check. Evan and Aaron still flawlessly exchange guitar duties. The drum and bass synchronization that makes Jimkata so solid is just as good, if not better, than its always been. This version of Jimkata will continue to please it's legions of dedicated fans, but will also build upon itself. Expect to see new faces and new fans at every tour stop.
Jimkata will be heading up and down the east coast, as well as venturing to some scattered dates in the west before returning home to Ithaca in April. Russ assured me the guys are also working out a killer summer run to include several festivals, but I wouldn’t wait until then. Check out the new line-up at a small venue this spring to fully understand the Jimkata experience.
The Interview
Before the show, I had a chance to sit down with Evan (with a few interjections from Aaron and Stephen). Check out the interview to learn more about the band’s Pledgemusic campaign, the songwriting process and small horses vs. large ducks.
Kat: You guys toured pretty extensively last year, what have you been up to since you came off the road?
Evan: We came of the road in November for the longest amount of time in three years. For me, I had moved around a few times and finally in November I kind of had a home again. So it was kind of a weird for a second, getting settled. I think everybody just relaxed for a little while and I did a lot of songwriting. And got ready to write another album.
Kat: Let's talk about the new album. You guys are currently in the middle of a Pledge Music campaign, with what would be your second fan funded album. Tell me a little bit about the importance of a fan funded album and your goal for this record.
Evan: For me, I think the cool thing about a fan supported album is that sometimes it feels like we live in a day and age where you can't go anywhere without seeing a corporate logo on something. And it's nice to be able to create something that's created by a group of individuals. And it’s also nice to know that as we're recording it, I know it sounds a little cheesy, but that we're not really alone in the process. It's exciting to know that people are supporting the process.
Kat: There's been a bit of controversy lately with fan funded albums with some critics of the process saying that the end game shouldn't be about asking your fans to help you make a record and that instead the motive should be to tour to build a fan base to eventually get picked up by a label or management company to help produce and fund the album. For you as a musician, what’s the difference between the two processes?
Evan: Well, I don't know. Things have changed so much and I don't know if everyone's aware that the environment for independent artist is rougher than it’s ever been. And that's why you see so many fan funded campaigns. Labels aren't reaching out as much as perhaps they once were like twenty years ago in developing artist.
Kat: Do you think labels are looking more now to distribute product rather than developing artists like they used to?
Evan: They're looking to grab things that already have a following, so that could happen to any band once they have a following. It's really a paradigm we know nothing about, because we've always created everything independently. I have no idea what record labels really even do for an artist.
Stephen: At least you know if you make it with a crowd funded album, you have complete control. If someone else is paying for the record, you have someone else throwing in their two cents about what it should sound like. You're gaining creative control.
Evan: It's creative control, but it's also financial control. You become a strong small business rather than being in debt to a label.
Kat: On the new album, will there be any of the songs from the Feel in Light EP, or will the album be comprised of entirely new material?
Evan: I think it might be entirely new. We just tracked ten new songs. We had another four that we started. When we did Feel in Light, we tracked eight, but we only kept four. So I don't know. We're really enjoying the ten tracks we've been working on.
Kat: So I want to talk a little bit about the songwriting process for you guys. How does it work?
Evan: Usually, it starts individually. So maybe someone will write something and compose it. Whenever I have an idea, I just try to flush it out. But we always try to bring it into the band room and work it out together because that always yields the best results. It’s everyone complimenting each other.
Kat: Are all the lyrics yours?
Evan: Yeah
Kat: So take me through the lyrical process? Do you journal? Do you write in the moment? What's that process like?
Evan: I keep a journal. I write stuff down but usually it really depends. Sometimes I start a song and the lyrics I write with it. Other times, I'll start a song and I don't know what the lyrics are yet and I kind of have to feel it out. A lot of times, like Aaron will write something musically, and that's always a fun challenge for me. Sometimes, he'll send me something and it will jump right out at me. "Swimming in the Ocean", for example, started out as a demo from Aaron and then one day I was listening to it and it just all hit me at once and I wrote it out. And it's nice when it’s that easy. Lyric writing is tough; melody is most important to me and figuring out what sounds - what vowel sounds - are going where. It's just this weird process. It just kind of comes. It's a tough craft. I'm starting to get better at it. I just hope people understand what I'm saying because I often don't even understand what I'm saying.
Kat: Most of your lyrics are very bright and very heart-felt. There never seems to be anything lyrically that comes from a dark place. Is that on purpose or are you just that positive?
Evan: I think honestly it just comes out that way because these things are like mantras for myself. I often write from that moment of maybe you've been through a hard time, and then you get some time to yourself and then you get some clarity about something. So maybe that's why it sounds positive, but sometimes it’s born out of hard ship.
Kat: So I think a lot of people that have never created music with other people aren't aware of the intense relationships that are created amongst working musicians. So when a band loses a member, I often liken it to a divorce. It can be a very emotional and taxing experience for everyone involved. It's no secret that Dave Rossi was were very liked by fans, so when it was announced that he was leaving the band, even I held my breath expecting a bit of a backlash from the fan base. And quite honestly, fans were like "that sucks, we wish Rossi the best, but the show must go on." Were you all as surprised by that reaction as I was?
Evan: We were preparing ourselves for the worst because we are aware of that fan connection. He's been with us for a number of years and a number of different phases. Touring in a band, there's so many things that people don't understand. It's a very unglamorous lifestyle. When you're starting out, you just get punch after punch to the gut of pouring you heart out at shows and there being no body there, and sleeping where you can or sleeping in green rooms. But one of the things that come out of that is the people you meet in each little town and you start to form relationships with different group’s of friends. Rossi was there for all of that. And we were aware that it would be really hard.
Kat: What elements do you find that Stephen brings to the band?
Evan: So far, we've had a lot of great rehearsals. He brings a new level of musicianship to the band that the rest of us don't have. The rest of us are kind of like self-taught hacks. And Steve is well versed. He teaches piano for a living and he has a good Berklee background and has a good solid foundation and knowledge of music that really that helps us in filling out our sound a little further. On top of that, he really has this go get 'em positive attitude which has been good so far.
Kat: So I guess, I'll point that question to you Stephen. What drew you to playing with these guys? What is it about the sound they have that you like and what do you think you'll contribute to it?
Stephen: Well, I've known Jimkata for eight years, since they were in college. I've always loved their music from when they were starting to play. I think that they have really strong songs. That's one of the things I like the best about them is really strong songwriting and I think Evan's a great singer. And he has the potential to be even greater, especially since they started playing. I've just watched them grow, especially [Evan] has become a great lead singer, which gives me a lot of faith. Strong songwriting and good singing can push a band through the hardest times.
Evan: We go way back. We played together years ago with The Indobox and Jimkata in the raucous days of our youth.
Stephen: We played a lot of shows together.
Kat: So I often find that the Jimkata sound feels like it should be more female friendly, but I'm always surprised by how many guys are at your shows singing along to every word of your music?What do you think is the contributing factor in this regard?
Aaron: I think we're not a sexist band. What I love about our audience is that it’s a broad spectrum of people.
Evan: I really like that too. More and more I think we're noticing a broader spectrum. For example, sometimes you get a lot of older guys that were in their prime during the 80's and 90's and they like Genesis and Rush and Yes. And they hear that in our music. I like to think we have little rock and roll edge. We try to keep the live show high energy.
Kat: So I'm going to wrap it up with a few fan questions that were posed by your fans on your fan support Facebook page Jimkata Nation. Ann wants to know, what do you guys do for work when you're not touring?
Evan: Me personally, I've been working other jobs less and less, which is good. Going that way was a challenge for me in November when we had nothing to do, because it was challenge for me to justify really devoting my time to creating this next album. But I've done carpentry; I worked for a good friend of mine that's a carpenter/ wood working artist. I’ve done landscaping in the summer. Stuff for me that I actually enjoy because it gives me a task that can be finished in a day or a week which is different from music, which is creatively never really finished. I know that Packy has done some painting. Everyone finds little jobs here and there, but it's tough. A shout out to independent musicians, it's not easy. Cause whose going to hire you because you find yourself in this weird position when you're like "I can work Monday, and Tuesday. You guys open on Sunday? Cause I can do Sunday if I'm home in time. Oh! And I'm going to be gone for like a month and a half." No one’s going to hire you. So you really have to rely on friends. And we're all really fortunate enough to have that.
Kat: Mara wants to know, where do you see yourselves in five years?
Evan: For me, going back to work, I would love to just be in a position where this was my main career. So that means playing bigger venues, that means a broader appeal and more people getting into it. I see all those things coming around the corner. We're putting a lot of hard work into that and doubling down our investment into this band. So for me a lot of this is centered around feeling like this is really my job. And it already feels that way.
Kat: Jill noted that "While not touring, Evan and Russ (Jimkata's manager) have been playing Reggae Wednesday at The Dock. Any chance that some of that reggae influence will find its way into a song or two on the new album?”
Evan: Who knows, possibly? It’s been a good thing for me to play those gigs because I learn a lot about reggae history. There's all these people in Ithaca that are like reggae professors and it’s been helpful in writing this album and songwriting in general because a lot of old reggae is very similar to old soul music, very classic songwriting stuff. So as I'm learning a cover tune, it's like "Wow, that’s cool that they changed to this chord on the bridge, and this bridge is really hip."
Stephen: Reggae has amazing melodies.
Evan: Yeah, really amazing melodies and obviously amazing beats. Honestly, we've always been influenced by reggae especially the bass lines. It kind of gave me the idea that a bass line could be a melody - that it could drive a band. So it’s always been there.
Kat: So one final question. This one is from Nu Nan. Would you rather fight one horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?
Aaron: A 100 duck sized horses. I'd rather see that than one giant duck.
Evan: Yeah! For some reason, one giant duck kind of scares me. Because I feel like deep down, ducks are not nice. Those beaks!
Aaron: Yeah, like when you get too close to them with bread.
Evan: Imagine that beak, but only bigger. It could take your head off. I'm going to go with Aaron on this one.
The Links
To learn more about Jimkata’s fan funded efforts, go to the Jimkata Pledge Music Campaign.
Go to the Jimkata Facebook Page for more details about their spring tour and updated news.
Join the Nation of Jimkata Fans and keep the conversation going on the fan supported Facebook Page.
