Remembering Jared (A summarized history of Shaft)

So it goes. "Hindsight is 20/20". That saying has never rang as true with me as it has these past couple of days. I lost a true life mate and friend in Jared Hobaugh this past week and my heart is forever broken by his passing.

I met Jared when I was 15 years old. His brother, Jason attended a birthday party where my band was performing. It was a party celebrating Andy Gilstrap's 14th birthday at his parent's house. Our band at the time consisted of myself, Andy Gilstrap and Josh Gaunt. A few days later Jason introduced us to his older brother, Jared and we all got together to jam on a Sunday afternoon. Little did I know it would begin the one of the most interesting and fulfilling journeys of my life thus far.

A few months after that party, Jared joined our band, Shaft, permanently. Once he hopped in he took the lead and transformed us from a rag tag group of kids playing Pearl Jam covers to a full blown gigging, local band. We wrote original songs, recorded a rough "album" (how many people still own that tape!?), and started playing gigs around town at local bars. He put it all together. At the time we could barely be considered post-pubescent. You should have seen the looks on the bar owners' and patrons' faces when we walked through the door of whatever show Jared had booked! I had just turned 16 when our band really kicked off. What an experience! You can imagine, while all of my peers were going to parties and high school sporting events, we were in Old Town jamming out until 2AM. Many occasions on school nights. How could we have ever convinced a bar owner to book a bunch of kids in his or her establishment? If you have ever had a conversation with Jared Hobaugh, you know....

Over the following years we played hundreds of shows at bars, frat parties, house parties, festivals, high school events, you name it we would play it. We wrote scores of original songs and covered classic rock and popular crowd favorites. In the late nineties we were one of the most popular bands in Wichita, playing to packed houses almost every show. We did this all before I turned 19 years old.

In 1999 we recorded an EP and then decided to take some time off from the group. After 3 years of playing almost 3 nights a week, we were burnt out. Jason and I moved to Lawrence, Andy to Manhattan and Jared stayed behind and started a sound company. After a year we found ourselves reunited. We picked up right where we left off, recording two full length albums in 2 years. This time we were determined to take ourselves to the next level and Jared was at the wheel driving us forward. We bought a used RV which he and some friends re-furbished, building 4 bunk beds in the back so that those of us not driving (I never drove) could get some sleep (I only slept if Jason wasn't at the wheel). Backed by two solid albums, we played shows all over this great country between 2002-2004: Cincinnati, Terra Haute, Pittsburg, Dallas, OKC, Tulsa, KC, Lawrence, St. Joseph, Fayetteville, Lincoln, Amarillo, Manhattan, Las Vegas, Sturgis, and Los Angeles. Once, we even took off for an open ended tour of the west coast. The idea being that we'd keep afloat by booking shows while we were out. The problem was that on the west coast they book months in advance. Our finances dried up pretty quick and we scooted back home in less than a month.

That is an ultra summarized version of our bands' history. It would take months of blogging to detail all of the great stories and experiences that we had during our time as a band. I might consider chronicling them in the future....

Shaft disbanded in 2004. We were at our peak, the best we had ever been. But, at that point I guess it seemed time for all of us to collectively move on. We worked our asses off for years to try to make something of what we had as a group. Jared worked especially hard during those years. It was something that I never fully granted him credit for. So it goes.

"Hindsight is 20/20". Watching old videos posted on youtube and listening to all of our old recordings brings back so many great memories. Some bitter but most all of them sweet. Ever since we disbanded I've been searching for the musical equivalent of what we had in Shaft. The four of us, Jared, Jason, Andy and myself, shared something utterly unique and beautiful when we played music together. The sum of our parts was truly greater than what we possessed as individuals. I realize that now, tragically, too late.

We all had our own separate lives, sets of friends and acquaintances outside of Shaft. None of us were ever "best friends" save the two brothers. Even that bond was a rocky one at times. We all had our disagreements within the group and in years ahead we would stubbornly hold on to what in retrospect turned out to be trivial, petty grudges. So it goes.

I experienced so much life with and because of Jared Hobaugh. He took the initiative to try to make all of us in to something great. He was willing to sacrifice a lot to do so. At this moment I hold nothing in my heart but love, respect and a deep gratitude for him. He was a completely unique spirit and the world is a lesser place in his absence.

I recently spoke with Jared on the phone after not having any contact with him for a number of years. He talked about his life off of the grid piloting his plane in Alaska and I spoke of my new adventures in fatherhood. He sounded happy. Content. We discussed playing a Shaft gig over Christmas. December 26th to be precise. I had already booked the date at a local bar. We ended the conversation with mutual excitement of our prospective reunion. In the days following our conversation, my thoughts were occupied about our initial meeting, our rehearsals, the show, and even brand new Shaft songs yet to be birthed. In my mind there was still a future for Shaft. I should have made that phone call a long time ago. Too late now. So it goes.....

We all move forward in life focusing on the good times and positive experiences we all had with Jared. He will be sorely missed. So long my brother in music/life.........

Your friend,

Jace Wilbert

Top 10 Coming of Age Albums (Part 2 of 10)

Pt. II

On to the second album in my top 10! Let me just start by saying that this one is huge! There was a time between the ages of 13 and 15 that this band rivaled my love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The group is Nirvana. The album is "Nevermind".

Nirvana: "Nevermind"

Hearing Nirvana for the first time for me was a defining moment in my life. Just like when I heard RHCP's "Under the Bridge", I remember exactly where I was when I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit". I was again a passenger in a vehicle listening to the radio. It was 1992 and I was 12 years old sitting in the back seat of our Dodge Ram van. I can't remember the what station was that we were listening to but I had tuned out whatever was playing. Then I heard the opening guitar riff to SLTS.

It was almost funky in its rhythm, kind of a "Wild Thing" strumming pattern (think the Troggs, not Ton Loc). The guitar was raw and brittle sounding and I was immediately drawn in. Then all of a sudden Dave Grohl's drum fill enters the picture and BOOM! Everything is to 11 and rocking hard! It was so wicked sounding to me at the time. I remember feeling a huge rush of adrenaline, like I had just been rudely awaken from a nap followed by an urge to go out and break something. And then as soon as it boiled over, it simmered down to a quiet, steady pulse. Kurt Cobain's haunting vocals were at the same time dark and melodic. I could have recited the melody after the first listen. The chorus comes in like an explosion and his voice shreds like knives and you get worked up all over again! It goes on like this for just over 5 minutes. It was pure excitement. I had never heard anything like it.

This sort of loud, soft, loud dynamic was something Nirvana would use again and again in future recordings. In my opinion, it always worked well for them and I never really tired of it. It's a dynamic they stole from the Pixies and in years ahead would be stolen from them by countless other bands like Radiohead ("Creep") and Green Day ("Longview").

I purchased "Nevermind" right away and it took no time at all to grow on me. I loved every song on that record. And I mean I absolutely loved every single aspect of every single song on that record! I had just started playing guitar when Nirvana got a hold of me and after I learned two power chords, I could play along to the whole record. In years to come I would have an internal conflict on whether or not to take the Nirvana path and write short, edgy, and loud punk rock songs or to take the RHCP path of embracing black music, classic rock, and guitar solos. I would ultimately choose the latter.

Whenever I bring up the importance of Nirvana in shifting pop culture, I always have to defend them from naysayers. I argue against the sentiment that they were only popular because of the angst ridden figure that Kurt Cobain played and the tragic end that he would meet. To that I say "bullshit"! While that may be true in some cases (Sublime, Blind Melon) Nirvana and Kurt Cobain weren't one of them. They showed me that you don't have to be a virtuoso musician to make powerful music. They carried the underground punk rock ethos of their forebearers in to the mainstream. They infiltrated pop culture like a disease and single handedly erased a whole genre of trivial music (hair metal) while at the same time knocking Michael Jackson out of the #1 position on the Billboard top 100. Not bad for a trio of greasy punks from small town Pacific Northwest! And to me their songs were great. Cobain's music and lyrics were completely original in their strange beauty and darkness. He wrote catchy, pop songs that were both gloomy and bright at the same time. There has yet to be another band or artist to rival the importance of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.

"Nevermind" to me is an all time classic record not just for the 90's and rock music but for any era and genre. I would go on to fall in love with their next album "In Utero". An album that would take time to grow on me but would ultimately get more plays in time by me than its predecessor. I was 14 on the bus ride home from school when the radio DJ announced that Kurt Cobain had commited suicide. The next day at school kids would make jokes about it while I was genuinely heartbroken and sad. More than any other artist that met their end too soon with the exception of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain is the one who's music I've missed the most. I loved Nirvana! Still do......

Jace

Top 10 Coming of Age Albums (Part 1 of 10)

Pt 1

Ok, so in my last blog I talked about the songs that take me back to my teenage, or what I consider my "coming of age" years. I had mentioned that some of those particular songs weren't favorites of mine, they really didn't do much to shape me as a musician or as a person in general. Although they hold a special place in my heart, the songs that I had mentioned were and are, with some exceptions, pure nostalgia.

After writing the blog I got to thinking, "What were the songs, scratch that, albums that shaped me not only as a musician but as a person?" Which albums released during my coming of age period most greatly affected me? Which ones had the biggest impact on the way I approached writing, playing, and listening to music? Which ones influenced all aspects of my life big and small from my attitude towards the world around me to the way I dressed and wore my hair?

This is a top 10. I could probably do top 20. I could definitely do top 30 if I include albums of the past 10 years as well. But, I'll keep it a top 10 between the years of 1991 to 1999. Here we go:

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"

BSSM came out in 1991 when I was 11 years old. At the time of the album's release I was completely unaware of the band. I think I owned 3 CD's at the time: A "DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince" album (don't ask me which one), Michael Jackson's "Dangerous," and an obscure, and bizarre reggae/rap album by an artist named "Papa San". Anyone remember Papa San? Didn't think so. Needless to say, my taste in music was pretty bad in retrospect. It didn't go much past kitsch and novelty. But hey, I was a little kid! What were you listening to when you were 11?

My first encounter with the "Chili Peppers" came a when I was about 12 years old. I was riding in the car with my oldest brother, Jared. I can't remember where we were off to but, I remember our exact location when I first heard "Under the Bridge". From the first six notes of John Frusciante's opening guitar riff, I was immediately captivated. It sounded so raw and real. It was as if he was playing in the back seat of Jared's brown Celebrity Station Wagon. All of the rock music that I had experienced prior to the Chili Peppers to me was slick, overproduced Hollywood BS. Layers upon layers of guitars, big boomy drums and singers singing from their dicks instead of their hearts and souls. I felt no connection to that music whatsoever and was completely uninterested.

"Under the Bridge" felt to me like all of the 60's soul, British Invasion and Garage Rock songs that my Dad listened to and played on guitar. It sounded personal and it moved me. It was apparent that Anthony Kiedis wasn't a great singer right from the beginning. But I listened to every lyric that he sang and I loved the sound of his voice. It was a heartfelt ballad about the pain of life as a drug addict with an undertone of straight up funk and Kiedis projected pure emotion in his vocal delivery. I fell in love with that song after just one listen. I remember asking Jared, "Who is this?" In which he replied, "The Red Hot Chili Peppers". "The what?!" I asked. I thought he was kidding.

A year would pass before I would own the Blood Sugar Sex Magik CD. But once it was in my hands, it was all over for me. I was a rabid fan, listening to all 17 tracks of the CD over and over again on a daily basis. That album alone turned me on to artists like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Clash, and Sly and the Family Stone just to name a few. BSSM pretty much single handedly gave me the inspiration to pick up the guitar and still inspires my music today. It would be impossible to overestimate the influence that the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blood Sugar Sex Magik have had on me over the years.

What is your numero uno? Please share!

Jace

Note: Please forgive my grammatical errors, my editor is out of town!