The Noise December 2002

JABE BEYER’ S DRAMA CITY
By Kier Byrnes

Whether Jabe Beyer is performing a solo acoustic set at Club Passim or he’s backed by his supergroup of musician friends like Jay Aucella on bass, Dave Westner on drums and Sean Staples on mandolin, one thing’s for certain; there’s gonna be some kick-ass good ole’ American rock and roll. Sure, some may call it country, some may call it redneck. But I’ll tell you one thing, with a new cd in the works called “Drama City,” you’ll be bound to hearing more of this very talented songwriter.

Noise: Your past albums have gained all sorts of rave reviews including a Boston Music Award. Was there a lot of pressure when making “Drama City”?

Jabe: Pressure from whom? The record label? The agent? The A&R guy? I don’t have any of those things to worry about. The only pressure I have is from me and I’m way too critical. I’m just trying to write and record them as best as I can. That's it. It’s what I like to do. I never concern myself with what other people might think of it. Not while I’m writing it anyway, "Like is this too mushy?" or "What will capitol records think of this?” That way lies madness. The music business is a mess. I know what I think is good and what isn’t. I’ve been playing in bars for years. You get a different mentality. It’s about music or it’s not worth it. Lord knows it’s not good for your pockets or your health. And when you have no rent money and can’t buy gas for your car, you damn well better like the music you’re playing. If you think in terms of the music business, you’re going to end up crawling back to your hometown crying in the end.

Noise: Do you think "Oh Brother Where art Thou?" winning a Grammy for best new album been a factor to the comeback of the whole roots rock/alt country scene?

Jabe: I have no idea what affects other people. The idea of “the masses” is something I can’t comprehend really. I don’t get it, like when everyone in the country is talking about the same event, or the same movie; one big, media sponsored perspective. That scares me. As far as music goes who wins a Grammy and who doesn’t has absolutely no effect on my life whatsoever. I live so far away from that world it would make about as much difference as who wins a bowling match. I don’t even know what alt country is anymore. As if I ever did right? I used to think that was my ‘genre’. I'm not even writing those types of songs anymore. I wish I had some great philosophy on the state of the alt. country scene, but truth is I just don’t. I tend to like more organic, roots oriented music. But that’s just me and if someone turns on Stereo Lab, or something like that, I’m not going to tell them to turn it off you know?

Noise: Do you base most songs off of real people and events? To what extent is your songwriting biographical?

Jabe: Drama City….definitely the real deal as far as my life. Every single word of that record is true; except the getting killed part. I wasn’t murdered by an axe wielding psycho. The year I wrote those songs was an emotional rollercoaster for me, as well as for a lot of my friends. Everyone’s world just kind of turned upside down all at once. Boston, to me, was drama city. Every night out, there was some couple in an argument or people avoiding other people and just all this really heavy stuff going on everywhere. I got my heart knocked around some and that was just the way it went down. When I listened to the finished record it was just so melodramatic. Sean said so too. I had to poke fun at that.

Noise: What was the inspiration behind the new album, “Drama City”?

Jabe: Inspiration? Not to sound all heavy and creepy, but inspiration is a word that just gets thrown around and thrown away too much. People use it like a napkin. They need it then and only then and when they’re done they just throw it away. Inspiration’s not a surface type of thing to me. To me it’s something that actually stops you in your tracks and makes you turn a different direction. It makes your face go white. It lets you hear or see something or think of something in a way you’ve never done before. So many things don’t affect people. They just walk right through things, you know? Walk through ideas and art like they’re clouds. It’s hard to know who people are.

Noise: How did you manage to hook up with the backing musicians in your band?

Jabe: People have come and gone over the last few years. Drummers, fiddlers, guitar players, but not bass players. Jay Aucella has been playing with me for 8 years now. He's not a "backing musician." I never really think of people that way anyway. They’re in the band when they’re in the band. Right now it’s me and Jay and Dave and Sean. And when we play it’s an "us" mentality, not "me". I play solo a lot too and when I do, it’s Jabe too. Because that's me. It’s a tough line for me to walk sometimes, booking gigs as JABE. Makes me sound like an egomaniac or something. For the guys too I’m sure. Maybe we should be “Jabe and the Flying Chicken Biscuit Monkeys” when we play as a band. Sometimes people wonder if they’re getting Jabe solo, or a band, or a duo or whatever. As long as I’m at the gig, writing the music and singing the tunes it’s going to be JABE. If things change, then they change. If someone has to leave, I find someone else. I try not to dictate what people play, so when friends have left the band, it’s never been a personal thing. Everyone’s got their road, and roads fork. That’s just life. I’m just glad there are even people who enjoy playing the songs enough to do it. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate those guys.

Noise: Sean Staples has got to be one of the top mandolin players around. How is it working with him? Jabe: It sucks. Sean is impossible. He demands his own dressing room. No I’m just kidding. Sean is a great guy. And definitely about as good a mandolin player as it gets. He’s become what he is out of his pure love for music. He lives and breathes it. All kinds. He loves Gillian Welch, he loves KISS. He’s plays them at the same time in his room on two different stereos and waits for people outside to explode.

Noise: Both you and Sean are also in a bluegrass/roots rock band called The Benders, another band that’s getting pretty big around New England. So my question is: Benders vs. Jabe. Who wins in a wrestling match?

Jabe: It depends what team I’m on.

Noise: One of my favorite Jabe songs is "Kelly McGuire." I was at one of your shows and ran in to her. I was surprised that she was a real person. What does a girl have to do to get full props in a Jabe song?

Jabe: Next question.

Noise: Is "Kelly" on the album?

Jabe: The song is, but the woman herself isn’t. She was going to do a cowbell cameo but her work in the Andes didn’t allow for it.

Noise: Who are some of your influences/bands you dig?

Jabe: There are all kinds of people. I moved to New Hampshire, the “classic rock” state, in January. I don’t think that’s what they call it, but that’s what it should be. I spent 7 years in Boston, and was blown away by the musicians there. I still am. I’ll drive 80 miles each way to see Dennis Brennan. In NH, there are great things going on too. Say Zuzu was great band. It was weird. One day I walked into this bar in Somerville that I’d been going to all the time for years. I walked in, looked around and walked out. By the time I hit the door I knew I was leaving Boston. It wasn’t because of any certain thing. It just hit me. A few months later I fell in love with this girl from NH, and that was that. Bye-bye Boston. Funny thing is I’m still in Boston all the time anyways. I just get to leave when I’m done.

Noise: Has getting out of the city and moving to New Hampshire affected you musically?

Jabe: Maybe a little bit. I have less to compare myself too maybe. Which is good because the “self-critical, way-too-filtered” me got a much needed break. I don’t have the constant din of band names and musicians and signs and posters in my face like I did in Boston. I took myself out of context. It’s kind of nice.

Noise: Where are your favorite places to play?

Jabe: Wherever we get paid and the sound is halfway decent. Just kidding. Or am I? We went on tour in March of this year and were pretty much gone till the end of May. That gave me a great deal of perspective on Boston as a musical spot. Boston is an entity, bubble to cut your teeth in you know? It also made me realize that Boston is a crazy soup bucket of talent. I’m sure you could say that about any city but Boston’s got great music dripping out of its ears 7 nights a week. It just needs more people to realize it. Especially booking agents.

Noise: You are no stranger to the club scene. I've seen you at TTs or the Lizard Lounge where it's like a 45 minute set and you're off but I’ve also seen you at places like the Burren where a show can be an all night affair. How do you gear up for those types of shows?

Jabe: One thing I definitely don’t do is ‘gear up’ for anything. I’ll just end up disappointed if I do because it never translates into a better show or better experience. The band never practices unless we’re going into the studio, which is hardly ever. I’ll dump 10 new songs the guys have never heard, we’ll have an hour rehearsal and they’re off. As far as the club scene goes, I’ve never really been into it or accepted by it. I’d rather play for 3 hours, get a free meal and drinks, and have the people that want to see us pay only $3, than play for 35 minutes on a Monday night at 11pm, in a club, for 2 free warm beers, no money and fans have to pay $8. It’s not even an option. I made a conscious decision not to play rooms like that. Sometimes you have to, but if I have a choice, I stay away from that equation. Now that we’re filling places, with a line of people down the road, its time to rethink how I can find a bigger room that still works out for the band, the club and the people who come out to the shows.

Jabe will be playing at The Burren in Davis Square in Sommerville, MA on January 10 and January 31st. Cover for each night is a mere three dollars. For more information about Jabe and samples from his new album, “Drama City,” check out his website at www.jabe.net.