Quick Bible Quiz: name a time or place when Jesus judged or condemned a woman for ANYTHING.  

I grew up reading the Bible and not a single incident comes to mind.

So, would Jesus stand outside an abortion clinic and harass or threaten or do violence to women? HELLLLLLLLNO. To those who claim they are "pro-life" for religious reasons ("Christian"), I encourage you to learn about--and follow--your own religion.  You know, the religion you claim is true and you seem to think everyone else should follow.

Jesus taught peace, love and empathy. But like the ruling classes of Europe before them, American Republicans and the so-called Christian Right have rebranded Jesus, bastardized him for their own gain. Someone's profiting from this rebranding effort, and it's not the poor, the sick or the homeless.

The Jesus evangelical Christians follow is a total asshole, pretty much the opposite of Jesus from the Bible. Jesus has been drastically rebranded from hero to villain. From olive-skinned peace-loving teacher to white, violently religious douchebag. 

In the scriptures, Jesus is an incredibly compassionate person, NOT one who denies basic human rights such as food, clothing and shelter to those who need it most.  NOT a god who withholds medicine to the sick, one who prefers to let people die to boost profits. (He did say "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's"--yes, the Jesus of the Bible told his followers to pay their taxes).  NOT one who loudly condemns women in public for so-called wrongdoing. NOT one who is in favor of humiliating or killing women for "justice".

Jesus was mostly pure love.  But you know what made him really pissed him off?  It wasn't women.  It was judgmental men--hypocrites. And men who made a profit off religion. Men who used religion for their own gains.

Sound familiar?

-JJ

P.S. Want to get your very own re-branded Jesus doll in time for Christmas?  Capitalism is the reason for the Season!
 

Hi Everybody-
 
Just wanted to let you know that I'll be in town playing a few shows in the Twin Cities this weekend.  I miss Minnesota badly; I haven't been home in nearly 3 years.  
 
A couple of months ago, I moved to Seattle from Texas, but it hasn't been all sunshine and candy canes and unicorns. But then again, Seattle isn't really known for any of those things.
 
On the second day of my journey from Austin to Seattle, my dog "Z" keeled over suddenly.  After living several years with an extremely bad heart condition, he fell over, seized and then died in moments.  I couldn’t revive him; instead I held him and cried until he went cold. His ashes lay in a box by my bed, along with the ashes of my first dog Hunter, who died only 9 months ago.  For 10 and 13 years respectively, they were my faithful companions. They still sleep by me at night.  Sometimes they visit me in my dreams. 
 
Both deaths have hit me very hard.  The loss of the second one was more painful because there's a huge void in my home.  They were my family—better and much closer to me than my flesh and blood.  The loss of their presence and love have brought a deeper, new kind of pain.  I know this is natural and realize that the grief will follow me through this lifetime (this excellent article on pet loss explains why).  

I still cry every day.  I miss their unique, beautiful souls; I’m not convinced we will ever see each other again.  So I wear mementos—lockets containing their ashes.  I write songs about them.  I draw them in crude form, inspired by Dias de los Muertos. I’m practicing my drawing, practicing my grief.  I'm memorializing their place in my life...and my place in theirs.
 
When the dogs and I nearly died in a house fire several years ago, I started really exploring what death means to me.  For much of my life, I avoided the scary aspects of Death by being "born again". The fear of dying and then going to hell was a driving force in my life, well into my 20’s.  That same fear of impending death and judgment drives many of us in this American culture.  We’re so afraid that we don’t question our core beliefs—the beliefs that govern our lives.   Fear encourages obedience...and i'm not big on obedience.
 
Death has often been portrayed as mostly masculine throughout the ages. As the Grim Reaper, Death becomes a terrifying figure, an imposing spectre designed to frighten the masses.  But what if Death was not that way at all?  What if Death was a beautiful, mysterious woman? What if all aspects of death were tied to the feminine divine?  How might we live our lives differently?
 
My new project is very personal—it’s an exploration of this concept, but it also represents growth in my writing and musical sensibilities.  I started this alternative "career" path fairly late in life, but I’m trying to make up for lost time. This latest project—Bye Bye Banshee—is all about death. And also remembrance.  For those interested in the beginning stages of music, rough demos of this new project are available, below.
 
I’ll be debuting some of these new tunes this weekend when I open up for the freakin’ amazing Rasputina Saturday night Aug 22 at the Turf Club in St. Paul.  I'll be backed by some of the members of my former band (Jezebel Jones & Her Wicked Ways) and it’ll be great see so many friends—especially those in the local music scene—who have been incredibly cool and supportive these past several years.
 
I’ll also be doing a solo old-school country set at my favorite record store of all time, Hymie’s Vintage Records (Laura and Dave are the BEST) and also playing a solo show at the Nomad on Sunday night Aug 23 with my talented friends Blood Brother (Philip Westfall’s one-man band) and the ever-evolving Swallows.

View details for all Twin Cities shows.
 
Some of this music has never been played in public yet—and I can’t wait to share it with you folks in my hometown first. Please say hello—I'll be hanging around before and after the shows.  Hope to see you all soon!!!
 
XoXo,
 
Jezebel
 

A True Story of Weed & Backwards Masking by Jezebel Jones

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Note: This is a repost of a piece I did to celebrate 4/20 a couple of years ago. I took it down temporarily because I was concerned about "random" testing at my day job in Texas.  Have I mentioned I'm happy to be living in Washington state with lots of other "devil worshippers"? ;)

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I like to think I smoke marijuana because Freddy Mercury told me to.

Back when I was a child, I’d spend weeks of my summer at some Pentecostal camp or another, usually with my family. When I was about 12 or 13, I was finally old enough to go to Teen Camp on my own, which meant less crafts, less supervision, more sophisticated pranks (quick-set cherry jello in the toilets) and longer church services with age-appropriate topics like the evils of drinking, pre-marital sex and masturbation. Hello, Jesus Camp!

That week was a several hour presentation by not-quite-famous Peters Brothers, a pair of slick sibling “saints” who traveled around the country peddling a titillating, anti-rock music multimedia presentation called ‘The Truth About Rock’. Three glorious hours of demonic imagery & ungodly music mashed up with bouts of fiery preaching, followed by an offering and an altar call to repent of your music sins. It was profitable (tax-free!). Sexy and gory and riveting, OH MY!

Now, one of the topics covered in this anti-rock music extravaganza (you can watch an older 80’s version on YouTube and laugh your ass off) was backmasking or backwards masking, which is a technique used to hide subliminal sounds/phrases in music. These messages are only understandable if you were to play that bit backwards, and the Peters Brothers provided convincing evidence of evail, Satanic messages within popular rock songs.

One of the audio clips they played was “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen, which happened to be a favorite song as a child. By favorite song that I mean we roller skated to it in grade school. They and many other preachers were saying Queen communed with the Devil because the song has the message, “It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana” or “Decide to Smoke Marijuana” backmasked into the song. Hail Satan!

Fast forward many years later I’m living with my folks in Florida and waiting tables. If that doesn’t drive you to all kinds of drugs, I don’t know what will. Weed was readily available. I had given it the old “college try” in college but didn’t get high that first time.

This time I was a bit older—maybe even wiser—and wanted to know what I was getting into. So I start doing research on marijuana on the internet—the effects, the different types, the history of use, the laws. And that’s how I found out about medical marijuana and how it’s helping so many people cope with various conditions (especially pain) with minimal if any side effects.

It was an eye-opening experience—marijuana was not the evil drug that we’d been warned about. In fact, it was much safer than many common over-the-counter & prescription drugs…and it seemed like it might be fun. So I decided to give it another try. The first time I got high was really amazing. With my mind relaxed, I chatted happily with my co-workers, forgetting my troubles for a few hours, with absolutely no hangover in the morning. And no regrets.

Several years later when I started writing and playing, marijuana was the ultimate Muse, the valve that opened the flow of creativity for me. Yes, I have stupid stoner moments, and plenty of them. But I’ve also solved complex problems, eased physical pain, had deep spiritual insights and awakenings, and stopped taking anti-depressants with dangerous side effects. And experienced much growth, creativity and satisfaction in my musical development. Personally, I’m thankful for this good plant.

While we were recording my first record “Queen of the Devil’s Rodeo” I was telling my co-producer—David J Russ—about the Peters Brothers, when suddenly I remembered that reference to the Queen Song. We had a good laugh about it. Then I had an idea…

For laughs, I recorded me saying “decide to smoke marijuana” and we reversed it, adding it to one of my songs; a homage to Queen, a bit of a “fuck you” to the crazy Peters Brothers and a pro-pot statement all wrapped up in a private joke, buried in a song. You can listen to The Prisoner here; the marijuana bit happens around 1:42, and we threw in an extra backmasked bit at the end (reversed a piece of the whole song) to give it an authentic “Satanic” sound.

Happy 4/20 & Happy Record Store Day 2013!!! Please support legal weed AND your local record stores.

-Jezebel

P.S. As I’m writing this post, I’m playing Queen’s Greatest Hits on vinyl. And smiling. Hail Satan!

P.S.S. And if you missed this awesome Backwards Masking DJ mix of 'Another One Bites the Dust', check it out.
 

 
An acquaintance just posted a note about his recent conversation with guitarist/former Television band member Richard Lloyd on Facebook and it so disturbed me that I had to turn to the pen, so to speak. Below is the post in its entirety (minus the discussion thread that ensued).

“I was driving Richard Lloyd and he shared his thoughts on suicide. Suicides, he said, should be forgotten, their names expunged, because they are foremost murderers, and murder should not bring glory to its perpetrators.

At first, it didn't sit right with me, but after watching friends whose loved ones have killed themselves, both suddenly and slowly, by premeditated murder and by manslaughter, I have to acknowledge the fundamental violence of the act and deem it unforgivable as murder. To honor a victim of suicide is to place his murderer above the survivors.

If a man loses his fight with depression, he should hope to be scoffed at and forgotten and erased. No resting in peace for you, suicides. Decay in dishonor.”

Wow.  This is one of the cruelest things I had read in long time.

First of all, suicide is not about YOU, friend. It’s not about YOU, Richard Lloyd. It’s about another person wanting to end their pain. Sometimes it’s about depression and despair that so colors your world, you can’t see clearly, whether it’s in a moment of desperation (often aided by legal/illegal drug or alcohol), a product of chemical imbalance, combined with the means to commit the act. Sometimes it's about mental illness. Sometimes it is a rational decision, a considered response to physical pain or the dying process.

Yes, I’ve heard all the arguments and the finger-pointing. God, we just love to pass judgment and blame someone else for their faults and decisions. “Suicide is a selfish act”. How very cliché. Well, most of our lives are lived selfishly. In America selfishness is our enthusiastic pasttime, our true national religion. Isn’t it selfish of us to condemn those who are suffering or blinded by pain, saying they should choose to live so that we won’t suffer when they die?

Some of those same people who express anger after a suicide, could have—and maybe should have—intervened earlier. Some of these folks feel a sense of outrage and betrayal after a suicide because it makes them feel guilty and regetful about their own actions or inaction. Religion often heaps on more judgement and cruelty, condemning a person to hell for this act, dictating that they cannot be buried with their congregation.

BUT many times there simply wasn’t a way to prevent the act. Anyone who has dealt with depression, especially serious depression over a lifetime, may turn to suicide regardless of strong family and friend ties. That person may be loved, but still find themselves wanting to end their own life. It’s natural to ask “what more could I have done?” after the fact. But many times there truly wasn’t anything you could do to prevent it; ultimately they chose to end their pain in the only way they knew how.

I personally had an experience when I was going off anti-depression medication many years ago. Even though I tapered off it gradually as the doctor recommended, it triggered suicidal thoughts to the degree that if I had had the ready means on that evening, I may have decided to end it all. Luckily that terrible evening passed, but thoughts of death and dying are not uncommon for me. They are not uncommon for many of us, particularly artists and musicians.  But fortunately, since I rediscovered music a few years back, neither are thoughts of life, love and joy.

I’m advocating for compassion on all sides of the issue. Compassion for the person who commits suicide, compassion for the friends and family and most of all compassion for one’s self. You can never walk in another person’s shoes, not really. We can only try to understand and extend as much love as our hearts will allow.

Several years ago, a family friend ended his own life. J. was a sweet person—beautiful inside and out. I remember being quite shocked when I heard the news. He seemed so even-keeled, so zen. He was a student of Buddhism; I believe he was studying to become a priest at the time of his death. But a moment of drug-enhanced despair and the means to do it (a gun he kept in a safe for protection) led to a tragic end.

I’ve written a new song about this very subject, inspired by my brother’s good friend. Here is semi-produced demo of the song (flaws and all), which I decided to share with you today of this post. We’ve only performed it live a few times and it will be on my next album. It’s called San Diego; I dedicate it to J. and all folks who have been affected by this issue.

For those who are tormented by guilt and regret over the suicide of a loved one, please try to extend compassion to your loved one and most importantly, yourself. To those who are tormented by thoughts of suicide, please try (and keep trying and trying) to reach out to others. If you don’t have that support network, there are compassionate strangers who want to help you. Call a support line, say something on Facebook, talk to a teacher, doctor, or counselor. People do understand, care and want to help.

There are no easy answers to a subject this complex and fraught with emotion. Can we open our hearts to forgive and understand? Can we demonstrate compassion and reach out to those who are hurting? 

In love & compassion,

Jezebel

(originally posted Nov. 2012, revised Sept 2013)

 

Today I saw my favorite pro-choice sign so far: it was created by a 14-year old Austin, Texas gal named Tuesday Cain:

The sign read: “Jesus isn’t a Dick, So Keep Him Out of My Vagina”.

It's caused a bit of hub-bub and naturally it went viral. Some cowardly members of the religious right have attacked this young girl, calling her a slut and worse. You can read the whole story here.

Cain’s sign made me laugh this morning—you know how I love irreverent humor—but has a very serious side to it, one that inspired me to share this post. It’s true. Jesus ISN’T a dick. But for awhile I thought he was.

I was baptized Catholic and raised Pentecostal. I spent a considerable amount of time in church or engaged in religious activities: studying the Bible, memorizing scripture, singing about Jesus, practicing the “gifts of the spirit”—prophesying and speaking in tongues. I felt a deep connection with the story of Christ, how much he loved others and his ultimate sacrifice. It’s a story that’s very easy to connect to. In our heart of hearts, we are all looking for unconditional love.

Starting at age 17, I went through three periods of rebellion; a trio of rumspringa, so to speak. At the end of these backsliding stints, I realized many of the “facts” I had learned as a child didn’t add up. I started seeing the Pentecostal church as a glorified pyramid scheme, filled with tons of rules and judgment; taught through musical theatre, enforced through fear. Financed by people like me.

When I went to college, I met people from all cultures, backgrounds and religions and started seeing life as expansive, not restrictive. As full color, not black and white. I broadened my ideas about life and about God. As my newborn eyes began to open, I suddenly resented being told how to interpret the Bible, who to date, how much money to give, who I should vote for. Not being able to make my own moral decisions. Eventually I became resentful about my intensive religious upbringing (i.e. brainwashing) and I abandoned my faith in Jesus and my religion.

But the pendulum has started its reverse swing. Although I often identify with atheists and firmly believe in the separation of church and state, I’ve become comfortable saying I DON’T KNOW whether or not god exists. Historically, we’re quite ignorant, so how could we say one way or the other? And the concept of god is ever-changing.

I also feel comfortable saying I DON’T KNOW if Jesus was a real person or not; there is historical evidence, but then again we know how corrupt the Catholic church was, and continues to be. To me, it no longer matters if he was the exact person of the scriptures; any way you slice it, the teachings of Christ are mind-numbingly beautiful. My attitude towards Jesus has softened. He wasn’t a dick. It’s not his fault many of his followers are dicks.

It’s ironic that the extreme right uses Jesus as their icon, their official spokesman, because if he were alive today, he wouldn’t have anything to do with them. The only people he seemed to hate were religious hypocrites. When he said crazy stuff like it’s impossible for rich people to get into heaven and threw businessmen out on their asses for making money off religion, Jesus really pissed off the religious conservatives. Jesus was the antithesis of religion and its laws. He claimed a higher law, one of radical love.

Many people intuitively understood the gospel of love and flocked to him; by making Jesus a messiah, they made him a threat. So religious and political forces conspired to murder him in the name of God and State. They crucified the Outlaw of Love. Nicely played, religious folk. Nicely played.

And that’s the angle of the story that gets missed: if you piss off well-to-do religious folks who have strong political connections (inevitably they do), you can end up in a world of pain. Or dead. It doesn’t matter their race, creed or religion. It’s about control. Jesus was in the way, at least he was when he was alive.

Jesus wasn’t a dick. He gave WITHOUT trying to control, which is the very definition of love. He didn’t go around preaching fire and brimstone, picketing soliders’ funerals, telling gay people they were going to hell or condemning women for having sex or an abortion. Abortion has been practiced since the very beginning; he never even mentioned it, just like he didn’t mention homosexuality. No, he wasn’t a dick. He emanated love at all times. People were changed in the presence of that love. He fed the hungry. Clothed the poor. Extended mercy to lawbreakers. Healed the sick. Willingly gave his life for others.

His life was a supreme example of love and peace; exactly the opposite of today’s so-called Church. And they wonder why “the world” makes fun of Jesus…it’s because his so-called followers have made a mockery of him, by loudly hating in Jesus’ name.

Seriously, we could all use a REAL Come-to-Jesus Meeting. And that meeting should dissolve religion in favor of love. If the collusion between religious powers-that-be and political powers-that-be killed Jesus—one of the most loving people ever written about—aren’t they likely to destroy us all?

Let’s at least separate these two troublemakers.

Let's practice love, not religion.

XOXO, Jezebel
 

I’m sure y’all have heard what’s going on here in Austin, Texas.

Republicans all over the country have aggressively trying to insert their right-wing “values” into our collective lady-business, but few states have taken things as far as Texas. The bill HB2—introduced recently during a special session of Texas Legislature—would severely limit safe, legal abortion in Texas. It limits choice via access and it is complete horseshit, since abortion has been a fundamental federal right protected under the Constitution for over 40 FUCKING YEARS.

This situation really caught the national eye last month, when one amazing politician, Senator Wendy Davis, filibustered a previous version of the bill for nearly 13 hours straight without food, water or the ability to sit down. And who says the government doesn’t condone torture?

Yes, the eyes of the country are very much on Austin, TX. Yet the Texas State Legislature—overwhelming controlled by Republicans—doesn’t seem to mind appearing like total douchebags and buffoons in front of the media. Not only are their blatant attempts to quell the people's opposition deplorable, but the shenanigans have backfired, igniting a fiery feminist movement both here in Texas and all over the U.S. Oops.

Oh, they look like douchbags by trying to illegally pass an earlier version of the bill, arresting elderly ladies and cutting off testimony they don’t like, but it’s their sheer buffoonery that may prove to be their demise. Conservative Republicans are making themselves look like a secret society of village idiots. Unfortunately, they’re not very good at keeping secrets.

In a scenario that could be the funniest article you never read in The Onion, today’s state capitol fiasco was a doozy.

In preparation for today’s proceedings, the Texas Department of Safety staffed extra officers to help search handbags for the most deadly of weapons: the common tampon. OK, in all fairness maxipads were not exempt from search and seizure. Nor were—in a masterful stroke of irony— condoms. That’s right, folks. Today your tax dollars were hard at work protecting politicians from possible trajectory cotton and accidental cloaking.

Naturally and immediately, this created the world’s funniest shitstorm on Twitter. Activists aptly dubbed the ridiculousness #TamponGate and it has yielded some of the most hilarious material I’ve ever seen on the social network. Professional comedians beware: the amateurs were faster—and maybe funnier—than you on this one.


Top 10 TamponGate Tweets:

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-Jezebel

A very healthy dialog took place in San Francisco last weekend. A Concert-Conversation of press-worthy proportions.

When rebel folk singer Michelle Shocked started slinging some anti-gay rhetoric during her second set, the audience responded, first by talking back, then leaving. Finally the club owner (who is gay) apologized to the dwindling crowd and shut down the show.

I’ll admit, I don’t know Michelle’s music that well. On a whim, I picked up Short, Sharp, Shocked (1988) on vinyl last year. I’d heard of Shocked and loved the cover and for $4 I took a chance. The album showcases her beautiful stories and voice. The album is classic; equal parts folk, blues and country, it stands the test of time. It also has a strong conscience. A great example is the song ’Graffiti Limbo’ (watch the video), which talks about the unjust death of graffiti artist Michael Stewart, who was killed by NYC police in 1983.

After I bought the record, I found out the cover was not staged; it was run on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner during the Democratic National Convention. Shocked and others were protesting the practice of U.S. corporations giving money to both major parties (i.e. hedging their bets) during political elections.

I admire female musicians like Shocked who are feisty, willing to stir up some trouble and even break the law when it is warranted. Recently she was arrested again as part of the Occupy movement. Both on and off stage, Shocked has been known as an artist who cares passionately about social justice issues.

However, Shocked’s anti-gay ranting over the weekend was nothing more than the canned cream-corn rhetoric of the evangelical Christian movement. No more, no less, word for word. Has her passion for social justice been hijacked by the religious right? Has she been brainwashed by the blood of the lamb?

As a former Evangelical, Pentecostal Christian I know the game plan. I was raised to execute the game plan. You may already know, but in case you don’t, let me tell you what it is, in a flying nutshell from 50 feet:

The world must conform to our idea of God. If it does not, it is evil and must be destroyed.

I’m dead serious about this. In my roughly 20 years in the Pentecostal church, this is my testimony, and it’s based on observation and first hand experience.

Evangelical Christianity is an abusive boyfriend. When he’s sober he'll just hit you up for some money, but when he’s drunk he’ll just hit you. Oh, but he’s so good at sweet-talking. He’ll make you think it’s all your fault and shame you into submission. Don’t question him, it makes him angry. Obey, obey, obey. Soon his thoughts and your thoughts and his words start coming out your mouth. Submission is vital to this sect of Christianity, and they preach about it all the time. A person who dares rebel against the church authority or question the leadership is called a 'Jezebel'.

The Cult of Christianity can embrace you lovingly, but it has an equally abusive, hateful side. If you’re familiar with my music, you’ll probably recognize these themes in many of the songs from ‘Queen of the Devil’s Rodeo’ (download it free).

Given your pain, you needed someone to blame
Born into nothing more lethal than shame
So you supplied all the cobwebs and lies
To be re-born is to be—certainly—hypnotized

                      –Intro to ‘The Prisoner’ by Jezebel Jones

Until Michelle Shocked converted to the born-again ideology in the late 90’s, she had always maintained that her sexual orientation could not be defined as either gay or straight. But she did clearly identify with the label “lesbian”. In 1990 she told a Chicago newspaper, "I resent like hell that I was maybe 18 years old before I even heard the 'L' word. I mean, that's understood, growing up sheltered in a Mormon environment. But it would have made all the difference for me had I grown up knowing that the reason I didn't fit in, was because they hadn't told me there were more categories to fit into”.

Her audience—which includes lots of gay folks—was understandably upset at her hateful speech and slurs towards homosexuals last weekend. Artists should be held accountable for their statements on stage and it’s ok—and even necessary—to have fans do just that. Especially if they feel you’re not being truthful with them. And I don’t believe she is being truthful. She’s denying who she has been all along; a bi-sexual woman with anarchist tendencies. Unfortunately, her religion does not support who she is. Better to keep on the good side of the Cult of Christianity.

I’ve read variations on the same response to the backlash in the media…“liberals—they’re fine with everyone having their own opinion as long as it agrees with theirs”. Such a sad, tired argument. Yes, Shocked had every right to say what she said and the audience let her know they didn’t like it one bit. Sounds like a healthy dialogue to me.

I hope she will find her own voice again and stop parroting this type of hateful speech. Jesus never said a word against homosexuals; Shocked would do much better to emulate Christ and preach radical love, not recycled hate.

Update: Michelle Shocked's two-part statement is shamelessly untruthful, saying she was repeating the beliefs of other Christians: "If I could repeat the evening, I would make a clearer distinction between a set of beliefs I abhor, and my human sympathy for the folks who hold them". But if you listen to the audio of the show (comments start at 4:46) she clearly states that she shares in their opinions and says "Once Prop 8 gets uh...repealed and once preachers are held at gunpoint and forced to marry the homoSEXuals, I'm pretty sure that that'll be the signal for Jesus to come on back". She then goes on to say "This is one woman's opinion and it's fun, a lot of fun" and "If someone would be so gracious as to please tweet out 'Michelle Shocked just said from stage God hates faggots' ". OK, yes, the latter comment was probably meant to be sardonic, but in light of her earlier statements, it had the ring of (shocking) truth.

A few weeks ago, Jezebel Jones & Her Wicked Ways had the pleasure of opening up for one of my favorite live acts—Slim Cessna's Auto Club—at the legendary First Avenue/7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Slim’s band was everything I remembered from the shows I saw at SXSW 2011—full of fire and brimstone and a kind of otherworldly music that’s not found often…definitely not in this town.

Several years back, some blessed soul turned me on to 16 Horsepower and I fell into this rabbit hole; the oddly-spiritual roots-based bands that make up “The Denver Sound”, much of which was produced by multi-instrumentalist/sound engineer, Bob Ferbrache.

CityPages music writer Dave Hoenack talks to me about Slim Cessna, the Denver Sound and my music in this interview on the music blog, Gimme Noise (Check out the full interview here).

This particular show was a bit surreal.

When I launched this project a couple of years ago, there’s no way I envisioned us opening up for SCAC, who have just released their 8th album, ‘Unentitled’ on Jello Biafra’s label, Alternative Tentacles. There were definitely feelings of unworthiness, but the Catholic schoolgirl inside kicked me hard and spurred me on…

There were a few glitches to be sure, but we played one of our best shows ever—the lineup was killer, Jenny Russ on background vocals/electric guitar, Chris Bates on Upright Bass, Dave Russ on drums, and Scott Nieman sat in on bouzouki, which gave the music an eerier-than-usual air. We opened up the set with a spooky tune about Memphis, Sirens of the Mississippi (P.S. you can download the song free on our secret download page).

I tried not to notice when members of Slim’s band emerged from the green room at various times during the show to watch us; I was nervous enough as it was…

We played to a very attentive and appreciative full crowd. We normally play to a very attentive and appreciative small crowd, so the energy of a larger audience really helped.

Thanks to all of you new fans who took the time to tell us how much you enjoyed the music—I was blown away by the response we got after our set. It feels good to be loved, however briefly.

OK, now on the headliner. Slim’s set was amazing—they are hands-down one of the best bands I’ve seen live, and this show was no exception. Not only is the music spectacular, but they put a very titillating, charismatic show—it’s hard to tear your eyes away from the stage (particularly when Slim and Munly are touching each other, even chastely ;).

I’ve included some photos of the gig by the über talented photographer Lars Kommienezuspadt, who came to film SCAC but ended up taking tons of photos of us, too. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lars--and I love your art!

Afterwards I met Big Bad Bob Ferbrache himself, who seemed relaxed and happy after the show. Soon, he was telling me about his longtime band Blood Axis and some techniques he used to produce Tarantella's album, Esqueletos. I really enjoyed meeting him, as I listen to—and admire—his work on a regular basis. Many of the bands he’s worked with are in my regular rotation. I was only a wee bit disappointed that I didn't get to see him wearing his notorious tracksuit/fanny pack outfit.

Slim’s band was quite nice to us and afterwards I got a chance to say hello to Jay Munly. The crowd was long gone and they were packing up, but I really wanted to buy some hard-to-come-by vinyl with the evening’s pay.

Jay Munly is one of my favorite American songwriters/singers…although he is Canadian by birth.  I happen to like Canadians, so I won’t hold that against him. His music is intoxicating—maybe it’s the vivid, twisted storytelling, the ominous references to Biblical doom or the dramatic string arrangements. And lordy, Lord, that damned voice…

I chose Munly and the Lupercalians’ Petr and the Wulf (2010) and if I hadn’t left the record in my bandmate’s car I would be listening to it right now. You can preview Petr and the Wulf here.

Nerves and some mistakes aside, it was a great night—one of the highlights of my rather short musical career thus far.

And as a band, it was our final show in Minneapolis…for the time being.

In September I’ll be packing my boxes and moving to Austin. After flirting heavily with the city for 5 years, it’s time to jump the broom. I’ve got an arsenal of new songs and I’m stocked up on environmentally-questionable hair spray.

See y’all soon.

-Jezebel