JODY CASPER OR CODY JASPER...WHATEVER..."THE SHADE"

Began the evening watching a group called Future Boots in a huge house on the south side of town at Kristi's birthday bash. Happy birthday, Kristi. Still waiting on those pics on how you turned your TuRD shirt into a hoodie so I can couple it with Sarah's Jennifer Beals-Flashdance modifications. Speaking of, my brother was in Colorado walking out of a stall at a ski resort in his TuRD Lowrider shirt (still got a few left, kiddies--$5 hand-to-hand, $7 parcel) and a guy walking in says, "Dude...nice shirt." Similiar thing happened to a co-worker while on vacation. Dude thought it was a Beastie Boy shirt. Do the math, son.


So, last night, started out watching Future Boots who were killing Sublime covers and, while I've never been too hot on Sublime, it was enjoyable. Got a call from the homestead about this kid, Cody Jasper, that I once saw play bass at some smokey bar here in the Yellow. He was really young, but he was really good. My lovely wife said to be home at 10:00 so we could head up the way to the Golden Light to see him kill it. When we walked in, there was about twenty people with their eyes pasted on the stage. There they were...the Shade.

Cody was a towering sight. Grinning and swaying feverishly as his guitar sang soft lullabies and, even, screamed bloody murder...sometimes at the same time. His presence was that of a vet--road weary, heart broken and calloused, but at the most subtle of moments, his boyish innocence/mischief would dimly surface as he would address the crowd between songs. But when he played, his guitar scorched and his voice split the smokey cellar and pinned listeners to the back wall. The bassist Sam, with his John Paul Jones locks and John Entwhistle chops, was a perfect match for Cody's fiery furvor. Tay, the small but insistent drummer, pounded all night with the heart of Animal and the precision of Buddy Rich. With probably no more than 20 years experience between them, it was obvious I was seeing something special.

Their sound is Black Keys, Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, SRV, Harry Nillsson "Jump into the Fire," Woody Guthrie, Albert King, Ziggy Stardust, a tornado ripping across the open plains, Jack White, violence, war, heartbreak, Merle Haggard, David Gilmour, a kid banging on his first drum kit, Willie Bobo, Johnny Rotten, a sleepy town on the High Plains, a crackhead on the Sunset Strip, John Fogerty, Jim Morrison, Eddie Hazel and Otis Redding.

I encourage you to seek out the Shade. They're mad nice.