It is important to know what musicians and artists are really like as people. We hear so much about the artist”s work and the artist”s style of art, but what about the artist”s personality and his or her likes and dislikes? What are the artist”s personal philosophies and opinions? What does the artist eat? Actually, who somebody is as a person says a lot about his or her artwork. The Lonesome Organist is no exception in fact, he is a prime example of why people should pay more attention to these kinds of things. If people aren”t aware of the artist as a living being then they are missing half the point. We are all conscious beings we should take advantage of our sentience and utilize all the avenues of art, not just the ones that are individual or portrayed by the media.
“I”m the fuckin” leader,” declared The Lonesome Organist, Jeremy James Jacobsen, at the Magic Stick on Saturday, February third. Jeremy is right. He is a one-man band, creating a carpet of sounds that engulf the listener. Mr. Organist can play the piano, guitar, organ, vibraphone, drum, steel drum, harmonica and “whatever” else that comes his way. He sits in the center of a rectangular stack of instruments and plays them simultaneously, while also singing. Perhaps he has created a new genre that should be called “instrumental acrobatics.” The energy of the show was all “good love,” with bells and echoes pulsating in a swishy-swashy fairy-tale-esque yo-dee-lay-hee-hoo kind of magical way, interspersed here and then with various operatics.
After Jeremy”s act, he assembled the stage for Euphone, of which he is also a member. While during The Lonesome Organist”s set everybody”s eyes were glued on Jeremy, during Euphone everybody danced to the three-man band. Moreover, the Magic Stick”s light, happy, refreshing and energetic atmosphere really helped in making this show anything but dark, gloomy and depressing.
After an extremely uplifting interview with the ever-smiling Mr. Organist, whose favorite pastime is laughing, there are many things to share about His Lonesome. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, he now lives in Chicago at the age of 31. His nation is “Human.” In response to a question about his musical influences, he replied, “Are there?” This seems a logical answer, considering that Jeremy”s personal mission/philosophical statement is “Whatever.” According to Jeremy, there is no life after death, there is no excuse for capital punishment, and we are all aliens. Jeremy says that nothing freaks him out, which explains how he can play all those instruments by himself, but at the same time he said, “I always freak out.” A contradiction? Not for the Organist who seems so calm as he wildly dashes from instrument to instrument. Asked if he eats sugar, Mr. Organist replied, “Yeah man, I fuckin” eat anything.”
He”s the leader, but who”s the cutest? Jeremy said that Ryan, the drummer from Euphone, is the cutest in the band because he is the youngest. He also said that he (Mr. Organist) is scared of a million things, like that he”ll be disfigured and dumped in the street, pissing his pants drunk. Everybody has fears The Lonesome Organist shows how real they can be. But he wants to do a lot before he dies, and afterwards he wants to play the organ in a church. “I”ll be the leader. Eternal bliss and happiness-yeah!”
During his performances, Mr. Organist played a particularly spine-tingling solo on the steel drum he got in Trinidad, and was absolutely spectral throughout, tangibly transporting the audience all wrapped up in his crazy world. When asked, “What is Euphone?” he answered, “It is pleasurable audio tones.” His favorite thing about making music? “It will give back what you put into it. The more you are aware, the more interested you become. (My) study of Bach has given back to me ten-fold.”
The wild and free, playful and cute, cosmic and fun organist said, “I can do anything-you tell me.” With a huge smile he agreed, “Sure, we are all kittens of the universe.” Vegetarian no.Organic cheese yes.