Every Former, Current Member of The Jaggernauts to Perform at 20th Anniversary Show
E.C. band to hold big 'ol reunion show with five sets on May 4 at the Brickhouse
Sawyer Hoff, photos by Trenity White |
Like a living organism, Eau Claire-based band The Jaggernauts have seen a lot of change and evolution over its 20 years – from band members to their musical sound. Now in its 20th year, the band is holding a reunion show on Saturday, May 4, at 8pm at The Brickhouse (2233 Birch St., Eau Claire) featuring every single member who was ever in the band, playing a total of five sets, one for every era or “mark” of the band’s existence.
Noel Hanson (bass, guitar, and lead vocals) started The Jaggernauts in 2004 and is the only member of the band who will be playing in all five sets. Mark 1 of the band featured John Kleven (guitar) and Chris Jackson (guitar). Together, they created the band’s first recording, The Lucio Fluci EP, an acoustic four-song EP with a soft rock sound. Mark 1 of The Jaggernauts never performed live together, making the May 4 performance the first for the founding trio.
The second mark of the band was created when new members joined the fold including Chris Ramey (guitar and keyboard) and Joe Gunderson (drums). This is the era where the band took on a more complete rock band sound, releasing their self-titled EP, The Jaggernauts, in 2005.
Kleven and Jackson moved on from the band afterward, but The Jaggernauts then gained the talents of Matt Florence (guitar), solidifying Mark 3 and releasing their first full-length album, We Control the Horizontal, in 2009.
Mark 4 brought Greg Kenkamp (bass) and the next two records from the band. The first was a six-song EP, Safe, in 2014, and Whispered Stories From My Grandmother’s Lips, released in 2017 shortly after the closure of the House of Rock on Water Street, where The Jaggernauts played on its final night.
The current version of The Jaggernauts, Mark 5, consists of Hanson, Ramey, Gunderson, Florence, and newer additions Adam Luchsinger (guitar), John Buxton (bass), and Jodi Hanson (vocals). They will be releasing an album this year titled Taste The Jaggernauts.
“It's such a great time,” Hanson said. “Creativity has always run in my veins, and having other people that are still interested in what I’m doing and doing stuff with me is great. I love the guys and the girls that I’m playing with. It’s a lot of fun, it always has been.”
The show will be opened by Andrew Liss and Will Wall from FM Down for an acoustic set. After every set from The Jaggernauts is complete, every previous and current member will also play on stage for the first time together. Cover for the show is $10 and The Jaggernauts will be selling 20th-anniversary specialty T-shirts.
“You know, things change, focuses change,” Hanson said. “But the core message of the group is still there: a group of people having a great time, playing music together.”
Listen to The Jaggernauts’ music at thejaggernauts.bandcamp.com and keep up with them on Facebook.