Jack’s Wild: ‘Serious about having fun’

The last time Jack’s Wild played at the Bear Brew Pub in Orono, they almost burned down the house.

Literally.

It remains unknown if the cause of the flaming stage light at their show last month was faulty wiring or spontaneous combustion due to white hot rock ‘n’ roll fury. The band would certainly have you believe the latter. At the least, the clouds of smoke that slowly built up until someone unplugged the thing and dumped water on it added to the “Spinal Tap” moment – too bad it smelled like burning plastic.

That’s not to say that Jack’s Wild is just a joke, though. The Bangor-based four-piece, who are playing again at the Bear Brew on Saturday, dish out heavy, psychedelic blues in the vein of ’60s power trios such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix and early Led Zeppelin. Nothing groundbreaking, that’s for sure, but, hey, classic rock is the cheeseburger and fries of the music world. It doesn’t stop being delicious, even if you’ve had it a million times.

Bass player Adam Goode, guitarist Josh Trevino, drummer Eric Venturini and vocalist Brian Herasymchuck met and became friends through the UMaine cross-country team, for which all but Venturini ran. Original drummer Jim Hegedus also ran, but his roommate, Venturini, took over for him in Jack’s Wild when he graduated and moved away.

Before they started the band, they were college buddies. In the case of Goode and Trevino, there were lots of rock ‘n’ roll dreams, but no experience.

“I never had formal lessons in music, but like many people, from the age of 13 until now I’ve always been sitting in my bedroom listening to music,” said Goode. “I had no clue how to play my instrument at first. But we all really wanted to be in a band, so we just got together and tried it out.”

It’s a year and a half later, and Goode’s got the goods. You wouldn’t be able to tell that Trevino didn’t know how to play guitar two years ago. Venturini, a longtime drummer, has had the talent for a while, having played in bands for years before joining Jack’s Wild.

And Herasymchuck’s a born vocalist – as Goode put it, “We knew he could sing like a rock star. He needed to be in a band.”

The group’s blues-rock sound came naturally, starting with covers and blossoming into original songs.

“That’s definitely a common interest for us. We all like Led Zeppelin and The Who and The Doors, and more traditional blues like Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughn,” said Goode. “But it’s also because the blues is something everyone can have fun with, both the band and the audience.”

Sometimes it’s as simple as picking up a guitar and deciding to be in a band. But it helps to have a deep love and appreciation for rock ‘n’ roll, which all four members of Jack’s Wild have got in spades.

And that love comes through in their live shows, which are sweaty, danceable and full of audience participation. You can tell that the four are having a blast on stage, with their tight pants, paisley print shirts (that are often discarded halfway through the set), and wild rock star hair and antics. They’re having fun, and the joyful novelty of playing music live while other people are listening has not worn off yet.

Goode isn’t sure it ever will.

“I think it’s fair to say we are serious about having fun,” he said. “We’re very interested in recording an album and pursuing more serious stuff, but the cool thing is really just playing around and having people come out and have fun with us. For us, it’s a thing we look forward to. It’s hanging out with your friends and playing music. What’s better than that?”

Jack’s Wild will play at 10 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Bear Brew Pub in Orono. For information, visit www.myspace.com/jackswild. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangor

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