It seems like a good time to share this. We made this cover of two blue lights in support of Jason when he got sick. There was a benefit concert (we didn’t play) and an album out together.
I'm sure this has been shared elsewhere, but I was remembering the only time I saw Jason play live, with Magnolia Electric Company touring behind the WHAT COMES AFTER THE BLUES album. It was at the legendary/infamous First Unitarian Church basement in the summer - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were the opener and had just garnered huge reviews for their debut, so a massive hometown crowd was there to see them and about half of 'em left after the CYHSY set. Jason and the guys seemed unperturbed, and put on a great show for the folks who remained.
All but one of the ceiling fans in the venue had broken, and so the room was mind-alteringly hot and muggy. They were selling bottled waters at a buck apiece out of a kiddie pool full of ice. About a third of the way into the Magnolia set, Jason joked about the heat, and then proceeded to HAND AN AUDIENCE MEMBER HIS WALLET to go buy all of the waters. We grabbed the bottles, guzzled them, dumped them on our heads, rocked out to the rest of the show. It remains the single kindest act of care and trust in an audience I've ever seen from an artist in any genre.
Their final encore song, after a set full of fierce and painful truths set to music, was, incredibly, a cover of Van Halen's "Running With the Devil", with Eddie's solo approximated by the lap steel player. I can definitely picture Jason's huge shit-eating grin as they wrapped up. What a show. What a guy.
I just followed Michael B’s action above and donated to Music Cares as well. I will be forever grateful for Jason and his music. Not a day passes without a lyric or song of his in my head. Take care everyone and thanks for “Static and Distance” and keeping Jason Molina’s legacy alive!
Thank you for your wonderful stories and memories. Unfortunately I never saw Jason Molina play live. But I enjoy the live albums out there, like VU Anxiety (recorded close to where I live). I was only introduced to his music in 2011, thanks to the Belgian radio show Duyster. Since then Jason's music has been a constant in my life and really important to me. I'm sad that he's gone, but grateful for the beautiful music he left behind. And grateful that Static & Distance honors his life and music with stories, photos and music. Thank you!
It seems like a good time to share this. We made this cover of two blue lights in support of Jason when he got sick. There was a benefit concert (we didn’t play) and an album out together.
https://thekillingwords.bandcamp.com/track/two-blue-lights
I remember bumping into him at the Neko Case concert in the Barbican. And he was in good cheer. Then a few weeks later….
“You almost made it “
I'm sure this has been shared elsewhere, but I was remembering the only time I saw Jason play live, with Magnolia Electric Company touring behind the WHAT COMES AFTER THE BLUES album. It was at the legendary/infamous First Unitarian Church basement in the summer - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were the opener and had just garnered huge reviews for their debut, so a massive hometown crowd was there to see them and about half of 'em left after the CYHSY set. Jason and the guys seemed unperturbed, and put on a great show for the folks who remained.
All but one of the ceiling fans in the venue had broken, and so the room was mind-alteringly hot and muggy. They were selling bottled waters at a buck apiece out of a kiddie pool full of ice. About a third of the way into the Magnolia set, Jason joked about the heat, and then proceeded to HAND AN AUDIENCE MEMBER HIS WALLET to go buy all of the waters. We grabbed the bottles, guzzled them, dumped them on our heads, rocked out to the rest of the show. It remains the single kindest act of care and trust in an audience I've ever seen from an artist in any genre.
Their final encore song, after a set full of fierce and painful truths set to music, was, incredibly, a cover of Van Halen's "Running With the Devil", with Eddie's solo approximated by the lap steel player. I can definitely picture Jason's huge shit-eating grin as they wrapped up. What a show. What a guy.
I just followed Michael B’s action above and donated to Music Cares as well. I will be forever grateful for Jason and his music. Not a day passes without a lyric or song of his in my head. Take care everyone and thanks for “Static and Distance” and keeping Jason Molina’s legacy alive!
Just donated to musicares in memory of JM.
Thank you for your wonderful stories and memories. Unfortunately I never saw Jason Molina play live. But I enjoy the live albums out there, like VU Anxiety (recorded close to where I live). I was only introduced to his music in 2011, thanks to the Belgian radio show Duyster. Since then Jason's music has been a constant in my life and really important to me. I'm sad that he's gone, but grateful for the beautiful music he left behind. And grateful that Static & Distance honors his life and music with stories, photos and music. Thank you!
around 6 years ago I had this vision of Jason's voice as an otter caught in the a river's stream and smashed on rocks. I made a song about it: https://lacobservation.bandcamp.com/track/otter-the-transfiguration-of-jason-molina
"Your voice
swims through streams
of heartstrings
like an otter,
a wounded otter,
smashed on rocks
Fur and pain
leaping out
of instinct
paw trying
to reach
some sacred moment
splashed on rocks"