For the past decade, Poor Man’s Whiskey has dedicated itself to bringing their “High-Octane Hootenanny” to music lovers from the West Coast of the United States to the East Coast of Australia. Going to a PMW show is a bit like attending a modern music history lesson…with your best friends. Seamless transitions drag the concertgoers from audience-based acoustic performances to an electric rock star assault from the stage. PMW is currently enjoying their most successful year to date, including a performance covering Old and in the Way with Peter Rowan (Old and in the Way) and Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident). I asked the front line of PMW, Eli Jebidiah (guitars, theramin, vocals), Jason Beard(guitars, mandolin), and Josh Brough (keyboards, banjo, vocals) a couple of questions about the continuing evolution of Poor Man’s Whiskey.
Back on May 8th of this year, Poor Man’s Whiskey decided to throw a 10 year Anniversary party at the Great American Music Hall. You covered the classic Old and in the Way album and invited a couple of special guests. Why pick Old and in the Way and how did you get hooked up with Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident) and Peter Rowan (Old and in the Way)?
Eli: Old in and the Way seemed a natural choice because it represented where the roots of Poor Man’s Whiskey came from. We were all exposed to the album when we were in college at UC Santa Barbara, and for us it was our entry point into bluegrass based music.
Peter Rowan was integral part of what made Old and in the Way magical. We had run into each other at festivals that we’ve both played over the years, so we decided to reach out to him to see if he would be interested in playing some songs from Old and in the Way with us. Needless to say, we were extremely honored and excited that he chose to join us for the night.
We needed a fiddle player for the Vasser Clemens parts, and thought of Michael Kang. We have been long time fans of String Cheese and their various side projects, and our paths have also crossed from time to time at shows and festivals. We hadn’t met Michael yet, but were thrilled when he got back to us saying he was interested in doing the show.
Jason: It was fortuitous at the time that our back up bass player (Joshua Zucker) was on tour with Peter Rowan in Alaska. We had him put in a good word with Peter. We also shortly thereafter played a show with Del McCoury. Peter Rowan was sitting in with Del. Eli had a chance to talk him up a bit about the project backstage, and luckily he came on board. For us it was pretty magical to actually play Old and In the Way with Peter. Maybe next time David Gilmour will sit in on “Dark Side of the Moonshine”!
Did it seem surreal backstage with Peter Rowan considering you were about to cover an album of his?
Eli: Even thought we have hung out and spent time with Peter back stage at other events and festivals before this, it was definitely different this time. The entire evening was like a dream. Getting to sing and play with one of your founding influences is an experience one never forgets. It was very inspiring and special for us.
Jason: We took liberty with some of the arrangements and made them our own, so it was a little weird to show someone who wrote a song how it was going to be played. Luckily he was pretty open to it and seemed to enjoy it. During the show it was pretty awesome to have him singing on some of his tunes we have been covering for years. Definitely surreal indeed!
How was getting ready for that show different than preparing for your “Darkside of the Moonshine” shows?
Eli: The main difference was the rehearsal schedule. After we had worked out the arrangements for the songs we wanted to play, we did a rehearsal with Kang and Rowan. It was a testament to the musicianship of those two in how quickly they learned their parts, and the new arrangements.
There was also a real palpable spontaneity on stage because the material was fresh, and making it through the arrangements kept everyone on their toes and musically very engaged with one another. The whole evening really felt like a team effort. I think in the end, that was the most rewarding aspect of the night. It really felt like a genuine communal experience was shared between the musicians, fans, and crew at the Great American. It was a great night!
Jason: Since we recorded Darkside all of the arrangements are pretty much in place very similar to the album. Although there are some improv moments within the solos a bit, most of the arrangement is pretty tight. Preparing for Darkside shows consist mostly of executing parts and tightening vocals. For Old and in the Way we were definitely flying more by the seat of our pants. Josh, Aspen, and myself met with Michael at a house party to go over some parts briefly (which turned more into a mini performance), and we met with Peter only the day before the show. Josh, Eli, and myself divided the songs up to take lead on the arrangements ideas, but because of the lack of rehearsal time with the guest musicians things seemed to be much more improvised and willing to change at the last moment. This seems to fit the spirit of the “Old and In the Way” live shows we heard.
Poor Man’s Whiskey has played festivals and shows all over the world, including HIgh Sierra(CA), Hardly Strictly Bluegrass(CA), Byron Bay Blues and Roots Music Festival(Australia), 4 Peaks(OR), Telluride Bluegrass Festival(CO), Las Tortugas(CA), and you have Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival(AR) and another Las Tortugas coming up. Do you prefer festivals to shows, or vice versa? Do you guys have a favorite venue?
Eli: I love festivals and shows for different reasons. Festivals are great because you always discover something new. Also, the bar for unexpected musical collaborations gets raised with doing sit-ins, or spontaneous sets. The scale of festivals has a whole different energy too. When there are thousands of people singing along with a song you wrote, it is an otherworldly experience. The level of mass connection one feels is hard to put into words. I also love the opportunity to be able to meet people and spend time with other folks who love music as much as I do. Often my festival highlights are the time I get to spend with people I meet just walking around. I am inspired by the notion that all those that attend festivals are there because they are inspired by music enough to make the sustainability of festivals a reality. It is a beautiful union of musicians, artists, fans, crew, and families. In the end, we all come together because we are united by our passion and love for music.
I love shows because there is an intimacy about them that is hard to reproduce in other environments. I definitely feel connected to the fans in a different way at shows. Also, we as a band really enjoy the opportunity to get down onto the floor and play a few tunes with everyone. It starts and ends the evening in a communal place, and that is really important to us as a band.
I can’t choose a favorite venue, because we have had some really magical experiences in so many different ones now. It feels like choosing one child as your favorite over the others. I will say that PMW feels a deep gratitude to the Mystic Theatre (where we are recording our new live album on November 12th) and the Great American Music Hall for everything they have done for us. Both venues have really supported us and other great local talent over the years, and we feel very fortunate to have made some life long memories at those respective venues when PMW has some sold out shows there. We also feel very blessed to have been able to play the Fillmore several times with good friends of ours. Those magical moments we’ve experienced in celebrated halls like those make all the hard work and sacrifices worth it.
Josh: Going to Australia was amazing. The people there were quality and they were huge music fans.
Jason: For me the best shows have an energy transfer between the musicians and the folks watching the show. We definitely feed off the crowd energy (as I am sure they feed off ours). Festivals provide opportunities to play in front of a larger audience, which if it is a good show can be extremely rewarding to connect with that many people. However, it can be more challenging at some festivals because of the short set times and lack of appropriate time for a proper sound check to settle into a relaxed groove. It usually takes 2-3 songs to dial things in, and by that time your set may be half over. I prefer festivals or shows that allow for 90 minute-2 hour sets. This gives us plenty of time to stretch stuff out (without worrying about time constraints) and really take in the moment. What I love most about festivals is not necessarily our set, but the opportunity to watch and play with all the other musicians out there. There are so many rooms and festivals I love playing at, but I have a special fondness for the 4 Peaks Music Festival!
Now that PMW has consistently travelled across the country, how do feel about your home base of Northern California? All things being even, do you think PMW would have the same type of success if you were based out of the northeast, southeast or Austin, TX?
Eli: Northern California has been really good to us. We are excited to see our fan base grow here, and it really feels like this year something is starting to happen. Whether playing internationally, or across the US, there has been a great response to PMW. Our CD Darkside of the Moonshine was the 4th highest selling CD at the Bluesfest in Australia. When you look at the line up and see artists like Jack Johnson, John Butler, The Fray, Avett Brothers, Lyle Lovett, Jeff Beck, Galactic, Crowded House, etc, it is very exciting to think that Poor Man’s Whiskey had such a strong showing there. We are really humbled by, and grateful for, the successes we have had this year.
I think PMW would be received in a similar fashion to how we are here in Nor Cal because people respond to something genuine. We don’t claim to be the best at what we do, but we play with a lot of heart, love doing what we do, and try to make it fun for everyone. At the end of the day, I think a lot of people can relate to that.
Jason: I love playing out of Northern California. There are some areas that I feel “get us”, and other areas I feel like a fish out of water when we are there. It seems like we are gaining momentum in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. I can see the numbers increasing at each show. The only problem is there is much driving between major venues out here on the west. I think touring the East Coast is in our near future, and may be easier to commute between shows…. but there is no place like home!
PMW started out 10 years ago as a “nearly rippin’ bluegrass band” and has since moved to the electric jamband world. One of the things I appreciate about PMW is your incorporating both into your shows. When preparing a setlist, it is a conscious decision to include a wide range of music into every show?
Eli: The real roots of Poor Man’s Whiskey go back to UC Santa Barbara, when we were a full blown electric rock jamband under and handful of different names. Jason, Josh and I all met in Santa Barbara, and we all came into our own playing music together there. After going our separate ways after college, Jason and Josh reconnected years later and formed Poor Man’s Whiskey as a vehicle to play bluegrass music. I came aboard a few years later, and after several more years of doing mainly string band music, we decided to reintegrate our electric jamband roots. Our sound now is more a reflection of us being honest about the different styles of music we are inspired by, and have played together over the last 15 years. We have reached a point where we really love the old-timey, bluegrass material, and the electric improved based music too. I think the heart of the PMW sound is in the cross pollination of those two musical bookends.
When we make a setlist, we want there to be a good flow for the fans. There is a lot of intention behind the songs we choose, because we want those who come to the show feel like they have been taken on a fantastic adventure of the senses. For us a good set has ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys, and some unexpected turns. It is our hope that we can proved a genuine experience for anyone who comes to see us perform.
Jason: There is definitely a conscious decision to include a wide range of music. I think there is a balance that we try to toe the line to that has enough down home old time/bluegrass tunes while still having some other more “electric” and jamming tonalities to it. We at times have had sets that was either “too jammy” or could have had more depending on the crowd. We just try to figure it out the best we can for that particular crowd and our own mood that particular night. I like the variety in our sound…keeps it interesting.
In addition to Old and in the Way and Pink Floyd, PMW has covered a diverse set of artists ranging from Guns and Roses to Men at Work. Who’s picking the covers? Or are they born out of practice jams?
Eli: We all contribute when it comes to suggesting a potential cover. Most of the time, the ideas come from us thinking about how to make a particular set more connected to the theme or premise behind the show. An example would be playing Tom Petty’s “American Girl” at the High Sierra Music Festival this year. Since we were playing on the 4th of July, I thought that would be a great idea to close the set with a song that celebrated being an American. We played around with several arrangements until we found one that felt like a good fit. When choosing a cover, it is very important to us to make the tune our own. We call it ‘Whiskifiying’ a song. Bluegrass and rock music are very similar in their form, which makes covering rock songs on bluegrass instruments so much fun.
Jason: We all have such different tastes, so usually it takes one person who is particularly excited about covering a song to convince the rest of the band to do it. I think Josh thought I was mad crazy when I suggested doing “Dark Side”, but I was pretty gung ho. Recently Eli wanted to do a special 4th of July tune at High Sierra and suggested “American Girl”. I was very reluctant but he had enough enthusiasm to punch it through. Now it’s one of my favorites.
On Friday, November 12th, PMW will be recording a live CD at The Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA. What special treats do you have planned for your fans? Why did you decide to record a live CD?
Eli: It is hard to capture that live energy in a studio, so we wanted to give ourselves the opportunity to do so with this record. I am really looking forward to this, as it will be a first for PMW. We will be inviting some great musician friends of ours to join us on stage, but I will leave who those folks are a surprise. I am hoping the night will like a musical polaroid snapshot of a really fun moment in time, and I love the fact that hat all our friends can come be a part of it with us. We are also very happy to be doing this at the Mystic theatre, which feels like home to us.
Jason: Our special treat is we are going to play our hearts out! I think we want to capture our best musical performance, so we will probably minimize any themes or costumes and just put on the best musical show we can. We will have a few musical special guests. Come on out to find out who!
