It's been a hell of a summer for Jon Drake and The Shakes. Kicking it off with a late spring European excursion that brought their folksy union of sweat-drenched American pop to eager audiences in France, The Shakes returned stateside with several open-air outings on the Chicago street festival circuit, including stops at the Taste of Chicago, Northalsted Market Days, Milwaukee Avenue Arts Fest, and Ribfest.
But despite the band's evergrowing reach, Jon Drake & The Shakes stand proud to call Logan Square home, hanging their caps on the close-quartered stages of local watering holes like Cole's Bar, Quenchers Saloon, and The Whistler. All eight members of the band reside in the neighborhood.
"We dote on Logan Square," declared Jon Drake recently to The Logan Square Dispatch. "All of us."
On more than one occasion this summer the inspiringly hard-working ensemble doubled down on their performances, breaking down after higher-profile festival appearances and hours (sometimes minutes) later loading in to play smaller, intimate Logan Square bar gigs, where shoulder-to-shoulder camaraderie was the norm for the band and fans alike. Accessible and unassuming, The Shakes wear their hearts on the torn and frayed knees of their jeans. To see them live is to be a Shake--the hoots and hollers of over-served bar patrons as much a part of the composition as the guitars and violin.
The Shakes' busy summer will culminate with The Square Affair, held at Logan Square Auditorium on Friday, August 27th. Jon Drake & The Shakes will be headlining the event along with other local acts The Shams Band, The Minneapolis Henrys, and Derek Nelson and the Musicians. DJ sets will also be provided by The Dirty Diamonds. These are all great bands, and certainly a group to keep our eyes on. You can catch up with all of them on Sundays prior to The Square Affair as they gather in front of Wolfbait to busk the sidewalks of the boulevard, socialize, and promote the show.
In anticipation of The Square Affair, Jon Drake was kind enough to talk with The Logan Square Dispatch about the band, Polaroids, and why rumors about the French are bullshit.
LSD: Recently you’ve been selling quite a bit of photography equipment on Craigslist. Who do you owe money to this time?
Jon Drake: Yes, yes I have been selling photography gear lately. I still have a strobe/softbox and reflector kit available as well as a Panasonic DVX, Portabrace Case, and Fender Lonestar Strat (American made) for sale. Priced to go, serious inquiries only: jonathandrake30@gmail.com. Our first tour in France was supported by the individuals who went. I'm still catching up from the trip mentally and financially. The moment I came back I knew I had to reduce the clutter in my life and the first thing to go was all non-musical, non-darkroom photography related materials, and some items I once thought essential but now seem like burdens. Joe, our keyboard/guitarist, is also a talented photographer- he can have the digital world, I'll keep the analog alive.
LSD: The Square Affair is the last Shakes show before the fall tour. Can you expand upon the tour at all? How extensive will the tour be? What cities are you planning on hitting? Any anticipated highlights?
JD: Our fall tour is two fold: We are releasing our upcoming EP "Side B" and this tour is one big release party, but not only that- this tour is our first run of a circuit 'The Shakes' are building that we'll visit once a month or so. We have good friends in Cincinnati, Louisville, Detroit, and Minneapolis. It's just a matter of choosing the cities we want to build relationships with and making dates. We're looking at getting our EP done first, then touring in the late fall.
LSD: Tell me a little more about the band's tour of France. How did that come about, and what are some of the fundamental differences between planning for a European tour vs. a tour in the States? How were you guys received overseas?
JD: France. Oh, France. We fell in love with France and have been a little heartbroken since. It took a moment to remember why I came home... It was actually a hard time adjusting back into the flow of American life. To answer your question, we have family friends in Strasbourg- my sister's best friend to be exact. My brother Jim had made the trip less than a year earlier and played his music all over Europe. He had since put together his band 'Jaime Rojo' and decided to go back. When I got the invite, I was on board instantly. I figured if I didn't go now, I'd probably wait until I was too old to really enjoy France let alone the people (and women). We banded together, a few of The Shakes and Jaime Rojo, to form a tour that lasted roughly two weeks. It was the most incredible two weeks of our lives to date. I still can hardly explain to people how it felt, and still feels. It was like meeting the love of your life knowing you'll be sent off to war next week.
Planning France was both easy and difficult. What was hard was the anticipation. In Chicago, I make phone calls or send emails to venues and get a response by the end of the day! In France, everything moves at it's own pace. Lunch lasts two hours and is at the same time everyday for everyone. All businesses are closed. Not a soul works on Sundays, and there are a lot of optional bank holidays. Not only that, the venues we played don't really have booking agents. They form co-ops, or a 'collectíf', that run the venues and the members make a 'fight' for certain nights and productions. They basically have to convince all their friends over beers and cigarettes that our bill is a good idea. Once it's a go, every one in the collectíf get's on board and pitches in anyway they can.
What made it very easy was our tour managers- they were citizens of Strasbourg. They planned everything from food to lodging, venues, dates, local bands, press, television spots, blogs, video shoots for websites, etc. They were fairly new at planning a tour, and repeatedly said "We are not professionals, but we think this will work". As far as we were concerned, they were top notch. Entire communities banded together to support us. (Check out http://www.audreycanales.com/ for our 'Festival Strasbourg-Chicago' links and stories.)
Our first show had thirty or so people, and a little over a week later our last show had too many people to fit in the venue. The crowd had poured over into the streets where they made a party for us when our sets were finished. We sold our EPs, signed autographs, spoke our broken French, laughed our asses off, and let our hearts grow ten fold. Our last night in France we went to a bar in Strasbourg called "Café Atlantico", which was a river boat with the best view of the city, and all the folks we had met at the shows started popping up. Soon we filled the place, took and exchanged Polaroid pictures with everyone, and said goodbye to some of the most wonderful people on the planet. That being said, the rumors about the French are fucking bullshit.
What was most incredible was how much our music and performances meant to the people who came to the shows. It was a rare and pure gift to them. They were so overjoyed after we finished sometimes it seemed like they were holding back tears. I mean, American musicians come to France and are... humble? Heartwarming? Respectful? And passionate? Once again, rumors are bullshit and apparently go both ways. The thing was though, they gave us countless gifts each time they smiled and said hello, cheered and clapped, and welcomed us into their hearts and homes.
LSD: Tell me a little bit about the venues you guys played in France. How do you compare them to venues in Chicago? I can still smoke in the clubs there, right?
JD: The venues in France are non-smoking, but most places let you drink outside while you smoke- so who cares! We played places the size of a shoebox, where the owner was the bartender, waitress, host, and psychiatrist. Then we played places that were the same as our dirty American rock venues, and even a jazz club with a baby grand piano- where we closed with American jazz standards to the delight of the venue employees.
LSD: Can you describe The Shakes songwriting process for me? How much of the composition is done on your part? Do other members of the band create their own lines or do you usually have a melody in mind for each instrument when you bring a song to the band?
JD: Songwriting. I write the songs and the band makes them great. Usually it starts and ends with whiskey.
LSD: On your Myspace page the music is described as ‘smart.’ I don’t get it. What does that mean?
JD: What is smart pop? It's a group of musicians who understand the importance of space in the structure of a song. The songs have substance. The parts are clever and inspired. We don't flex our muscles to attract a mate.
LSD: How did The Shakes come to be involved in The Square Affair?
JD: I banded together Chicago's finest young event planners Ian & Quinn Tsan, Kate Paris (Grape Juice Records), and Donnie Biggins (Harmonica Dunn, Chicago Roots Collective) to put together an annual event. The show went through a few forms and potential neighborhoods before we all realized we were equally in love with Logan Square, where we all happen to live and make our music... So it was simply a matter of getting the date, hooking up with Empty Bottle Presents, doing our best work yet and involving everyone we could! We've received sponsorship from over ten locally owned businesses including beer sponsorship from Old Style. With our 'Square Affair' merchandise, we're raising money for Intonation- a Logan Square non-profit that puts instruments and lessons into the hands of underprivileged children. We are fully intending on reaching our sell out mark of 800 covers and tickets, and we need all the help we can get. We are very proud of the work we've been doing and can not thank our sponsors enough. Speaking of... New Wave Cafe, El Cid, Haritics Salon, Fresh Picks, Caio, Café con Leche, The Rocking Horse, The Boiler Room, Twisted Scizzors, and Old Style: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
Tell your friends about the party of the summer: The Square Affair @ The Logan Square Auditorium 8/27 8:00pm $8/$12door 17+. Jon Drake & The Shakes with The Shams Band, The MPLS Henrys, Derek Nelson and the Musicians.
Come see us for Sundays on The Square- each Sunday leading up to the event, we gather in front of Wolfbait for acoustic performances, good times, promotion of the show, and lots of smiles. We are getting to know our neighbors, you should too!
LSD: You guys have the numbers on your side, but who would win in a fight between The Shakes and the Minneapolis Henrys? Be honest.
JD: Don't mess with The Shakes man...
LSD: When can we expect the next record from The Shakes?
JD: Our next record "Side B" is due out in the late fall of this year. Keep a look out.
LSD: You’ve got seven and a half words to sell The Square Affair, let people know why they should come out…go!
JD: The Square Affair: party of the summer.
And indeed it just may be. Be sure to check it out Friday, August 27th at the Logan Square Auditorium.
