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Shot Baker – “Ode to Kerouac”
This Saturday, Shot Baker is playing at Beat Kitchen with Vacation Bible School, The Eradicator, No Enemy!, and Mofaza. They’re also releasing a new EP on the same day, courtesy of Underground Communiqué Records, called Crack in the Code. When asked about the origins of this EP, singer Tony Kovacs provided a detailed backstory. He said, “In 2009, we were on an East coast tour with Naked Raygun when we parted ways with our guitarist John Krohn over retrospectively stupid shit that we probably could have mended. But, tensions can run high on tour. We had a bunch of good material we wrote with John that we ended up scrapping. In his place we got Steven Jenkins and started fresh, writing all new material. In 2011, we were very close to recording a full-length, but I kind of freaked out and decided to quit the band and move to Colorado. At that point we had good material with both John and Steven that never saw the light of day.” He continued, “Since then we’ve all made up and become friends again. In 2017, we did a reunion show with John and promoted the show as the “original lineup,” with the understanding that anything we do after that show will be a five-piece with both John and Steven on guitar. So, Crack in the Code is a handful of stuff we wrote with Steven and some stuff we wrote with John to sort of merge talents on one release and solidify Shot Baker as a five-piece band.”
We’re premiering the video for one of the EP’s songs below, called “Ode to Kerouac.” When describing his motivations for writing the song, Kovacs said “At surface level, it’s a huge dis to Jack Kerouac. But despite the scornful lyrics, I view it as a proper homage. It’s really just a dis on myself. When I study Kerouac, I notice patterns, fears and mistakes that remind me of myself. I read the ramblings of a guy who had his head and heart pointed in the right direction, but ultimately flopped. His adventures in Buddhism and his glorification of society’s undesirables is hugely influential, but he wasn’t able to maintain his convictions. He ended up dying a lonely, anti-Semitic, right-wing alcoholic.” He added, “In one of his books, a Zen master told him that he has ‘Zen flesh but no Zen bones,’ (a line I use in the song) which really shook him to his core. Turns out the Zen master was right. So, through my own Buddhist studies and other adventures, I’ve picked up on certain insights that I know have to be properly cultivated or they’ll be lost. I don’t think I’ll become an anti-Semitic alcoholic, but I’m pretty lousy at converting insights into lifestyle.”
When looking ahead to Saturday’s show, Kovacs commented “I used to work at Beat Kitchen and Shot Baker had some of our most memorable shows there, so I’m excited to play for nostalgic reasons. But mostly I’m looking forward to the energy of a roomful of people who care about these songs we made. That’s an amazing feeling.” The show starts at 8:00 PM, is 17+ and tickets can be purchased here.
Shot Baker @ Cobra Lounge, 5/20/17
On Saturday, May 20th, Shot Baker will return with its original lineup and play Cobra Lounge alongside Avenues and Shots Fired Shots Fired. We recently caught up with singer Tony Kovacs and spoke about how exactly this reunion came to be. He explained that the departure of guitarist John Krohn in 2009, followed by the exit of drummer Chris Gach had left the band with only half of its founding members. After years of touring, the wind in the sails of the group had understandably begun to weaken. Kovacs eventually opted to move to Colorado to be with his girlfriend, (now wife) and to pursue a doctorate in audiology. Over the last five or so years, several of the band’s members have started families, while bassist Nat Wright currently plays in 88 Fingers Louie.
When asked as to how this show came together, Kovacs said “We’ve long since set aside our differences and really just wanted to play a show together again. We’re no longer trying to live off this band so we can really just have fun with it, which is how it should be. In the early years, Shot Baker was a total lightning bolt. Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing, but we really wanted to do a show that represented the urgency and volatility of the early years. That’s why this is an ‘original lineup’ show.” When speaking about expectations for the show, he said “I’m mostly looking forward to seeing everyone again. All of the people who helped this band along the way are going to be there: Mike Petryshyn of Riot Fest, Justin Schwier of Underground Communiqué Records, a ton of our close friends…I just can’t wait to see all those people in the same room again. And, obviously, I can’t wait to play again. Five years of academia as a mid-late thirties adult is rough. This show is like breaking out of prison for me.”
Lastly, when discussing the band’s plans beyond this show, Kovacs hinted at possible future endeavors. He said, “Before we broke up, we had written an album with (guitarist) Steven Jenkins that never got released. It’s a shame, because it’s easily some of the best stuff we’ve done. We really want those songs to see the light of day at some point. There have been talks about collecting the very best of that unreleased album with Steven and the best of the unreleased stuff we did with John and meshing it all together as an absolute stunner of a record. I have no idea when or if that record will actually get made, but if it ever does, it’ll be great. Any Shot Baker activity after this ‘original lineup’ show will include Steven as a second guitarist, but who knows when the next show will happen. We’re all so busy right now.” Tickets for what is sure to be a memorable evening can be purchased here.
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