Band On The Go
After 13 years and five albums, the ska band Go Jimmy Go is definitely on the go, touring farther and farther from home while maintaining a solid fan base in the Islands (from left) Jay ‘Jayder’ Kalk, Ian Ashley, Eric White, Shon Gregory, Jason ‘Bison’ Friedmann and Ryan Kunimura
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With a new album just out, the Go Jimmy Go guys are enjoying time at home after touring in 30 states
Who said 13 is an unlucky number? Celebrating 13 years together, Go Jimmy Go is back from a successful West Coast tour, just in time for the anticipated release of their self-titled album, Go Jimmy Go.
It’s been one heck of a ride, but they’re loving every minute of it.
“Just like any relationship, it’s not always easy, but it’s about transcending the trivial things that get in the way,” says Eric White, tenor saxophonist. “I guess it’s all about being able to look at the bigger goal and picture instead of the small things that get in the way.”
It’s that forward motion that has kept Go Jimmy Go always looking to the next goal instead of dwelling on the negatives. And it’s that movement that has been the foundation of what makes the band such as force in the music industry - and one of the reasons they chose their name.
“Go Jimmy Go is actually an old Bob Marley tune, but we liked it because it felt positive and had momentum,” explains White.
As part of their forward progression and constant creation of new goals, in 2004 the group decided to quit their jobs and tour full time. Having already done the West Coast tours and gigs throughout the Islands, they were ready for a new adventure.
“Every time we go, it’s just a little bit further than the last step, so it’s about reaching a little further every time,” adds White. “That’s what’s driving this ship forward - always doing something new and different. And that goes from album to album, and tour to tour.”
Go Jimmy Go spent almost all of 2004-2007 on the road touring in a cramped van (not a luxurious tour bus). It was an experience that White says showed them the ultimate highs and lows that come with being in a band.
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“After about three years of that, we were done,” says White. “We were tired because we did some rough touring, and it’s really hard unless you have a big record label or booking agent.”
In those three years they visited more than 30 states, traveled throughout Asia and Europe, and managed to make it back to Hawaii still intact.
“Being around for so long, we’ve been through a lot of trying times,” adds White. “It’s not until you travel a lot and seriously tour that you really feel that weight. Just being on the road just creates so many situations that could go wrong, but there are also so many cool things, so you live for the benefits and fear the bad stuff.
“We’re a lot older now than when we were in our early 20s touring for the first time. We’re more mature, and we don’t do all the dumb things that make each other angry. You know how to treat each other well and just be cool. That’s the difference. Being cramped in a van for two months can really get to people.”
The surviving members of the band known for its “island sound known the world around” are lead vocalist Jason “Bison” Friedmann, Jay “Jayder” Kalk on bass, Ian Ashley on lead guitar, Shon Gregory on drums and Ryan Kunimura on trombone.
“We’ve had our fair share of fights on the road and tons of arguments, and we’ve had people fired,” says White, who was born and raised in Aiea and graduated from Damien. “And people live their own lives and move on, but the band keeps going.”
The newest members of the band are Kalk and Kunimura. The two climbed on board more than two years ago when the group was in the midst of recording its debut Christmas album, Holiday Hell Yeah!
“I would have to say that the most memorable moment for me is when Go Jimmy Go asked me to join them in 2007,” says Kalk. “I knew them from years of touring Hawaii and running into them on the Mainland while I toured with Warsaw Poland Bros. So I packed up my bass and left Arizona to move to Hawaii to join the legendary Go Jimmy Go.”
Their album resume is now five strong: Slow Time released in 2000, Soul Arrival in 2002, The Girl with The ... Fishbowl Eyes in 2005, Holiday Hell Yeah! in 2007. And now a self-titled piece?
White says, “The new album is an explanation of all the members of the band and their past experiences. It’s also self-titled because we felt like it was a rebirth of the band when the new guys joined. These really experienced and talented guys added new life to the band, and we were stoked all over again. It was like back in the day and that’s what led to this new album, which is kind of like a rebirth of who we are.”
The history of the group dates back to 1996 when founding members Eric White, Ian Ashley, Cameron Wright, Larry Gordon and Tyson Balmores had a dream to be the biggest ska band in Hawaii - literally, in terms of members.
They grouped together 12 people forming the original Go Jimmy Go, a ska, rock-steady, reggae and soul band that got its start at a night club called The Vibe at Puck’s Alley.
“Our goals have been like baby steps,” says White. “When we first started, our goal was to go to the Mainland and do our first tour, then it was figuring out how to record an album. Next thing you know we’re touring, which everyone digs because we get to travel and play in front of new audiences all across the U.S.”
In 2005, the group was faced with a heavy blow. Friedmann, engaged to be married at the time, was diagnosed with a heart ailment that could’ve ended his music career. Good news for him and the group, he was given the OK to continue playing. As the main song-writer for the group, Friedmann has channeled that experience into many of Go Jimmy Go’s songs.
“I pull from many different periods in my life and put it on the table, and all the musicians in the band came up with melodies and rhythms to support the lyrics in a beautiful way,” says Friedmann, who with wife Angelica is raising three children, Casius, Kiva and Raven.
And it’s a good thing, because 2006 proved to be a big year for the band, scoring a killer slot on the Ska Brawl Tour with the legendary Toasters, and also releasing their first-ever international album, Island Sounds, in Japan.
And 2009 is looking up. Their new album features 14 tracks that can only be described as their best yet. A few songs to look out for are: Own Thang, Hip Hipocrites, Head Up High and Devil In Her Soul.
“This album is more cohesive and more focused than any albums previous,” adds Kalk.
And just last month the group teamed up with The Phenomenauts for a Space 5-0 West Coast tour that they said may very well have been the most stress-free
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