"Would you be interested in covering Jedeye Mindfunk?" says John Strand peering at me patiently through his bifocals from across his desk. His office is rather orderly and inviting, unlike Raul's cluttered office. His room makes John look like a cokehead.
"Uh, that sounds alright." I reply. I already turned down the country western singer and the techno bit. I don't know shinola about jam bands, but I better not press my luck.
"You know who they are, right?" he asks.
"Sure, they're a jam band. They play where I work sometimes (Great Northern)." I reply
"They're starting to get a lot of buzz, and we'd like to pick up on that." He says.
"Okay, no problem. To be perfectly honest, I've had a little history with one of the guys- well, Jed, actually. You see, a while back I was walking to work and I found this 10,000 Lakes ticket on the ground, so I sold it hours later to pay the rent. Come to find out, Jed was holding that ticket for a friend and it all ended in this sordid drama and being threatened by this tall, menacing hippie."
"Oh, I see. Maybe it would be better to have you do something else?"
"Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem." I insist. "I'll do it."
I arrive on Saturday night at the Great Northern (GNR), a bar and restaurant quickly becoming more known for its nightlife (in part, thanks to the recent addition of former Ralph's show promoter Jay Miller) than its exquisite microbrews. I grab a Coke and scan the bar while Jedeye Mindfunk (JMF) sets up onstage. An eclectic ensemble of patrons pour into the bar. The hippies gather in the lower level, to do hippie things, and there are an impressive amount of thirty-somethings sitting around tables; women wearing flower print blouses and large hoop earrings drink Cosmos, while men in fancy leather jackets talk about stocks and bonds. Beyond the choice of attire, everyone is here to have a good time, as JMF is the "funnest band in Fargo", so I'm told. But the bloke sharing this bit of info seems a little off. That or just drunk. So I decide to ask around.
I approach Matt Weiner, the sound tech at the GNR, about what makes JMF so special. "They're really great to watch. Jed is a spazz. His brain works faster than his mouth, and it's just a trainwreck." He says.
I ask Matt about the alleged debauchery (non-ticket related) that went down before 10,000 Lakes Fest.
"Oh man, I don't think I want to comment on that. I don't want to incriminate anyone."
I spot Anthony Bergman of the local rock band Cosmic Kibosh about his thoughts on JMF.
"They bring a lot of energy and funk through melodies that everyone in the band participates in."
Who's that square guy sitting in the lower level, clutching a notepad and drinking a Coke? Oh, that's just me. The rest of the crowd, which has swelled twofold, is about to go off when Jed lays down a thick, swanky bass line. The rest of the band slowly joins the fray, building tension until the song cannot be contained any further. Then the boys explode into an all out disco-funk extravaganza, and before you know it, the crowd has been summoned to get the funk up, and get the funk down.
But while the crowd is dancing and having a noticeably good time, I can't help but to notice that...JMF is a pretty damn good band. They blend the best elements of funk, soul, disco, 70's rock, and jam to create rather intelligent, interesting arrangements. In fact, JMF really isn't a jam band at all, contrary to my previous notions (and their somewhat patchouli-sportin' fanbase). Most of their songs hit the finish line under 5 minutes and there's no wanking off on solos or any of that nonsense. They reach deep into the bag for their influences, which span James Brown, Prince, Parliament, and I can even hear the Rolling Stones. Though genre's away from my particular tastes in music, I can't help but get caught in the wheel and nod my head to the funk.
Jed works the crowd in between songs with charisma bordering lunacy. His mouth spins like a motor, "If your body feels like groovin', by all means then answer to it," he spits out. By now, everyone with a pulse is off their chair and shaking it on the dance floor, and I can't help but smile.
The first of two sets are over and I bow out respectfully. Not because I'm bored, but because I'm off to do nerd things for the night.
* * * Today I'm back at ground zero, catching the tail end of the Vikings game. Culpepper is really taking the Saints secondary apart, even though they can no longer stretch the field like their days with Moss. I could get lost in dissecting why the Vikes are 0-2, but I'm actually here to catch up with JMF as they load up their gear after last night's raucous performance.
"We definitely have the best time out of any other bands in Fargo." Says Jed Bonjtes, bassist of JMF. "That's one thing we've noticed, and we've all been in the music scene for a few years. Seeing all these bands- no one seems to be having a good time. The difference is we allow the audience to have a good time. We facilitate it, even."
The boys do indeed enjoy themselves, perhaps a little too much. I attempt to shake out information about pre-10,000 Lakes Fest shenanigans, but the boys remain stoic.
"I think we all took the opportunity to, uh-" -Jed.
"Expand our minds." Says Josh Maynard.
"To become one with the funk." Says Jed.
Surprisingly, the first time JMF rehearsed as a full band, was actually their first gig at the Battle of the Bands show on June 6th of this year. Out of between 200-300 entries and around 30 participants, JMF stole the show and won a coveted spot on the 10,000 Lakes Festival. The 3 day music festival in Detroit Lakes drew an estimated 15,000 attendees, and showcased highly renown musicians such as Widespread Panic, Trey Anastacio, the Black Crowes, and Les Claypool, to name a few.
Jedeye Mindfunk took the stage on the last day of the festival, to a full capacity crowd.
"I was a little worried," says Jed, "it being noon on a Sunday in a saloon. We thought that no one would be there. But the whole place was full and everyone seemed to like us." In the end, the festival proved to be a lucrative way for the boys to network with other bands to help pave the way for a possible cross-country tour.
"You have to give it a certain push," says Jed talking about the future of the band. "Right now it's just fun to play. We're looking at doing a tour...maybe a quick loop around the country...maybe even the world!" His eyes light up, "Actually, our next goal is to be the house band on the Carson Daly Show!"
With that said, JMF is definitely a band you have to see live.
"Doesnt matter what kind of genres of music you like, you're going to enjoy the show," Jed concludes.
We part ways and I've escaped a beat down for the ticket fiasco, and the Vikings wrapped up their first win of the season. And if you don't believe my hommies JMF aren't the funnest band in Fargo, then get the funk up and see them in action.