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The power of positive drinking >> Jerry Jerry is older, wiser and has replaced his Sons of Rhythm Orchestra with four sons and a daughter
Mirror: So why the hell did a hard-drinkin', God-fearin', roots-rockin' band like Jerry Jerry & the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra ever move to Montreal from Alberta? Jerry Jerry: [laughs] That was a long time ago--not that I remember it clearly. I do remember it having something to do with beer being in all the stores. Basically, we knew we had a real good thing happening and we had to get out of Edmonton. And we had a good deal of fun our first time here: we came into town and did three shows in one day! Somebody at the time said that it wasn't a band, it was a drinking cult, which it was to a certain extent. M: During the '80s, it seemed like you were on a mission from God to shout at the devil--the whole atheist, veggie, anti-free trade crew. JJ: That wasn't our raison d'être, but it was an excellent little perk--to be able to take a holier-than-thou attitude, so to speak. There was a really hostile blurb in the Mirror about the first record that called us right-wing rednecks, but we loved stuff like that back then. We wanted to distance ourselves from everybody else as much as possible. I used to call myself a libertarian, or an anarcho-capitalist, or a minarchist--you know, minimal government. M: So now it's the late '90s and we have a mainstream political party whose platform is largely based on that. JJ: To me, all that seemed inevitable, including the progression into increasing power to corporations and lessening power to governments. You could see that coming years ago. But then I started having children and I completely forgot about politics. Poor people don't have time for that sort of thing. M: And you've got five kids! How do family life and rock mix? JJ: I have an understanding wife. I was a touring rock 'n' roller when we met, and I don't think she expects the same level of responsibility--or maturity--that other wives might expect of their husbands. So it's great, I get to be a kid, too. M: Your latest album The Sound and the Jerry is real minimalist, just voice and guitar and some percussion. Why go that route? JJ: Well, the first album was basically a rockabilly album, and Battle Hymn of the Apartment was more of a rock 'n' roll record, and the third one was what we thought was more contemporary pop-sounding. And with the new one I didn't have a band, so I just did lyrics, so that's basically what it is--lyrics. M: You took a break from music before this album. Are your goals different now? JJ: There's no expectations. I'm not in competition and I really don't want to be in competition. I'm not doing this to try to get to the top of the heap anymore. This is much more of a thing for my own personal pleasure. I do it when I want to and how I want to. It makes it quite pleasant, if not geared toward success. M: I imagine you don't party as hearty as you used to? JJ: No, you learn your tolerances. I went to a party last Friday with the intention of getting hung over, because I haven't been hung over in six months or more, and I couldn't even do it! I had two beers and I just didn't feel like having anymore. So I came home. I know that sounds terrible. M: It seems as if a lot has changed with you. I heard that the guy who sang "Pushin' for Jesus" was considering converting to Judaism? JJ: I did think about doing a little research and finding out if there might be some reason to convert to Judaism. As you read the Bible, that seems to be who it's for, so I was thinking I should look into it. But I never got around to it. I got distracted by computer games and things like that. So I remain as ever. I believe in a higher power of some sort, but that's as far as I could go. I think there's hardly a religion in the world that I'd be successful at. And it would have to allow for a little drinking. Jerry Jerry and band play YAWP! with Catherine Kidd, Child 44 and many others this Friday, April 24 at Cabaret. Jerry also headlines this Saturday, April 25 at Blizzarts
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by CHRIS YURKIW