With Jacob on lead vocals and keys, the talented quartet create a unique musical blend of piano-driven rock and roll described by Miami Herald/Metromix as “bursting with hook-filled melodies and dramatic, instantly likable vocals,” that grab at your soul and refuse to let go which, paired with the young songwriter’s surprisingly insightful lyrics keep audiences out of their seats and singing along show after show.
Jacob Jeffries Band will participate in a Live Recording at Eddie’s Attic! He caught up with us before the show.
What’s the first gig you ever attended?
The first show I had ever been to was in South Florida, my family took me to go see The Wallflowers at a race track/casino. Usually you see washed up, back in the game after vanishing from the spotlight years ago kind of bands at casinos…but the Wallflowers were at the top of their game and kicking ass. Why they were playing the racetrack? Don’t ask me. I was 7, it didn’t matter. They were touring off their first major release, Bringing Down The Horse – the soundtrack of my tumultuously stressful 1st grade. Anyway, they rocked, hard. I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the organ player – his hands were spiders crawling erratically all over the keys in front of him. Singing along at the top of my lungs at times. Quietly mesmerized and soaking it in at other moments. It was inspirational.
What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?
Pinpointing a specific show we’ve played as my ‘favorite’ is difficult. Fortunate as I am to have played so many incredibly rewarding shows, I will say one outstandingly euphoric honor was winning the Eddie’s Attic singer/songwriter “Shootout”. In a seemingly blasphemous display of competition, contestants were matched up against each other to showcase their individual songs. After a gruelingly long process packed tightly with anxiety and hope, we advanced, advanced, advanced, and won. In good company with John Mayer and the Indigo Girls, I held my trophy high, happy and proud. Indeed it was monumental, but just another small step in the drudge.
What is the best gig you have ever seen?
Ah, all of these “best” questions… Well, I have seen Wilco half a dozen times, they are probably the easy answer. On the other hand, because it’s fresh, I could say Patrick Watson. I saw him a few weeks ago at Bowery Ballroom and his band literally electrified the place – (his drummer smashed a lightbulb on stage, sparks flew everywhere). But the best. Best? Ok, the best. Growing up The Beatles taught me everything I needed to know about music. Half because they provided a sturdy foundation for almost every professional in modern music to build on, and half because I love my mom. The Beatles served their purpose, and then some, in my house growing up. My mother constantly blasted deep cut after deep cut from every release and B side imaginable. If we flubbed on a lyric to a song like… Savoy Truffle, she was disappointed. It wasn’t just the music though, often my mother disciplined my sister and I based on the mantras and socially applicable quotes The Beatles divulged and advocated in interviews and press conferences. Obsessed? Maybe. In love. Yeah, she loved them. But most of all, she taught my sister and I, what passion was. How to feel. What it was like to love something so much. To love the music, to respect each and every lyric as much as the songwriters themselves did as they wrote a song. Every idea, every word as it shook free from the shackles of a cloudy Beatle brain and meandered it’s way from pen to paper… What was the question again? Oh yeah, my favorite show? Paul McCartney. South Florida. 2002. I was 14 at the time. My mother was 44, but there we were singing along, watching our childhoods blur and meld together, courtesy of a man on stage with a catalog of passion that spans decades and united families under one very special umbrella around the world. That’s the best.
Gig you would most like to play?
The Olympics.
What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
Line up? Dead or Alive? cool. Me – lead vocals (obviously). Billy Preston – keys. Paul McCartney – Bass. Mike Campbell – Guitar. George Harrison – Guitar. Darren Jesse – Drums. Stevie Nicks – singing with me. This is a dream. In reality, I have the most talented group of guys parked right behind me every night, a dream for most.
Suzanna Choffel joins Jacob Jeffies Band Thursday, November 29th at Eddie’s Attic
