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Off The Leash...
Topics: Ray Luzier, Shane Gibson, Zach Baird, Miles Mosley, Shenkar, Bakotopia, Bakersfield, interview, BRyder's, LIVE, solo, performance, concert, February 2009, Korn, SFA, Simply Fucking Amazing, jonathan davis, Richard Gibbs
Posted by matt Fri Feb 13, 2009 13:48:36 PST
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Jonathan Davis
At home for the record - live with the SFA at BRyder's, Feb. 26!

<3-PART FULL LENGTH AUDIO INTERVIEW AT LEFT! OR CLICK ME!

<PLUS! NEW VIDEOS FROM THE BRYDER'S SHOW AT LEFT!



By Matt Munoz, Bakotopia Editor
BRyder's photos by Mike Lopez Photography

Jonathan Davis is coming home to raise hell again.

But don’t get your holy water out just yet - this rock god isn’t as devilish as you think.

Shy, soft spoken, but with a youthful friendliness more befitting of a new dad than demon, Davis is rock’s reluctant prophet of rage - especially when he’s at home.



“I love Bakersfield,” said Davis, 38, of his hometown during an afternoon visit at BRyder’s, 7701 White Ln., where he’ll also be performing a rare intimate show on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. “I like the people, it’s grounding for me, and it’s my home.”

As the lead singer of one of this generation’s most successful and influential rock bands - KORN, this will be Davis’ first show back in a venue this size in over 14 years.

“Not since 1995,” he said of the BRyder’s un-arena like confines. “I mean we (KORN,) played small clubs, but a bar? Not since ‘95”.


Above: Vintage KORN flier from early gig...

The brainchild of Davis’ sister, Alyssa, whose harbored plans to see her brother performing back in his original musical habitat for quite sometime, the show promises to be more than just a return home.

“It’s awesome,” said Davis proudly of his sister’s enthusiasm to take on such an ambitious event project - even by family hook-up standards. “I'm not too big to do this. I'll play in a garage. It’s about music.”


KORN chillin - Jonathan at BRyder's with photog Mike Lopez

For hardcore fans, much is known about Davis’ pre-KORN life - his job at the county coroner’s office, moving away to pursue music, etc … But what of the singer’s lesser known stage sightings?

Many locals were introduced to Davis during the legendary Radio Rain Dance music festival of ‘92 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, when he took a guest spot with another popular local band, Cradle of Thorns. During one of the band’s final songs, he was introduced to the crowd by lead Cradle vocalist, Ty Elam.



When asked about the show, Davis pauses then returns …

“Man, I don’t remember that,” he laughed with a hint of frustration. “When I was in Sex Art (his first local band), then KORN, I really started feeling like I had to live the rock star lifestyle - or what I thought a rock star should be. I was doing every drug I could get my hands on. My role model was Jim Morrison (The Doors), so a lot of those memories are foggy.”



But one of Davis’ fond recollections does include legendary ‘90s all ages club, Bam Bams, originally located on the corner of 20th & M streets in downtown. On any given night the club was a packed mix of alternative lifestyles, punks, mods, gay and lesbian, but a place where Davis and friends felt safe to be themselves. The club also played host to a cast of unusual regulars.

“All the crazy stuff that went on there, it was cool,” he said. “There was Roger - the black, gay skinhead who had all these white skinheads with him. I was there the night he was throwing shovels at the windows. What was up with that?”


Above: Former location of BAM BAMS nightclub in Bakersfield

Moving to Huntington Beach in ‘93 to join future bandmates - James “Munky” Shaffer, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, Brian “Head” Welch, and David Silveria in the band Creep, he left the security of home. That’s where the real story begins.

“I could’ve easily just settled and eventually bought a house,” he explained of his choice to pursue his musical dreams. “I gave all that up to go completely poor, even live under some stairs and barely scrape by - but look where it got me.”


Above: KORN's first promo photo

Creep became KORN and success began with the buzz of a new SoCal sound, fashion, and spokesperson for troubled youth after the death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain in ‘94. Many young fans looked to Davis to take up the torch after Cobain’s tragic demise.

“I didn’t want to be that person,” he said. “I was medicated - a lot.”

Feeling the weight, KORN achieved multi-platinum success, due in part to their masterful marketing plan keeping fans in the mix.



“We embraced it early on,” said Davis of the band’s early use of technology to reach the world. “We were the first band to do a live band webcast of any kind. We got featured in TIME magazine, and used early Quicktime video technology so fans could look at us in the studio. I knew it was going to be the new thing, so we just kept on doing it.”

And still does.

At his new official website - www.jdsfa.com - visitors are greeted by a video of Davis, as well as a real-time video stream from inside the singer’s home studio.


Above: cover of JDSFA's solo DVD

“Kids have been watching me make my album the whole time. At first I was just writing, so I left the sound on, but now that I’m recording, I have the sound off, otherwise they’re just gonna rip it and it’ll be leaked everywhere,” he said.

For the uninitiated, the letters ‘JDSFA’ are an acronym for the singer’s solo band - Jonathan Davis & the Simply Fucking Amazings.


Above: Jonathan and the SFA's!

With a growing number of solo projects added to his impressive resume - including 2002’s “Queen of The Damned” soundtrack, the Twilight Zone revival TV-series, among others, Davis’ creative associations have also evolved.

Former Oingo Boingo keyboardist Richard Gibbs and Davis worked on QOTD together, becoming close friends and colleagues during the learning process.



“Richard’s an amazing guy, he’s taught me so much and took me under his wing,” he said of Gibbs. “When you’re doing a score you’re painting an emotional picture of what’s going on. They hired us to do QOTD even before they shot the movie! We got the songs done and they shot the movie around the songs.”

Although the movie was a minor hit, the project was both a milestone for Davis, and a sad reminder of the short life of RnB singer Aaliyah Haughton who played the lead in the film. The movie was released six months after her tragic death in a plane crash over the Bahamas. Despite his relation to the movie, Davis never got a chance to speak to the actress throughout filming.

“We had to talk ‘through’ people because we were going to work together,” he remembered. “When she passed, her brother Rashad came and lived with me for about four months to help him get over it, so I got close to the family. It was just devastating.”

Ready to sail the solo-course again while KORN takes a short break from recording and touring - Davis is planning on bringing his all-star guns fully loaded to BRyder’s on Feb. 26.



“I’m bringing the whole SFA,” he said. “Miles Mosley on upright bass (Gnarls Barkley, Lauren Hill), Zach “Horse” Baird on keyboards (KORN, Beck), Ray Luzier on drums (KORN, David Lee Roth), Shenkar on violin (Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel), Shane Gibson on guitar (KORN), and little old me.”

According to Davis, the live show promises to be unlike anything you’d expect and more.



“We’ll play a lot of QOTD stuff, KORN songs I haven’t played in a longtime, and a lot of covers,” he said. “It’s going to be very intimate - a show you’ve never seen - because it’s in this setting. You never know what’s gonna happen - I might even pull out some new shit.”

Hoping to reignite and inspire the Bakersfield music scene with some much need energy, the composer of “Freak On A Leash” and “Blind” doesn’t rest on his laurels, unless maybe he’s at home.



“It trips me out. I look back at all the songs we’ve done - almost 200,” he smiled. “But I don’t really slow down that much to kick back and think. I might croak.”

Nearby in the distance, Davis’ irresistibly cute young sons, Zeppelin and Pirate, are being followed carefully by Davis’ sister and friend Kym, soon joining dad when our photo session commences.

“I’m proud we put Bakersfield on the music map,” Davis said before parting. “The Bakersfield Sound thing with country had been going long enough. It needed something different going on.”


An Evening With Jonathan Davis
featuring the SFA's
-Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009
-BRyder’s, 7701 White Ln.
-8 p.m. / 21+
-Reserved tickets: $100 & up
-Meet & greet tickets available
-Seats are limited
-Info: 661-397-7304

 Also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 48, 2-19-09!

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Comment From: sH3LLz

awesome!!! Comment From: AmyMomiex2

Cools ! Comment From: mentoburu2

If you're a KORN fan, don't miss this show. But seriously, if you're a fan of good music, YOU SHOULD NOT miss this show. The musicians he's bringing are phenomenal! You won't see this anywhere else. I'm there...

Comment From: stillinbw

Gonna be amazing!!!! Comment From: matt

The show was truly amazzzzzing. The sound, the band, the crowd... If you weren't there you missed one of the greatest shows ever. Production couldn't have been smoother....incredible.