street roots
Nov. 9, 2012
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P H O T O B Y M IC H A E L L A V IN E
Judah B auer (far right) with his Jon Spencer Blues Explosion bandmates, Russel Sim ins (left) and Jon Spencer (center).
As a fo u n d in g m em ber o f the Jon
S p e n c e r B in e s -Exp losion, Judah B auer knows how to deliver a punch
BY SUE ZALOKAR
S T A F F W R IT E R
hen The Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion formed in New York City
in the early ‘90s, it was like they
threw a bomb in the middle of the indie-rock
and blues-punk scene - a non-lethal bomb
with no bass. The combination of a
cacophony of distorted guitars of Jon
Spencer and Judah Bauer, the driving,
syncopated beats of Russell Simins and the
eerie sounds of the Theremin set the stage
for a band that would forever be emblazoned
in the minds and hearts of an audience that
would follow them on their 20 year journey.
Make no mistake, were it not for the
pioneering of these three visionaries, the
road to fame might have been more rocky
for the bands that would follow their lead:
W
Sleater-Kinney, The White Stripes and The
Black Keys to name a few.
I spoke with Explosion lead guitarist and
NYC resident Judah Bauer just hours before
landfall of Hurricane Sandy. Bauer,
seemingly unphased by the impending
devastation that was barreling toward the
East Coast, tidied his West Side apartment
while we talked about — among other topics
— the band’s latest studio album, “Meat and
Bone.”
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion will hit
in Portland on Nov. 12 with an appearance
at the Doug Fir. Sandy be damned.
was out last night and it was completely
deserted. Everything closed at six except
for the people that wanted to see the
spectacle. Some stuff has been blown over.
It looks like the cops are out right now.
Maybe they are shutting down a tunnel or
something. I don’t know. It sure seems like
nothing is gonna happen, but who knows?
It will all change in the next six hours.
S.Z.: Are you aware o f any services in place
for the homeless population in NYC?
J.B.: Yeah. There are like 70 shelters set
up in the city. And there is free
transportation. The city seems to be well
S u e Zalokar: Where are you?
Judah Bauer: I’m on the West Side I
See BAUER, page 9
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