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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2015)
J Jesse Lee Falls He’s paid his dues — now he plays his music and shares his knowledge Jesse Lee Falls has come full circle. His life story reads like a ballad full of highs and lows, bumps and grinds. It’s hardly a new story: an out-of-work guitar player, broke and broken — no money, no car, no home. Four years ago that was Falls. VERSE ONE: How low can you go “It was around four years ago when one af- ternoon my buddy and I, both out of work, are sitting on his front porch drinking beer,” says Falls. “I’ll never know why, but suddenly I get up, go inside.” He gets on the computer and looks at Craig- VOLVW+H¿QGVDQDGIURPD%HQW%HDW3URGXF tions, a recording company in Sherwood. “It was a big ad, and it was clear that they knew what they were talking about. I’ve spent over 20 years studying the business of the mu- sic business,” Falls 9 p.m. Saturday, April 18 VD\V ³%RWWRP OLQH Astoria Event Center %HQW%HDW LV ORRNLQJ 255 Ninth St., Astoria to sign singer-song- writers. I see this one tickettomato.com opportunity, and I 503-861-3820 promise myself I will $10 do whatever it takes to make this work. I get my catalog of music and my demo and — re- member I’m broke — hitchhike from Astoria to %HQW%HDW¶VVWXGLR ³&DOOLWWKHODZRIDWWUDFWLRQRUSRVLWLYHDI¿U PDWLRQZKDWHYHU,¶PD¿UPEHOLHYHU´KHVD\V ³(YHUVLQFH,UHDGWKDW%HQW%HDWDGHYHU\JRDO I’ve set, I’ve accomplished.” Jesse Lee Falls Band CD Release Party VERSE TWO: He’s Back! )RXU%HQW%HDWLQWHUYLHZVDUHFRUGLQJFRQ tract, new CDs and two about-to-be released videos: Hello, Jesse Lee Falls. On Saturday, $SULOWKH-HVVH/HH)DOOV%DQG&'5HOHDVH 3DUW\ LV VHW WR URFN WKH UDIWHUV RI WKH $VWRULD Event Center. Falls and his band are celebrating WKHLUQHZDOEXP³3OD\0\*XLWDU´7KHEDQG includes Justin Kerley, Keith Warren, Calen Uh- OLJ-HII'RWWHU(ULQ/HH$WNLQVRQ&XUWLV%XU QHWW6KHOE\<RXPDQVDQG-RQ3DUURW Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show gets go- LQJDWSP7LFNHWVDUHDQGDUHDYDLODEOHDW WLFNHWWRPDWRFRP7KH3RUWRI&DOOE\FDOOLQJ 503-861-3820 and at the door the night of the performance. Falls’ songwriting is reminiscent of early ’70s funk: Earth, Wind and Fire with the mod- HUQDSSHDORI-DPLURTXDLDQGWKH5HG+RW&KLOL 3HSSHUV 7KH EDQG¶V VRXQG LV LQÀXHQFHG E\ legendary greats Joe Satriani, Jimi Hendrix and (ULF&ODSWRQ$VWRULD¶V6KDQJKDLHG5ROOHU'ROOV provide some outrageous background activity in the premiering video releases. Did someone say something about mud? Also on the evening’s party agenda, the \HDUROG )DOOV D IRUPHU 86 &RDVW *XDUG Coastie, hopes to share some insights with other musicians about the business of making a living making music that he’s learned along his jour- ney. “For the most part a young musician’s life is full of image and illusion. You tend to think that being discovered is putting yourself out there, often in little hole-in-the-wall places,” Falls says. “You want to get the gigs; musicians need to appear to be busy. ‘Here’s my calendar’ \RXVD\WRFOXERZQHUV7KH\ORRNDWLWVHHLW¶V full and are impressed. So you’re out there. You slave; you grind. You’re still broke. It’s a com- mon image, the struggle and strife is part of a \RXQJPXVLFLDQ¶VULWHRISDVVDJH%XWLW¶VDOVR how bands burn out. One of the hardest things in music is keeping any band together. the arts ³0XVLFLDQV QHHG WR WKLQN RXWVLGH WKH ER[ about their opportunities,” Falls continues. ³7HOHYLVLRQ PRYLHV UDGLR DQG FRPPHUFLDOV Every time music plays, whether it’s two sec- onds of background or a song in a restaurant, somebody somewhere is getting a royalty check. Some of my favorite artists aren’t in the OLPHOLJKWEXW¿QDQFLDOO\WKH\¶UHVXSHUVXFFHVV ful.” %HQW%HDW 3URGXFWLRQV ZLOO EH DW WKH &' 5HOHDVH3DUW\DFFHSWLQJGHPRVDQGDQVZHULQJ TXHVWLRQVDERXWLWVUROHLQPXVLFSURGXFLQJ7KH recording company is looking to sign new talent. ³7KLVQLJKWLVDERXWWKH-HVVH/HH%DQGEXW it’s also about opening doors for other musi- cians,” Falls says. “If a band gets an opportu- nity to pitch their music to a record publishing company, it’s a whole new experience. I want to show other local musicians how to go about approaching something I understand. I’ve got to tell you, I wasn’t sure I was ever going to GRDQ\WKLQJHYHUJRLQJWRJRDQ\ZKHUH7KHQ one ad, one call! Follow your dream, but know what your dream is about. Dream the dreams, not the delusions. 20 years, that’s all it took me to become an overnight success.” VISUAL ARTS • LITERATURE • THEATER • MUSIC & MORE Story by MARILYN GILBAUGH Photo by Joshua Bessex Jesse Lee Falls at his house in Knappa. April 16, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 9