Not many bands have the freedom to dictate the manner in which they’ll break up. There’s usually a ton of drama, and nobody involved walks away feeling very good.
That isn’t the case for the members of Go Jimmy Go, who complete their musical journey this weekend at The Republik, just a few miles from a former Puck’s Alley bar where Ian Ashley, Larry Gordon, Eric White and Cameron Wright first started jamming together in 1996.
As those jam sessions turned into opening gigs for national touring acts like Hepcat, Dance Hall Crashers and No Doubt, the band followed in the footsteps of countless others from Hawaii and went on tour. A string of West Coast concerts with Chicago-based Deal’s Gone Bad and a stint on the Vans Warped Tour resulted in a decision to hit the road full time in 2004, which led to gigs opening for ska heavyweights the Toasters and John Brown’s Body as well as European and Asian tours.
Go Jimmy Go 20th Anniversary & Farewell Show
» Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
» When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16
» Cost: $20; 18+
» Info: ahuihou.gojimmygo.com
» Note: Meet-and-greet 5-8 p.m. todayJan. 15 at La Mariana Sailing Club, 50 Sand Island Access Road, followed by a pre-party at 8 p.m.. 15 at Anna O’Brien’s, 2440 S. Beretania St. A Hangover Beach BBQ will take place noon-7 p.m. SundayJan. 17 at Kaimana Beach Park, followed by a wrap-up party, 9 p.m. at Downbeat Lounge, 42 N. Hotel St.
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The departure of original members Gordon and Wright during those first few years also led to the first of multiple lineup changes, but the band kept working to bring the “island sound known the world around” to fans.
Following the 2009 release of “Go Jimmy Go,” the band’s fifth studio album and first self-released project since their 2000 debut, “Slow Time,” the writing was on the wall for current members Ashley, White, Jason “Bison” Friedmann, Shon Gregory, returning founding member Andrew McLellan and Brandon Hutson, the newest addition to the group — but no one was in a hurry to shut things down.
“There just wasn’t a sense of urgency to quit,” said White, de facto publicist for the band. “So we just kept playing because there was no harm in it. We were just playing for fun for several years after we stopped touring in 2007.”
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser sat down with White, 41, last week at Honolulu Beer Works in Kakaako for a walk down memory lane and to provide more details on a full weekend of events that will feel at times like a class reunion — or eulogy — while also celebrating Go Jimmy Go’s two decades of success.
QUESTION: Have there been any second thoughts? Will you guys surprise everyone and announce the band is staying together?
ANSWER: Nah, it’s actually been an amazing experience. We tried to call it quits a long time ago after we stopped touring full time. It was hard to just come back home and be a Hawaii band after all we had been doing. We ended up only playing a couple of times a year.
Q: How would you characterize the success of Go Jimmy Go after 20 years?
A: If I was to make an analogy, we’d be like an art movie instead of a huge blockbuster like “Star Wars.” We don’t have mainstream success, but we have a loyal fan base all around the world.
Q: Are you and the other original members any different now than you were when the band got started?
A: I don’t think anybody changed. We’re still kind of the same people. Maybe that’s the reason for our longevity. We’re still the same people at the heart of it. The people that had to change or be weird about it left.
Q: Was there a lot of drama within the band over the years?
A: We’ve always had drama because we play original music and guys stuck to their guns. And when that happens, sparks fly. We’re lucky that the guys really believed in their music. I think at first it was finding our identity of who we were.
Q: When did Go Jimmy Go find its sense of direction?
A: I think when we really solidified who we were was when we got Bison as our lead singer in 1998. And once Shon joined the band, he gave us knowledge of the next level (in terms of touring). When he joined Go Jimmy Go, he was a huge force and guidance as to how we should conduct ourselves.
Fernando (Pacheco) joined the band right around that time in 1999 with Shon. That part of the lineup was together for eight solid years — eight of the best years, in terms of overall success.
Q: Was there a specific time period when Go Jimmy Go was at its peak?
A: From 2004 to 2007 when we were touring full time. But when we came home it was kind of refreshing because it wasn’t a business anymore. It was just for fun. So when we did meet up to practice for a show or went and played a show, it was awesome.
Q: Some fans are having a hard time accepting Go Jimmy Go’s farewell. Has it been a difficult process?
A: It was understandable to everybody what we were doing. It was the next phase. This 20-year party that we’re going to have is perfect. It’s like our funeral. It’s like an end-of-life celebration! But it’s good because we’re going out on our own terms. That’s the coolest thing. We have control of our own destiny, and so this is what we’re going to do and we want everyone to be a part of it.
Q: Who do you expect to show up at The Republik?
A: Wherever we traveled, we made friendships and formed bonds. And it’s all going to come together at this last show. There are people coming from Michigan, from Utah. We’ve got 25 people coming from Seattle. People from Japan. And these are just fans. They’re flying out for this. That’s why we also have all these other activities. We started planning this five months ago.
