While this was the first time I'd met Jason, it certainly wasn't the first I'd heard of him. Indeed, his reputation as an incredible musician and interesting character proceeded him. Y'all folks in the audience told me, not to mention his friend and former bandmate Benjamin Tod (in the song "Odea", no less. • Lost Dog street band, ... ). Ben and Jason did a whole mess of traveling together, back in their day. Together they were part of that legendary super group, Barefoot Surrender. Those of you who haven't had the pleasure of hearing those songs ( • Barefoot Surrender on ... ), well I pity the fool!
So when I was asked to go on this little jaunt from Kentucky to Nashville, along their old tramping lines, I knew I had to bring along the camera to document it. It'd been some many years since Jason and Ben had the opportunity to ride together, seeing as they now live on opposite ends of the country, with their own busy lives, so this was a most special occasion. We met up at Ben's property, where he treated us to some of his famous deer heart jerky and all the country fixin's for dinner. We all jammed songs new and old late into the night, talked philosophy and ancient aliens (Aurelia, Jason's partner, knows just how to get Ben ranting!) then headed to bed for an early morning. When the sun rose, we headed to the yard, where we did what you mostly do when riding trains. Waited around under a miserable bridge getting eaten by mosquitoes and talking shit.
Things were said that can never be repeated, friendships were tested, new ones were formed, old stories were dug up and reminisced upon. It was like the glory days revisited, only sober... way more sober. Once that southbound choo-choo finally descended upon us, we were off. Got some god-awful sleep screaming down the tracks on the steel behemoth, and awoke to a beautiful morning across the countryside, reminded of why we go.
It all happened to fast, I'm sure one of my greatest regrets will be not properly getting them to play a Barefoot Surrender song for me, though I did get them to indulge me while the cameras were off. Sorry folks.
Check out more of Jason's world of music here,
jasondeawest.com/
This video was made possible by our executive producers, Irvin Maddox, Amy Ennis, Mark Riley, Jonathon Hammond, Kenny Schmidt, Josh Collins, Edward Siple, Brady Jones, VJ Arizpe, and Richard Harmon.
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GemsOnVHS is a long running series of intimate, off-stage performances by songwriters we love.
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23 ноя 2020
