ASHLAND – Fans of live music have a new place to get their fix starting tonight – Pump House Catering and Events Center’s new First Friday Jam Nights.
Each month, the Pump House will book a host band, but other musicians are encouraged to show up, sing up, and play a set open-mic style.
The first event, featuring area band Black Lounge, will take place Friday, Jan. 6, at the Pump House, 400 Orange St. The Jam Night will feature a bar and bar appetizers from 8 p.m. to midnight with a cover charge of $5. You must be 21 to attend.
“In November we hosted a Bands, Brews, and Bacon event and it was well received. The attendees, bands involved, and other Pump House staff had such a fire lit over the live entertainment and the idea grew from there,” said Rebecca Zickefoose of Pump House Catering and Events. “ We want to add flavor and support the arts, talents, and businesses of Ashland and surrounding areas. It’s our goal to do our part to bolster the growth of our community and what it has to offer its members.”
Black Lounge is a Mansfield-based band made up of Neal Weiland and Paris Stewart. Weiland describes The Black Lounge’s music as catchy retro rock inspired hooks combined with heavy blues and funk undertones.
“We usually refer to it as retro fuzz rock or audio artwork,” Weiland said.
The band’s influences include Jack White, Bob Dylan, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, The Animals and Johnny Cash.
Weiland started The Black Lounge when he was living in San Diego. Coincidentally, Stewart was also living in California at the time but the pair didn’t connect until they both moved back to Mansfield a few years later.
“I had gone through a few lineups and almost gave up on the Lounge. One night, after I was almost content to be a solo act, I went out to see a friend’s band (The Oolong Gurus). As I was helping them load up their gear after the show a car pulled up blaring Jack White’s Blunderbuss album. As a fan of the album, I was curious as to who was playing it. I was pleasantly surprised to see a skinny guy with long wavy hair step out, dressed in cowboy boots and a fur collar coat over his fitted attire. I thought ‘This cat looks like he just stepped out of 1975!'” Weiland said.
The two talked for a few minutes and realized they would probably be a good musical fit.
“We made plans to jam the next day and meshed perfectly. We’ve been rocking all over the state of Ohio ever since. It’s been a couple years now that we’ve been together, and we’re writing new material all the time,” Weiland said.
Zickefoose has bands lined up for the next several months including Trouper, Tom’s Kitchen Table, Hand Jam (another Weiland project) and Just Jazz Trio.
“We’re very excited about adding to the ever-growing flavor of Ashland’s burgeoning local community and supporting local, live entertainment. My hope is we see lots of talent show up to share their music with us and that the community comes to enjoy it,” Zickefoose said.
