Locals Only: : the revolution will not be downsized

One frontman is one too many for some Rock bands, with histrionics and egotism often eclipsing potential. So how does a band survive having four?

In the case of Junior Revolution, they wouldn’t want it any other way, an axiom that was recently put to the test.

Guitarists Jayson Hazelbaker, Andy Hermes and Mike Ingram and bassist Brian Miller don’t just take turns singing lead — they carefully craft four-part harmonies to adorn JRev’s anthemic Pop Punk. Having three guitars also seems excessive, but it allows them to produce live what most bands can pull off only in the studio. The approach recalls Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, a comparison the band freely accepts.

“They could all stand out on their own, but they were much better together,” Hazelbaker comments.

They also have a great variety of influences and songwriting methods. Miller digs mainstream Pop, and Hermes and Ingram come from a solid Punk background. Along with powerhouse drummer Chris Denholm (whose résumé includes a drum corps stint), JRev pushes the boundaries of their genre in new directions with every song, making melodic Rock that stretches from Screamo to near boy-band balladry, with heavy doses of Prog-influenced playing and arrangement.

“Any Hardcore arrangement, that’s Jayson,” Hermes says. “He didn’t even listen to Rock & Roll until he was 16. It was all Yanni and John Tesh before that!” (Hazelbaker sheepishly confirms this.)

Junior Revolution was one of the bands that worked with Void proprietor Ryan Thomas (a high school friend of Ingram’s) to build and maintain the late all-ages venue. It’s also what finally brought the band together from their disparate roots — Miller and Denholm went to high school together in Akron, while Hermes and Ingram had collaborated in their formative years.

Oddly, despite his history with the others, Ingram has been a member for just half a year. At the same time Hazelbaker, Miller, Denholm and original guitarist Tim Elsey were coalescing, Hermes was looking for a gig because Ingram was busy with other projects. He accepted Hazelbaker’s invitation to join JRev and brought with him the material he and Ingram had worked on, which became the band’s first songs. This Ingram-free lineup continued until late last year, when Elsey quit suddenly

“There was never any doubt that the band would carry on, but we debated whether to search for another member,” Hazelbaker remembers. They ultimately decided that the cornucopia of frontmen was a signature, and the choice of Ingram (who meanwhile had been in The Scrubs, Inside Recess and Dayton’s Rod) was obvious.

“Anybody else would have just been a fill-in,” Hazelbaker says.

Ingram says the timing was perfect. “It’s like when a hot girl comes up to you the day you were dumped. ‘Yes! Yes, I’ll make out with you!’ ”

With the personnel issue resolved, the band is looking forward to more touring and recording. Hazelbaker, a CCM Electronic Media grad, has produced superb-sounding albums for other local bands as well as JRev’s debut, Between Two Cities. They’re contemplating another disc but would certainly not rebuff financial assistance (a recent flood ruined thousands of dollars worth of equipment) as long as they maintain creative freedom.

Denholm is quick to point out a band that navigated this process wisely. “Definitely Mae,” he says. “They did their stuff on a smaller label, then shopped it to majors and kept control of all their production and touring.”

JRev’s residency at The Void gave them the opportunity to network with a slew of premier Punk bands that have invited them to share the stage many times. These high-profile gigs (including slots on the Van’s Warped Tour, which will happen again this year) have honed their trademark aerobic live show and expanded their fan base.

So despite setbacks and to the delight of many, Junior Revolution continues, stronger than ever.

This article appears in Jun 15-21, 2005.