Out of the countless towns he's played during his band's national tours, Sammy Gonzalez, bassist of local trio Jacob's Ladder, still prefers the tiny Frankenmuth, Michigan. An obscure, German-theme tourist destination billed as "Michigan's Little Bavaria," Frankenmuth is home to one "amazing promoter," Jacobs says. "He throws shows at a place called Fisher Hall, and there are always 200 to 300 people there." via myspace.com/jacobsladder
It's just one of the many pleasant surprises for the band in recent months, during which its profile locally and elsewhere has suddenly increased. Jacob's Ladder -- rounded out by Oren Maisner on guitar and vocals and Brian Hernandez on drums -- has no booking agent, and only an indie recording deal, with the Coral Springs-based JMB Records. Instead, Gonzalez has taken d.i.y. ideals and adapted them to the digital age. "I just use MySpace and contact bands, venues, and promoters," he says. "At first it was hard, but now it's easy because I've been doing it for a while."
Jacob's Ladder's last show at Churchill's drew a crowd upwards of 200 people -- no small feat for a local act at that venue -- and this Friday's gig there marks the kickoff for the band's second national tour in the past two months. All told, the band has embarked on some seven tours in the past couple of years, completely on its own.
Besides boasting the tireless energy of rock musicians in their early 20s, it helps that the guys' sound is also fresh. True, they may be relatively young, prefer bright colors, and smile and juggle fruit in their promo photos. The image is deceptive -- the threesome is not a pop-punk band. Maisner's vocals and riffs are propulsive and sometimes hooky, but the Jacob's Ladder sound is ultimately spaced out, wandering into funky, reverb-drenched workouts that bely a jazz-band fondness for noodling and experimentation. Indeed, the bandmates met as teenagers, playing together in different school ensembles at Miami Beach High.
The current tour will take the band through New England and back through southern mountain states like Kentucky and Tennessee. And when they return, Gonzalez, Maisner, and Hernandez will head into the studio with New Found Glory drummer Cyrus Bolooki to record a new EP to shop to labels and booking agents. "We want to show the CD to people to show we're a hard-working band. Our goal as a band is to be on the road 10 to 11 months a year," says Gonzalez. "We're showing everyone, 'Hey, look what we can do on our own -- imagine what we could do with a little help?'"
This track is called "White Magick," and you will find it on the band's forthcoming EP.
MP3: Jacob's Ladder - "White Magick"
Jacob's Ladder, with Kid:Nap:Kin, Zen the Band, I Shot Broadway, and others. Friday, May 22. Churchill's, 5501 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $8 in advance from myspace.com/jacobsladder, $10 at the door. Ages 18+ with ID. 305-757-1807; churchillspub.com