Jason Shrum, Author at Rock Oracle

May 30, 2025 Jason Shrum

The Journey with Inclement Weather Department

I met Cam, Joey, Trevor, Brian, Connor and TJ before even knowing that they were a band. I co-owned a small batch brewery in north Seattle, in a neighborhood know as Ballard (don’t let anyone tell you it was Fremont). About 2 blocks up the road, in Fremont, sat an unmarked building, with no windows and no plaque out front even though it was once the home of Reciprocal Records until the early 1990’s. Why is that important? Well, it is where Nirvana, along with producer Jack Endino laid down the band’s first album, Bleach. Other bands like Soundgarden, Death Cab For Cutie, Green River and Tad, among others, would also record here. I didn’t know this at first and I soon realized that I near a pretty special place in music history.

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May 20, 2025 Jason Shrum

Billy Idol & Joan Jett Still Crushing It

Billy Idol followed about a half hour after Joan and her Blackheart mates finished their set. Idol, now 69, also looked fantastic and I wondered how he would sound. I have been a long-time fan of both musicians since I was about 12 years old. I knew about Runaways and was also listening to Billy’s former band Generation X thanks to the older kids that I knew when I was in middle school. Again, these formations broke-up long before I was listening, but I had catching up to do.

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May 10, 2025 Jason Shrum

Spinning The Black Circle Of Life

I was beyond thrilled that I was in the right place at the right time to complete this journey of mine. I still have my Lollapalooza ticket from 1992 and I was sure to get an actual ticket from this show as well (it’s in the mail-hopefully). I write about many shows, as I go to a lot of concerts, but this one rang special. I do not know if I will ever see the band live again, but I got to see them when they were just starting out and now, I have visited them as one of the biggest bands in the world. I am glad we all got to live this long and navigate this floating rock together.

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May 6, 2025 Jason Shrum

There is an Assassinate Attempt Being Made on Public Media

Several years ago, in Seattle I discovered Independent Radio (and yes, I am capitalizing because it’s important), funded by the listeners, and it changed my life for the better. That radio station was KEXP and it became my everything. DJs can play whatever they want, any theme, without algorithms or pay-to-play formats. They are both educational and spin a heavy rotation of local music as well as classic indie gems. I had never heard anything like it before. You might catch Public Enemy, followed by Joni Mitchell and then some small independent artist follows that track. Each radio host did their own thing as well. John Richards was the host that I first caught onto, and his music knowledge floored me. I like to think of myself as having a refined palate of sound logged in my craw, but this dude buried my grasp of music, and I learned so much from him. I am forever indebted. I got to meet him once and as I trembled terribly inside, I think I played it cool.

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May 4, 2025 Jason Shrum

Free Gaga! Yes Please

Lady Gaga isn’t going anywhere and nor should she. In fact, she may be doing her best work most recently. I have seen Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta AKA Lady Gaga in concert twice and she is nothing short of stunning. It wasn’t until I first saw her in Orlando, Florida years ago that I realized what an amazing singer and talented musician she was. I knew she was an artist. I knew she was a performer. I knew she had an act. However she has all the depth to back than up and she is showing that side more and more. Her new album, Mayhem, is a prime example of that. If you haven’t heard it yet, you are doing yourself a major disservice. Another toss-away descriptor, but I am lacking otherwise- it is brilliant. Her seventh studio album is what the kids would consider to be a banger. It is a maximum effort of all things Gaga, if that is at all possible. To date, however, I feel, its is her best work. You can hear all the knowledge that she has absorbed over the years poured into this record.

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April 28, 2025 Jason Shrum

Gentry Blue Immerses Audiences in Sound

I find myself in East Nashville once again amongst a row of “Dive Bars” and independently operated live music venues. I find the area to be a great section of the city where you can find hard working bands grinding out passionate sets on any given day of the week. Downtown on Broadway you can certainly find an amplitude of fine musicians doing the same thing and the music is fantastic, but sometimes the tourists can be too much. You won’t find a gaggle of bachelorettes in sparkled hats and boots sipping blue drinks from penis straws. East Nashville is a little rawer and more local driven. The strip includes famously great joints like The Underdog, The Cobra, The Basement East, The 5 Spot and so many more. Tonight, I was patronizing The Cobra that not only offers cheap drinks but three different areas for music to happen. There’s a spot near the main bar, an outside space and “The Venue” which is just off to the right when you enter streetside.

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April 23, 2025 Jason Shrum

Getting to Know Echo Pilot

We all met at varying times. Echo Pilot is the brainchild of Ryan Van Abeele (singer/rhythm guitarist) and was started in 2018. Andrew Stuart Howsmon (bass/backing vocals) auditioned and was brought on in 2022. Dan Russell (drums) was recommended by a friend and fan of the band and auditioned and was brought on in October 2023. Aaron Smith (lead guitarist) auditioned around that time as well and was officially brought on in January 2024. The name Echo Pilot was literally just thrown together by Ryan who thought the two words together sounded cool. There’s no awesome name origin story (laughter ensues).