Photo by K. Cyr

Leif James: Live Free & Create
Self-taught musician and songwriter Leif James is one of the only performers I have talked to without seeing perform live and still completely witness the passion and energy behind his music. It may come from those James has met along his grand 10-year-tour of the United States, or from the lingering effervescent high he gets from playing a stadium-seating show. But I’m more convinced that James’ will to jam for the rest of his adult life comes from his personal philosophy, “Live free… and create.”

By the time he reached high school, James knew that his life was heading in a direction that extended way beyond his small hometown outside of Ithaca, New York. “My dad pawned this crappy little guitar with a speaker set on me when I was fourteen,” tells James of his parent’s reaction to him wanting a drum set. “A year later I picked it up and the first thing I ever played was the line from Top Gun. I was hooked.”

Soon thereafter James replaced his schoolbooks with a change of clothes, grabbed his music maker and stuck out his thumb. “My mom was more forgiving than my father per se,” explains James when asked about his family’s reaction to hitting the road at age 15.

“Now we all get along great, but then they just didn’t understand why I had to leave. The town was too small.” After staying with his aunt for a few nights in Florida, James was picked up by a car headed to a commune in Virginia. With his only plan being to not make any plans, James turned one ride into a year-and-a-half mentorship from a crowd who perfected living simply by utilizing resources most people take for granted.

“I was taken care of,” James says of his time at the commune. “If you’re good to people, you’re honest and have a good outlook on life, things come back to you more positively.” The same was true for the next seven years, where James evolved from a street musician to opening for the alternative rock n’ soul band Rusted Root. While he followed tours that lent a similar style and sound as his major influences, The Grateful Dead and Bad Religion, James used the rides to support his own tour.

“That’s actually how I got my first break,” explains James in light of his strategy. “I wound up opening for Michael Glabicki [of Rusted Root].” After taking a few months to return home and care for his mother, who at the time was having serious health concerns, James revisited the road. Heading westbound, James’ truck blew up in Kansas.

“Thank God I only had my backpack and guitar,” explains James. “I hitchhiked the rest of the way like I did when I was a kid. It was like I was starting over again.” It’s been two and half years since James arrived in Bend, where he started off playing music in the downtown breezeway and along the Deschutes River. His first gig in town was at Bend Distillery Martini Bar opening for legendary surf guitar player Dick Dale. At the time James was playing with the first musicians he met in town, and performed under the name Poor Bastards Romance.

While anxiously awaiting the birth of his first child, James is now collaborating with two local musicians, Jeff Ingrahm and Jason Jackson. Between Ingrahm on drums, Jackson alternating between trumpet and double bass and James on lead vocals, Leif James and The Struggle has been more than a crowd pleaser in central Oregon.

When asked how he would describe their genre, James takes a few seconds and responds, “If you took acoustic Bruce Springsteen and mixed it with The Black Crows, and throw a little Ryan Adams in there, that’s basically us.” Leif James and The Struggle is currently recording an album that is expected for released this winter. “Create something you like, no matter what it is,” tells James of his outlook on music. “And if you don’t dig it, no worries. There are a million musicians out there… and everybody connects with somebody.” Information: www.myspace.com/leifjames or LeifJamesBooking@gmail.com

EVENTS CALENDAR

Tower Theatre 317-0700

2nd Street Theater in Bend 312-9626

Cascade Theatrical Company
389-0803

2nd Street Theater Over the River and Through the Woods: Nov. 20-Dec. 20, Wed-Sat. 8pm, Sun. 3pm 541/312-9626, www.2ndstreettheater.com

Cascades Theatrical Company Witness for the Prosecution: thru Nov. 2, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30pm & Sun. 2pm

Additional 2pm matinees on Sat., Nov. 1. Some Assembly Required: Dec. 5-21 541/389-0803 or www.cascadestheatrical.org

Central Oregon Community College Mars Exploration Past, Present and Future: Will We Find Life? Nov. 14, 7pm, Pinckney Center. Presented by NASA aerospace education specialist Anthony Leavitt, covering the wonders of the Exploration Rovers, to the water ice sampling and specific salts of the current Phoenix mission. Information: 541/383-7575

Film Noir Series: Fridays, 7pm, Boyle Education Center Blue Dahlia: Nov. 7 Double Indemnity: Nov. 14 Lone Star: Nov. 21 Information: 541/383-7526 Children & Teen Music Theatre Groups - Bend Disney High School Musical Onstage: Nov. 14, 7pm, Summit High School 541/385-6718 and www.cmtg.org

Innovation Theatre Works - Bend Second Tuesday of every month, 7pm, First Baptist Church, Oregon Street, Bend: Pirates by Mark Lee: Nov. 11

Gingerbread Children by Michael Slade: December 9 541/977-5677 and brad@innovationtw.org The Pine Theater - Prineville New first run movies weekly: 541/416-1014 Rent Center Stage for your performance needs: 541/416-1044

The Pythian Theater - Redmond The Sound of Music: Dec. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 & 21 Forever Plaid: March 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 & 22, 2009 The Producers: June 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28, 2009 541/526-1688

Tower Theatre - Bend Big Brothers Big Sisters Annual Comedy Benefit: Nov. 1, 7:30pm The Nature of Words: Nov. 6 & 7, 7pm David Wilcox: Nov. 13, 7pm Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Nov. 16, 7pm Art from the Streets: Nov. 18, 7pm Tentareign CD Release Party: Nov. 26, 8pm A Tuna Christmas: Dec. 5, 6 & 7, 2pm & 7pm Mr. Dial Has Something To Say: Dec. 9, 7pm Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: Dec. 18 & 19, 7pm, Dec. 20 & 21, 2 & 7pm & Dec. 22, 7pm 541/317/0700, 541/419-5710 www.towertheatre.org