If there’s one word that best describes Wednesday nights at Cary St. Café, it’s energy. And if you’ve been to a LarJar Trio show (or seen them perform back when they were The 29th Division), you know exactly what I mean. Created by brothers Larry Allen and Jason Jarrell (percussion and bass respectively) and keyboardist Dave Klemencic, LarJar Trio is getting ready to celebrate 24 months of Wednesday night debauchery in the next few months.
    They’re close to hitting the hundredth-show mark and have generously agreed to be my guinea pigs for the premier edition of Magazine33. In turn, I’ve promised not to say anything too mean. Not that there’s anything to be mean about when it comes to these guys. In fact, the only thing that upsets me about LarJar shows is waking up for work at 7:30 the next morning after drinking too much Yuengling.
    Dave, Jason, Allen and I sat down last Wednesday with a couple beers and I asked them to identify their genre. Not being a musician myself, I’ve often found it difficult to describe LarJar music. It’s hard to pin down a single definitive style since they blend unique elements of several to create a jammin’ funk-rock-improv. Which is exactly what the guys and I agreed on. Allen did admit that one of his biggest hopes is to one day hear their music in elevators across the country (….or lets get bold... maybe world?). Definitely in a warped but fantastic Disco Elevator scenario. (YouTube people, You Tube!)
    Which actually makes sense in a way, because you can’t hear this music and not move. The energy is brutally contagious. I should have asked how many injuries Jason’s gotten from jumping around all over the place, because I’m pretty sure there have to have been a few. This momentum works extremely well with Jason playing a lead role (rather than the role a bass may play in a more ‘traditional’ band). Don’t get me wrong, all three guys make equal contributions and it would be a mistake to say Jason is the lead. Allen gave me the best description I’ve heard of Jason’s playing: “He definitely gets busy on it.” Dave noted that a lead bass (as opposed to a  lead guitar) brings an organic feeling to their style that they prefer. And it works. Bass guitar has an innate tendency to hit the natural frequency of the human body and soul – before you step into the bar, you feel the music physically just as much as you hear it. Which is one of the many reasons Wednesdays have drawn me and many others out for nearly two years, despite 8 a.m. classes and early morning jobs.
We’ve also come to appreciate the individual style of LarJar. When it comes to music, it’s inevitable that you’ll find an influence or inspiration. With LarJar, at least, that factor is taken into account the these three artists are able to own what they’ve taken from others and make it their own. (Without ripping off anyone). In terms of this, the Medeski Martin & Wood is unmistakable, but Dave, Allen and Jason don’t think any influence or resemblance (think Grey Boy Allstars here) hinders them. Instead, they see any sound as potential for progress. The unanimous decision: no limits. They don’t want anything (influence or otherwise) to keep them from playing the music they love. Even their first show at Cary St. Café when two other scheduled bands bailed.
    “We only knew one song. We only knew one thing we could play together,” they told me.
But they made it work. Which in hindsight isn’t surprising, since their onstage chemistry is brilliant. Ultimately, (and this can’t sound anything but cheesy) it brought them together. However, in clichés there’s always a grain of truth. Jason and Allen were playing with a guitarist as Seven Pound Star. Dave was with Southside Funk Orchestra, and found himself sitting in on shows with the two brothers more and more often. Like during the 1st annual LarJar Fest (a local event held on the Jarell ranch), featuring local bands including Central Garage, 11th House, El Plantanos, and the Spaceheaters. From there, Jason and Allen decided that working with Dave allowed them a superior creative outlet than the Seven Pound Star set up.
    And so formed LarJar Trio. Not that they haven’t been without their own challenges. Last August, the band took a brief hiatus (much to the chagrin of Cary St. fans), during which Dave was one of a select few musicians in the country to attend Camp MMW – a remarkable week of workshops hosted by Medeski Martin & Wood in the Catskill Mountains. They did agree that the hiatus benefited and allowed them to progress creatively. Allen notes however that it’s something he wouldn’t want to do again. Necessary at the time, but not a good idea to reappear. This opportunity for Dave, however, was an incredible one. Though they’ve collaborated with vocalists before, it’s clear why one isn’t necessary for their unique sound and rhythm. Dave’s keys literally sing. If Jason “gets busy” on the bass, then Dave owns and works the electric piano and organ. Flowing beautifully with Jason and Allen, Dave’s cements the percussion and bass and prevents either from becoming too choppy or abrasive.
    Luckily, these three would really have to struggle to make that mistake. As a drummer, Allen excels at playing in the pocket. You can easily see where his skill is essential to maintaining the band’s signature rhythm without allowing a waver. He forms the critical backbone upon which Jason and Dave build the rest of the music. This also makes it easy for LarJar Trio to collaborate with other premier local artists. Such as Matt Walton of Cary St.’s regular Tuesday night gig, The Former Champions (check them out next month! I hope. Whatcha think guys? C’mon!). They also regularly work with Dave’s other band, Southside Funk as well as Larri Branch Agenda, and Chris Ryan. Jason mentioned, and Allen and Dave agreed, that they’re aways open to jam with anyone, provided the chemistry’s there.
    And of course this idea led me to the inevitable question: What was your worst show ever? This was kind of a lame question, since these three are so dynamic and versatile. They make it work on stage as long as that energy is up and going, so Allen pointed out that their least favorite shows are the ones where they can’t find a groove with other musicians. Or, when the crowd is missing. A good example was a show they did in DC earlier this year. They played for seven people, six of whom were friends that had gone with them. It turned out to be, “just one very expensive dinner in DC for us” according to Dave. Which is a shame, considering the energy they regularly bring out to Cary St - probably their favorite venue (I forgot to ask, damnit!). But it’s definitely the one they play most often at the moment. There they’ve created a dedicated following of fans and a mutual respect between themselves and the owner. These guys don’t bail on shows, don’t miss the gigs they schedule. I remember going to see them once, only to find out that Jason was out sick (probably Swine Flu. I now permit y’all to freak out). I almost didn’t go, but went in for a beer anyway and there they were rocking out with Todd Harrington from Modern Groove Syndicate. They don’t leave people hanging, in any respect.
    In addition, they’re also dedicated to keeping the Richmond local music scene alive and thriving. You’ll see them regularly out and about at DJ Williams, J3 Project, The Silo Effect and The Former Champions shows. But of course they’re always down to go check out anyone. It’s unanimous – networking is critical and LarJar isn’t lazy about it.
    Well we got to the end of the interview and people were starting to come in (ok - AND I was getting fidgety for a refill on my Yuengling). So I asked them:

“If there was one thing you wanted me to tell people that I haven’t asked, what would it be?”

Their answer was an overwhelming “Give us a try.” Kind of like Nike: “Just do it.” And it’s true. We constantly see new faces at Cary St. converted to returning ones. Plus Wednesday nights have turned into Larjar NoCharJar, and I’m not even joking about the name. There’s no cover so you don’t even have to drop five bucks to see these awesome guys. Take that money to the bar instead and come see what makes LarJar Trio such a unique and memorable experience. Yeaaah. I’ll see you next Wednesday people.



Oh and until then, check out some neat thangs:

LarJar.net – updates, gigs, and free tunes!
LarJar on Myspace
Southside Funk Orchestra Myspace
Cary St. Café - Not only LarJar Trio, but more awesome stuff happening
Dave’s site, with plenty of LarJar an other music info

By Author: Meredith Ripple

Meredith Ripple is a recent VCU graduate living in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom. She writes for a local marketing company during the week and frequents shows at local venues in the evenings and weekends (Cary St. Café and Emilio’s most often). Her dad introduced her to music from a very young age, ranging from the Beatles to David Benoit and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s lived in Detroit, eastern Pennsylvania and Williamsburg, VA before moving to Richmond four years ago. She’ll be covering Richmond’s active and energetic jam and folk scene for Magazine33, her first journalistic endeavor.

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