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The best kept secret in music
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I didn’t know much about Deck of Jack before I saw them last Tuesday night. I knew they had quite a rabid following (I mean that in a good way), and I also knew that music/media mogul Robert Schintziss had recently put them under his wing. Apparently he’s either their manager, or the leader of their entourage in a push to give them a higher profile.
Whatever the case, I was seriously “blown away.” I don’t like using that word, but at the moment I can’t think of anything better. Their influences are all over the place and somehow they pulled it off. Deck of Jack seamlessly jumped from hip-hop rhymes, to electronic beats, to in your face punk rock riffs. If Run DMC would have decided to be a punk band, this is what they would have probably sounded like.
Their 30-minute set did not slow down once. And surprisingly, for their encore, they decided to put their instruments down and deliver a politically fierce hip-hop anthem calling out the news media on their scare tactics.
I smell a movement coming on, but I’ve dished out enough compliments, so I’ll stop until I see them again (which I hope is very soon).
Sanka T. Walker - Digit-4
Deck of Jack’s performance last night at Mr. Small’s Funhouse was one of the best shows I have seen in a while (fun indeed, as the venue’s name suggests).
I didn’t quite know what to expect—a pair of turntables sat center stage, yet a guitar and bass were set-up stage left and right. The audience was also pretty diverse—a large contingency of both punks and ravers. After a so-so set of bar rock from a local band (Echo Jade), Deck of Jack took the stage. Their turntablist B. Lums scratched on her decks for about five minutes, and after making very good use of her cross fader, the sound of thunder filled the former church. A thick old school beat pounded as Juiceman and Fuzz took the stage performing “State of the Movement.”
“Zamboni Man” was next, and just two songs in, Deck of Jack had the whole venue bouncing up and down screaming, “Zamboni Man!” B. Lums switched up the beat throughout the song dropping in Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money” and Freeway’s “Flipside.”
After the two hip-hop based songs, Fuzz and Juiceman picked up their instruments and kicked into the fierce politically-charged “Oblivious”—the backing beat provided by their drum machine, Ichiro Jackson (the only reason I know this is because they shouted him out throughout their show).
Following a few more punk songs, “Day That I Ruled the World” and “Piper’s Pit,” Deck of Jack invited Pittsburgh rock legend Donnie Iris (Jaggerz) to take the stage. This is where the night got very surreal. Here we had a group who felt both legitimately punk and hip-hop, and then they invite a new wave rock legend on stage, who joins them in singing an electronic dance song titled, “Me So Mad.” It came out of nowhere, but it fit perfectly. One electronic ditty deserves another, as Deck of Jack then performed “Heather’s Sock” to end their set—a song worthy enough for a pair of glow sticks.
The audience demanded an encore, and for it, Deck of Jack finished up with the danceable-rocker, “Teenage Slut.”
The band as well as everyone in attendance was smiling. Somehow they pulled it off. The ravers got to dance, the punks got to throw their fists in the air, and no one was alienated in the least. A little punk-rock-hip-hop utopia for all.
- Electric Potato
Discography
4 Tracks of 4-Track EP
Easy Bake Album
Chin Music
Shock Box (coming out very soon...)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
After graduating from college in the late 90s, Juiceman was forced to part with his band Milkweed, which had an amazing 3-year run wreaking havoc in college towns across western Pennsylvania. The Nirvana/Beastie Boys influenced act eventually found themselves banned from playing at their own college for throwing a rival music festival on the same day as one sponsored by their school.
The D-Boiz (a hip-hop outfit Juiceman originated) also found themselves splintered as group members relocated to different parts of the country. Still wanting to create and perform music, Juiceman dusted off a one time D-Boiz alias and formed Deck of Jack.
The band picked up where Milkweed and the D-Boiz left off, blending genres like a well made mixtape. Drawing on influences from punk, edgy-pop, hip-hop and electronic big-beat musicElectronic-Garage-Power-Pop was born.
Led by Juiceman (guitar and vocals), his best friend T-Bell (bass), and a drum machine named Elmo 2000, Deck of Jack quickly developed a name for themselves by playing out at any available college gig, backyard weenie roast, or house party. Because they didnt have to lug a drum kit everywhere, Deck of Jack also went on to play a series of bedroom concerts for their more dedicated fans. In 1998 Deck of Jack stretched their fan-base and demographic even further by performing one of their most unique concerts at the Shaler Oaks Senior Citizens Apartment Complex (Pittsburgh, PA).
In 1999, Elmo 2000 puttered out at a house party and made his very last beat (Syracuse, NY). Juicemans dad came to the rescue and quickly sent him an early Christmas gifta new drum machinegiven the name Buttermilk Jones. Later that year, Deck of Jack performed at Milkits Milklenium Meltdown to usher in the year 2000, and little did Juiceman, T-Bell, or Buttermilk Jones know that this would be their final concert together. In the proceeding years Juiceman would relocate to New York City.
After a few years of inactivity, Juiceman yearned to reunite Deck of Jack, but encountered one big problemhe lacked a bass player (who not only had to play bass, but also had to have that something special). Little did he know that his bass player was right underneath his nose. While attending a concert together, Juicemans good friend Fuzz mentioned that it was his dream in life to perform in a band. Fuzz had the passion, but lacked one key ingredienthe didnt know how to play any instruments. Juiceman came up with the only logical solutionhe would teach Fuzz the bass.
That night marked the rebirth of Deck of Jack, and Fuzz has not put the bass down since. Later that year, Juiceman and Fuzz attended a Digital Hardcore show, and wooed drum machine Ichiro Bad Boy Jackson into joining the group. The trio began playing out in New York City, and immediately began receiving underground acclaim for their dynamic live performances. In late 2002 Deck of Jack recruited Scratch Academy graduate, B. Lums, into their line-up. With the addition of B. Lums on the turntables and keyboards, Deck of Jack added another sonic dimension to their already big sound.
With an excitingly manic live show, Deck of Jack will not be satisfied until they have all four-corners of the universe bouncing to their Electronic-Garage-Power-Pop sound.
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