Two Cent Offering

You're familiar with the writing teams of Lennon-McCartney, Stummer-Jones, Difford-Tillbrook and Jagger-Richards. Meet Zobac-Jenkins. Canton natives Chris Zobac and Patrick Jenkins have put their 2 cents' worth into the Christian music business as the folk-rock group Two Cent Offering, issuing their first CD, "So Much Down the Road," last summer. That album showcased the duo's harmonic convergence on vocals and guitar, featuring such impressive songs as "I'll Never Change Your Mind" and "Heavy Hammer to Fall."

Another CD is in the works, but first Zobac and Jenkins, along with new bandmates Jacob Allen and Keith Lang, will perform on three RiverLife cruises on the Spirit of Peoria riverboat this summer.

The two 24-year-olds consented to sit for an interview in a darkened 700 Main St. auditorium on a gorgeous May afternoon.
-Michael Miller


How'd you guys get together?

Zobac: We have been friends since, like, fifth grade, and we did a lot of music together through high school, and then we just furthered that in college, and then we added some guys to form a band.

Why the name Two Cent Offering?

Zobac: We got our name from the story of the widow's two mites (Luke 21:1-4), where in the temple, different people were giving their offerings and you've got these wealthy individuals or high officials that are giving seemingly large amounts of money, and this widow just gave two mites, or to modernize it, two cents, which seemed worth nothing, but it was all that she had. So by her giving all she had to live on, Jesus commended that that was more significant than giving a large amount of money that meant seemingly nother. For us, we don't know how large or how small of an influence we have, but these are gifts that we've been given and we want to give them all back, and so that's where we get the name from.

Is this ministry of entertainment, and how do you balance the two, or how do you keep priorities straight?

Jenkins: Motive is always in question. Kind of the purest form of the word "entertainment" is to hold one's attention, and we like to think we want to hold people's attention, but at the same time, we want people to enjoy music that's really solid and good musically, but with a message that is ministry.

Zobac: We have something to celebrate. When we're presenting this message, it's exciting. It could be considered entertainment because of the pure joy of it and celebration that we have and freedom in Christ. It's a little bit of both.

When you come down to decisions, is there on of you who usually gets his way?

Jenkins: You know, Chris and I, we've been together for so long that we've had time to work out those kind of things along the way. It's just kind of natural for Chris and I to work together now.

Zobac: We're often very much on the same page. If we're not, we take the time to talk about it and pray about until we are of like minds. I don't think there's ever an instance where one person wins out and the other doesn't.

Jenkins: We do have times where we disagree, but it's not really an issue or hindrance to the band. But Chris objects to my sequined shirts. (Laughs.)
Zobac: Don't write that down. ...Aw, shoot, it's recorded.

How is the sound going to be different on the new album?

Zobac: I think it's changing from a folk group, being accompanied by some guys, to a rock band. There's a lot more rootsy, bluesy rock.

- Peoria Journal Star