The Jackson Saints: Rock & Roll Salvation

Originally published in BAM (probably 1991)
By Devorah Ostrov

Top row: Chuck Davis, Kevin Meade, Brent Hoover

Bottom Row: Erik Meade, Janis Tanaka

Photo: Jeanie M.

If rock bands had more in common with the British monarchy, the proclamation would be: The Jackson Saints are dead! Long live the Jackson Saints!

In late January, almost a year to the day he joined, vocalist Chuck Davis left the popular San Francisco-based club band. However, the four original members — guitarists Erik and Kevin Meade, bassist Janis Tanaka, and drummer Brent Hoover — will carry on, temporarily reverting to their initial set-up with Erik and Kevin sharing vocals, while the search begins for a new frontman.

While Davis' association with the band had its well-publicized tumultuous moments, the conversation on this night — at the group's first rehearsal without him — is free from any feelings of animosity.

Jackson Saints, Osgood Slaughter,

Mother Lode, T-Ride,

Bourbon Deluxe & Reckonball

Kennel Club - Friday, May 15, 1992

"Chuck's a great singer," states Kevin, the younger Meade brother, "but we had different ideas about where we wanted to go musically. He came out one day and said he didn't think it was right."

Still, there's no doubt that Davis' departure will prove at least a minor setback. Especially as it comes at a time when the group is reportedly being checked out by some major record companies.

"I think that's part of why Chuck chose to leave," explains Hoover, "before it got too serious, and it was too late for him to turn around."

Until a deal is inked, the band prefers not to say which labels are expressing interest. But with or without Davis, the Jackson Saints' riff-oriented, heavy rock sound has an undeniable appeal; it's already created at least one fan out of the reps who've come to see them. "There's this one A&R woman who's always looking for a good reason to come up to San Francisco," says Tanaka, "and one of her reasons is that we're playing."

When the band started out, talk of recording deals was a far-fetched concept. Even now, they have a problem of conceiving just how far they've come.

"I'm still amazed that we're successful at all," says Hoover, "because we aren't a band that I think of as being a success. It was always the big attitude bands that got popular; it was never a band like this."

What Hoover means by "this" is simple: "It's the music first, us later."

"Volume first!" corrects Erik.

Jackson Saints snuggle up!

L-R: Janis Tanaka, Erik Meade, Chuck Davis, Kevin Meade & Brent Hoover

Photo: Jeanie M.

Taking their name from what's believed to be a school's team logo on a faded sweatshirt and their musical direction from the Dictators' Manifest Destiny album, the Jackson Saints began life as the house band for the SF club Chatterbox (now called the Chameleon). "At the time," remarks Kevin, "that was the only place where our kind of music could be played."

But the group's reputation spread quickly by word of mouth ("It had to be," offers Hoover, "we never pushed ourselves.") and they were soon headlining the larger I-Beam. Kevin recalls: "We thought, 'Nobody's gonna be here. Why did they have us headlining?' When we got onstage the whole building was crammed full!"

However, it was playing last year's Haight Ashbury Street Fair that the band acknowledges as the high point of its career. "We stood on the stage and as far back as we could see there were people," marvels Hoover. "And even if they didn't know we were playing, we considered them the audience!"

Jackson Saints and 4 Non Blondes

Kennel Club - Wednesday, January 16, 1991

Then there was the recent foray to Los Angeles, with Davis still on hand, which gave Southern Californian fans an exciting photo opportunity (really, despite sensationalistic reports, not every Jackson Saints' gig includes a brawl).

Kevin: This punk band from Orange County was opening the show. During our set, they started throwing this stuff at Erik...

Tanaka: Yelling, "Get off the stage, hippies!"

Erik: So I brained one of them with my guitar!

Kevin: Erik wielded his guitar like a hatchet; he dived into the audience. We had a great shot of it on the videotape!

Tanaka: When we called our manager and told her there was a fight at the show, she said, "What?" And Erik yells, "But it wasn't with each other, it was with the audience. It's OK!"

Bonus backstory regarding the photograph at the top of the page: "There's a funny anecdote to go with the picture taken outside the house," says Erik. "Just as we were taking it, there was a high-speed police car chase that came rushing down the street. As the car they were pursuing ran the red light at the end of the block, it got broadsided and careened into a telephone pole. The driver flew through the passenger side window, hit the ground, and without pausing for a second took off running down the street on foot. I said, 'Oh, this is too perfect. We've got to get a band shot in front of that car.' So, we all started posing in front of it and Jeanie started shooting. One of the photos had a clearly unamused cop walking towards us in the background. I know that there was at least one print made of that shot, but I haven't seen it in over 25 years, so it must be buried in a box somewhere."

* * *

Jackson Saints live at the Kennel Club

performing their anthem: "Rock and Roll Salvation"