Keep On Keeping On

Our Opinion / When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away…

Keep on Keeping on

Tears of Joy

As this editorial is making that magical transition from thought to word, there is some beautiful music in this writer’s mind. “I’ll Fly Away,” hauntingly performed Saturday night by The Johnson Family Band, while joined by vocalists Amanda Standalone and Nita Velo. HPR Editor Zach Kobrinsky later joined them on sax that night. It was nothing less than a hootenanny.

HPR’s absolutely extraordinary 15th birthday celebration went for three days at five venues with 11 bands. The musicians delivered beyond compare. Every single event had its own color, its own charm, its own take-home memories. The Red Raven. The Plains Art Museum. The Fargo Theatre. The Aquarium. The Empire Tavern Parking Lot.

Our most sincere thanks to our host venues and their incredible staff.

The musicians made the birthday party a real party. The lineup was spectacular: Eden Parker, Fancy That, Amanda Standalone, Cody Conner, Sarah Morrau, The Fillers, Ani DiFranco, GhostHandPunch, Michael Pink, South Moorhead Scratch Dungeon, and the Johnson Family Band. Even Just ‘N Tyme made a special appearance, and HPR writer Charlie Barber came from Bismarck to serenade the Aquarium crowd.

Thanks to our friends who shared their remarkable musical gifts with HPR’s audiences. It was a gift beyond compare.

Glassblower Jon Offutt created a few hundred limited edition signed glass paperweights with our HPR 15 logo and candle. Thanks Jonny O. for helping us provide attendees at our Plains signature event with a keepsake of the special occasion.

Food catered by the Green Market at the Plains Art Museum was delectable. Birthday cakes provided by Josie’s Corner were delicious.

Each venue experience was different. People of all ages participated. We literally had hundreds upon hundreds participate.

Having the HPR cover art exhibit in the background at Plains Art Museum was frosting on the cake.

It’s quite an achievement getting to be 15 years old. Seeing and hearing from so very many readers and supports is more than affirming. Standing in company with our many partners and, in particular, musician and artist friends is humbling, to say the least.

To all of us, viva our dreams, as well as the High Plains Reader.

I’ll fly away, Oh Glory
I’ll fly away;
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away.

Tears of Sadness

It is no secret that HPR has had one group of musicians—doing a cover story on them March 28, 2002—more like family to us than perhaps any other. We met when they were a garage band in Moorhead called the Beef Jerk’s, later to be called The Blue Fairy Godmothers. Whenever we called on them, they showed up, and they always had lots to say. Then the group changed membership up a bit more and became GhostHandPunch, one of the featured bands, of course, at HPR’s 15th birthday party. Heck, five years ago, one of their biggest early shows ever was at Ralph’s Corner Bar as part of HPR’s 10th birthday celebration. They were much more than kids. They were, in HPR terms, family.

It was with full hearts that GhostHandPunch hit the stage Friday night at the Aquarium to kick off our birthday event there. Their friend and bass player through the first three or so renditions of the group, Matthew Snare, died last Wednesday at age 24. However, Matt’s parents were in the crowd to support the band going on stage just after the loss of their best friend.

Matt and crew were HPR’s poster garage band, so to speak, and their voices combined to help fuel discussions of creating a community rehearsal space for bands playing in basements and garages in Fargo-Moorhead. Matt was 16 when he was on our cover. Their band(s) played for practically every HPR event imaginable since we met them. Once they were the only band playing—and freezing—in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They were so pumped, John, Billy, Gavin and Matt played all the way back after the parade was over.

Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church was filled to the brim Monday afternoon for Matt Snare’s funeral service. We can say we’ve rarely witnessed a similar turnout of so many young adults at any funeral ever. Their hearts were overflowing with palpable grief. Gavin Rehder, Billy Delaney and John Berdahl—were pallbearers, most certainly wishing they were back together and instead carrying a tune.

It’s heartbreaking.

But good art comes from real people reflecting on real life experiences. “Keep On Keeping On” became one of their first popular hits and was the title of their CD. They knew of what they were speaking. We now excerpt from that 2002 HPR cover story:

“The Beef Jerk’s rehearse and play in the basement of a residence in north Moorhead. Members of the band are Gavin Rehder, 17, (lead guitar, vocals), Billy Delaney (almost 17!) on drums, Pat Self, 15, lead guitar, and Matthew Snare, 16 on bass.

“They are all students in Moorhead High School,” HPR’s story explained.
     
“Gavin and Billy started the group three years ago, first calling themselves Gwunk. One of their friends joining them in music was killed in a car accident. Pat and Matt joined the group since then. It hasn’t been the easiest journey, but it has led from one basement in one home to another,” the story continued.

“Though you may not have heard of them before now, you may some day. These young musicians are serious, dedicated, and aspire for greatness,” HPR’s cover story read. “Finding a place to rehearse and play is a huge challenge to young bands like the Beef Jerk’s.

“‘Most bands like us rehearse in each other’s houses, or like say the parents leave and we get the bands together, or else the parents can be there if they don’t have a problem with it,’ Matt said. ‘Right now we’re practicing in Pat’s basement. It’s really small, Just enough for us to stand around and work on our music. We just got little practice amps…’”

“...The Beef Jerk’s, despite their name, are really nice guys. They are respectful and articulate. Their music is what Matt describes as surf punk. ‘It’s got a little punk to it and there’s a little bit of surf music. Most people label music, as when they hear punk, it’s all hard and screaming. Ours is like that with a more mellow beat.

“According to Matt, there must be at least 100 youth bands in the community. ‘I know about five in my school that I haven’t heard of but I see fliers, and I know people who are in bands, about 25 in Moorhead Senior High School and Shanley. (Then) There’s West Fargo Schools, North Fargo, Fargo South,’ he said. ‘If you’re estimating there’s 10-15 bands in each school, that would be a lot.’

“Matt said it doesn’t seem like anybody is trying too hard to help young bands and musicians reach their fullest potential, except maybe the people who are actually playing, the people who want to hear, and their families.

“‘If more people heard us, they’d actually want to come,’ he said, adding that even some adults like their style of music. ‘Others, if they don’t like it they at least get the kids into it, keep the kids away from other stuff they shouldn’t be doing.’”

We join in acknowledging the absolute grief of Matt Snare’s family and friends, who are working through his entirely unexpected death.

May the rock star Matt Snare live on in our hearts and in our community.

When and if the concept of a youth rehearsal center for garage bands re-surfaces in Fargo-Moorhead, we have a possible name for the facility: The Matt Snare Surfing Room, or The Snare Drum, or ...?

Godspeed, young man, and thanks for going out on a limb and falling into our world. Keep on keeping on, we say to Matt’s friends and family. Keep on keeping on…

As a side note, Gavin Rehder, Bill Delaney, and ex-BFG Pat Self, along with Matt Snare’s best friend and “brother of the heart” Josh Trautner, will be working on an album that will be a tribute to Matt. They began recording songs with Matt several months ago and are hoping to have ten songs on the tribute album.

Right now they have four songs finished with him, two begun that have yet to be completed, and then arrange and record four songs that Matt wrote but never showed the group or explained all the way.

The tribute album is titled “Salt Feet.”

(HPR is re-posting the March 28, 2002 Beef Jerk’s cover story online at hpr1.com.)

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