THROUGH THE LENS: Jason and the Scorchers Reunite to Support Former Member Jeff Johnson

Nashville, Tennessee’s underground country-rock scene of the 1980s and 1990s reconnected at the Eastside Bowl on Jan. 27 to support one of its own, Jeff Johnson. While Johnson played with numerous groups, he’s perhaps best known as the bassist with Jason and the Scorchers, a band that was at the center of the burgeoning Nashville music scene that erupted into alt-country. (As you may recall, in 2022 Jason Ringenberg, also of Jason and The Scorchers, reported on Nashville’s famed Exit/In venue for this column.)

Johnson, now living in Mexico, suffered a stroke in September. When word reached his friends in Nashville they began taking steps to help Johnson with his medical bills. The January benefit concert, which included a reunited (if only for one night) Jason and The Scorchers, was announced in early December and quickly sold out. A GoFundMe campaign was also established and has, to date, raised over $30,000. It is still open.

But, the focus of this column is the benefit show, affectionally named Jeff Fest. We are fortunate to have had frequent contributor Jill Kettles there to report on the action.   

Jeff Fest by Jill Kettles 

This was truly a come-together moment for the legendary Nashville rock scene, and the excitement was high. In addition to Ringenberg and Warner Hodges, both original members of Jason and the Scorchers, the lineup included Government Cheese, Royal Court of China, and five other bands that Johnson had been a part of: Raygun, Friend or Foe, The Black Keytags, Thunderhawks, and Arrows Aloft. Whit Hubner, a local promoter, radio host, and band manager who helped coordinate the event, was the evening’s emcee.

I knew that as the night wore on, the house would become even more packed, and it was going to take a lot of improvised maneuvering to get around as a photographer. So I eventually found my happy spot at the top corner of the upper level, sitting on the floor with my camera poking through the railing.

Beginning at 4 p.m., the opening bands played for about 25 minutes each and shared stories about their friendships with Johnson, including tales from the road. But it was the legendary Jason and the Scorchers, with Ringenberg and Hodges, who had not played together for over 10 years, that everyone wanted to see. The band, with Sean Savacool on bass and Brad Pemberton on drums, took the stage a bit after 9 p.m., opening with “Help, There’s a Fire/Greetings From Nashville.”

As they ripped through the 14-song set, Ringenberg’s manic stage presence was still on point with Hodges’ magnificent guitar prowess. Great moments ranged from Ringenberg’s gospel-like-riffing with Hodges on “Golden Ball and Chain” to a tender rendition of Ringenberg’s “Harvest Moon” to an in-your-face version of “White Lies,” which was featured on MTV in the 1980s. Warner’s swagger and vocal harmonies were a solid match with the rest of the band. The energy between the band, whose punk-rock-country attitude never died, and the audience grew song by song. If you closed your eyes, you’d think it was 1983 at Cantrell’s (an influential Nashville venue at the time).

Ringenberg’s walkabouts during Scorchers shows are legendary, and this one did not disappoint. During “I Really Don’t Want to Know,” he jumped down off the stage and climbed up on the Eastside Bowl bar top for some harmonica playing and dancing. We all held our collective breath, and there are videos out there that prove it. The band served up two encores: Tim Krekel’s “I Can’t Help Myself” and their punk-speed cover of Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie” (both on 1984’s Fervor), with members of the other bands joining in.

Johnson was present for the show and visited with both Ringenberg and Hodges. He had a great time watching from the audience and was extremely grateful for the night that raised an additional $30,000. The show ended around 11 p.m. It was a long haul for all of us, but we left exhilarated knowing we had not only seen a great show, but, more importantly, were part of the great outpouring of love and affection for Johnson. We wish him a full and speedy recovery and only the best going forward.

Jill Kettles is the owner of Miss Jill PR, representing Ringenberg and other roots music artists.

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