July, 16 2009 Jetstream at Calabasas, Sagebrush Cantina
By Maya Dawn Henderson
Photos by Dick Grimmett
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On a hot summer evening in Calabasas, local boys, JetStream took the stage at the Sagebrush Cantina, supporting the Friends Benefit. The busy patio restaurant was filling to capacity as they loaded in. I noticed some people nearby hadn’t yet noticed the youthfulness of the players as they launched into their first song, ‘Bittersweet Illusion’, one of their originals. This song was well written with enough hooks to make it agreeable for radio airplay. It had sprinkles of Robin Trower-like guitars and the bass and drums were played solid with that kickin’ bottom end. Next was another original, ‘That’s Alright’, a basic mid-tempo power ballad with galloping guitars, like Maiden. By the end of this song, the crowd did take notice, as some epic sounding music was coming from the stage and now everyone could see that, well, this band looked really young! I could hear the buzz all around us, “How old are these guys?!”
JetStream is; Garrett Zeile on lead guitar and vocals, 15 years old. Jake Munk, guitars, back up vox, 15 years old. Keven Seven is on bass, he’s the youngest at 13 years old, and rock solid drummer, Ben Zelico on on the DW’s, also just 15 years old. The driven teens met a few years ago at the ‘Paul Green’s School of Rock, now named ‘Rock Nation’ in Agoura. They bonded while playing AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd covers after school, and were soon after recording their own music. Now they split their time between school work and the studio, where they’re compiling material for their debut album. They practice Monday through Friday from Noon to 6:00 PM. Their hard work is paying off. They were recently signed to RCA Records.
They rocked another original JetStream tune called ‘The Edge’. This song was laden with melodic hook. It had a slow, groovy intro matched with soulful, gritty vocals. JetStream’s music is good, funky, blues-based, in-your-face hard rock with a melodic foundation that brings it back toward the mainstream. They manage to borrow inspiration but not clichés from the blues. Watching them, you could see everyone on stage was clearly having fun. The next tune was the show-stopper that evening, Edgar’s Winter’s ‘Frankenstein’ where they sounded as seasoned as many adult tribute bands around town. Garrett the lead singer, jumped up behind Ben’s kit and they playfully pounded out the beginning of a kickass drum solo together, which Ben finished up on his own, astoundingly.
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What’s amazing about seeing JetStream is you realize these kids aren’t playing Smoke On The Water or your basic AC/DC riffs. They’re playing music like RUSH’s XYZ and their own creative, listenable songs, backed with some truly classic style. They read music and they collaborate together on their writing. While instrumentally JetStream shines, vocally, they’re just a little bumpy, and understandably so, the singer’s voice is still changing! Their Dads act as their roadies and do anything needed to help out the band.
I had a chance to talk with the band at this show and I’d asked them if all their parents were all on board with the high demands and hectic schedules. They answered that they wouldn’t have a band unless everyone was involved and played a part. I told them I thought of them as ‘the opposite of the Jonas Brothers’ and they seemed to truly appreciate this. Their heroes are the likes of Bill Bruford, Alex Lifeson and Dave Grohl. This is not your average ‘boy band’. When they rehearse over at Mates Studio’s, neighboring well-known acts like Whitesnake and Papa Roach have overheard them and are now fans. Nikki Sixx is a family friend and it was actually Vinny Appice that laid me on to JetStream. Speaking with them, you get a sense of their maturity when it comes to their music, yet they are clearly very normal, well-balanced kids that play ball and video games. They happily chatted to me about some funny moments in their rehearsals and how they came up with their name by flipping through the vocabulary of a fifth grade science book.
At the Cantina that evening, they went on to play Hendrix’s ‘Fire”, where Jake laid down an intricate guitar solo. They closed it up with Freebird. A perfect ending to a great little set. It’s really great that this band of such a young age is so into playing such ageless music! You can see them at the Key Club on July 18, The Borderline Bar & Grill in T.O. on July 31st and at the Ventura County Fair on Aug 9th and 15th. Be sure to catch these prodigies soon ~ before they take over the planet!
www.myspace.com/jetstreamrocks
Review by Maya Dawn Henderson
Photos by Dick Grimmet