Black Jake & the Carnies was stillborn on October 31, 2003. The band played a single show, recorded some songs, and promptly died. All this meant was Black Jake finally had something to dissect. Over the next couple years, Jake stitched his baby back together with parts unearthed from the graveyards of american music. By 2006, the infant was looking more and more like its daddy and, once again, showing signs of life. After a couple solo shows, it became apparent, all the little monster needed now was a bit more blood.

Blood, it turns out, ain’t that hard to find.

Gus, the only original Carnie still fiddlin’ lived just up the block from
Black Jake. It was rumored that Zachariah, who lived direct across the
street from Gus, played mandolin. Caleb lived between Zachariah and Black
Jake and generally did what he was told. Joe Cooter, whose property line
ends in Caleb’s backyard, plucked bass. Up the road a bit Cooter heard the thumpin' of Kingpin Lalonde's big bass drum and scratchin' on his washboard vest. By then, there were enough Carnies to take pretty much whatever they wanted by brute force, and the Kingpin was quickly corralled. Black Jake had his Carnies and the monster had its blood.

Black Jake and the Carnies is:

Black Jake: singing, songwriting, banjo
Gus: fiddle
Zachariah Sticks: mandolin
Joe Cooter: bass guitar
Kingpin Billy Lalonde: drums
Caleb Lee Johnson: bass vocals, limberjack, jug, harmonica,
spoons, saw, train whistle, and g-string paddlebox

Give us a shout: carnie@blackjakeandthecarnies.com