If there ever was to be a Mount Rushmore for the local music scene, John Crerar — better known as John C — deserves a place on it. With his 50th birthday fast approaching, the singer and drummer for a who’s who of bands over the past 30 years had a genius idea. What if he got all his bands back together for one epic show?
For JC50, John C will attempt a musician’s version of an Iron Man competition, performing in 10 different bands in roughly 24 hours. On Friday night, at Vaquero Y Mar, catch Head Cut, Detoxi, MAäSK, Guilty Strangers and Dust At Midnight. Then on Saturday night, head to Ventura Music Hall for The Missing 23rd, Massenger, F***ing Wrath, D**k Circus, Peter Pan’s Army, Stop Breathing, Emmanuel Lewis and special guests.
After a long day of rehearsals, Crerar sat down in his backyard for a midnight conversation to talk about the big event and to look back at a life well lived in music.
How did you come up with the idea for such a big concert?
End of the last year, I was like, I’m turning 50. What can I do? What would be fun? Got to do something special. It’s a big milestone. I never thought I’d live this long. People over the years have said, “oh, you should do a show with all your bands.” I’d aways laugh it off because there’s been so many. It would be fun, but it would be impossible to get everyone together. Then I was thinking about it and that’s usually something you do when someone dies or is in need of help like a fundraiser. Why not do it cuz you’re alive? … Most of my friends are all still alive that I played music with. How many can I actually get back to do this? So I was like, let me make a list of all the people I need to call to see if it’s even possible.
That must have been quite a list! How many bands have you actually been in?
On top of the 10 that are playing this weekend? Let me see… there’s Dad Brains, Night Demon and…
That’s right! You were in Night Demon!
I’m the reason they’re a band now. If it wasn’t for me bugging Brent that, “these songs are good; you shouldn’t just put out a 7 inch and disappear. Let’s do this.” Who else? I was in a band in Chicago called Tight Night. We’re still a band, we just don’t do much, but I think we’re recording two new songs this year. So anyways there’s the 10 bands that are playing, and that’s three additional bands. Oh and I guess the first band I was ever in counts, too, so that would be 14 bands total over the past 30 years or so.
But that’s not counting your Halloween cover bands?
I never played in a legitimate cover band that made money. But yeah, for about, I don’t know, 19 years, we did cover bands on Halloween or close to Halloween. I personally didn’t do it every single year, because a couple of the years, I was on tour or whatever. But we did the Misfits, Operation Ivy, a lot of others. It was just one night a year, but that is at least another 10.
Out of the 10 bands playing this weekend, do you have a favorite?
I like them all. It’s hard to have a favorite. I guess currently my favorite band would be Head Cut, because that’s the band I’m doing now. But I love all the bands I’ve been in…