Jan. 28, 2002
Juan Prophet Organization brought their unique musical styling to the stage of The Boro Friday night with Lurve and Urbosleeks rounding out the bill.
The group's music can be considered anything but ordinary. The band's members act as tour guides in a wild ride through countless musical genres with grace and style.
A solid groove with well-timed breaks and a distinctive use of tempos and rhythms, the band layers its sound like artists on a canvas, painting a picture of musical originality.
Although the music changes direction quickly, Juan Prophet definitely holds the road map as it ramps through styles effortlessly without losing the audience's interest.
What further sets the group apart from the rest is the wide range of instruments it adds to the mix ñ everyday guitars and drums to the glockenspiel, accordion and violin. The choice of sounds the band has at its finger tips adds nicely to its auditory flavor.
By making use of all of these tools, Juan Prophet's stage show may seem hectic to the eye, but the group's sound holds true even through various instrument changes within the confines of one song to the next.
Their distinctive sound can be partially attributed to the vast array of influences the band cites ñ Frank Zappa and Firehose to Fishbone and Stradashere. Juan Prophet's members are as apt to appreciating different musical styles as they are to playing them.
Although they have been compared to groups such as Primus and Mr. Bungle, which the band finds flattering, Juan Prophet's inimitable sound makes them difficult to pigeonhole or classify.
"We've been called a lot of silly stuff, like experimental," guitarist Jeff Holt said. "Most people just think it's weird." The band's philosophy is to save the masses from monotony in the everlasting struggle to save original thought. Due to their innovative approach, Juan Prophet has gained a cult following in the Murfreesboro area.
"I hate Murfreesboro music," longtime fan Shana Light said. "I finally found a band that I really like."
Born in the rural town of Ruston, La., Juan Prophet came to Murfreesboro in 1999 when two of their members, Grayson White (violin/glockenspiel) and Kris White (guitars/keyboards) decided to attend MTSU, bringing along fellow members Joshua Foreman (percussion) and Holt (guitars/accordion).
Even with two of their members being full-time students, Juan Prophet keeps a rigorous tour schedule, playing almost every weekend. In the next month alone, the band plans to perform in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Athens, Ga., and Asheville, N.C. They're also planning a larger tour of the east coast, which would begin early this spring.
This busy schedule definitely keeps the band occupied, especially the two members who are students.
"All I do is go to school and play in the band," Grayson White said. "That keeps me really busy."
Along with touring, Juan Prophet plans to release their second CD in February, titled Naked and Palletized, which was home recorded, produced and mixed by the band with MTSU graduate Jason Bullock.
The songwriting process is a collaborative effort, according to the band, with Holt and Kris White bringing in ideas and the rest of the group mapping them out.
Because they have been playing together for so long, all of the members agree that the songs come together pretty easily.
Juan Prophet's next Murfreesboro show will be at Wall Street Feb. 22 to celebrate the release of Naked and Palletized.
The show should prove to be an event and, according to the band, will include guest musicians, circus freaks, jugglers and other surprises.
For more information about Juan Prophet Organization, visit their Web site or drop them an e-mail at thejpo@hotmail.com.