Jake Householder to take break from Athens music scene
Householder's show at Casa Cantina May 22 one of his last before relaxing
By Sarah Hatmaker, Contributor
May 22, 2007 | 3:24 p.m.
If you give Jake Householder an inch, he’ll take a mile. Okay, he’ll probably take two. But by the end of it, you’ll be nothing shy of grateful.
During an interview in which I had intended to produce a rather general overview of this quintessential “guy with a guitar,” he took our dialogue to the very depth of every corner he could find. That half hour left me in the rarest of states: undeniably feeling like the lighter half of a conversation and being completely okay with it.
Upon hearing Arrows Spears & Shields, Householder’s 2005 album, most listeners would understandably classify Householder’s music as folk or acoustic rock. The reoccurring appearance of his name on the Donkey Coffee events page -- along with his status as a barista there -- would lead the naive to simply group him as just another coffeehouse kid.
However, all of us who have found ourselves sunken into one of those oversized couches will argue that this Ohio University alumnus possesses an overwhelming earnestness that sets him apart. For this local musician, performing is about so much more than just being heard.
“It’s easy to just get on stage and play your songs, then be done,” Householder said. “But it’s another thing to really feel like you’re connecting with people and you’re conversing with them. Because there’s really no sense to me in doing this at all if I’m not communicating with people. I don’t just want to be background noise.”
The first time I saw him perform, I was a sophomore who had stumbled into The Front Room at the old Baker Center. He stepped on stage with his guitar and the strong voice behind his honest lyrics instantly sold me. I have been quietly watching him perform like that, as often as I can, for over a year and a half. Last month, when I heard him announce to those of us seated in the back room of Donkey that this would be one of his last shows in Athens for awhile, I knew I had to finally get my interview.
Householder likened the music scene in Athens to a living organism. “There are new people here every quarter, every year,” Householder said. “So it has to change. There is nothing about Athens that stays the same.”
I suppose his leaving is all the more proof of that. He alluded to having intentions of returning when he can to play shows. My suggestion is that if you find yourself with the opportunity to catch one of those performances, take the time. Householder has a contagious view of the world that seems to be rooted in his affection for change.
“Lately, I’ve been in this state of acceptance that everything is in progress,” he said. “And this culture, I feel like, values product so much over progress. A lot of times the whole process of things gets thrown out of the window. We need to understand that a process and a progress is a good thing.”
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Visit Jake Householder's MySpace page to hear some selected tracks of his music.