Berks musicians to pay tribute to one of their own on Saturday at Evergreen Club
Sep. 20—Local musicians will gather Saturday afternoon at the Evergreen German Club in Ruscombmanor Township to pay tribute to one of their own — the late Jeff Paul of Zooboys and John Flywheel fame — with an event dubbed "Date With the All Stars."
The free, outdoor concert is open to music lovers of all ages and will feature local bands performing Paul's originals and cover songs from 2 to 6 p.m. under a pavilion, with food and drinks provided by the Evergreen on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Keith Smoker, who played bass in the Zooboys and John Flywheel, said when Paul died on Aug. 1, 2020, friends and family were unable to have a proper memorial to honor him due to the pandemic, so Smoker, along with fan and friend Michelle Biggerstaff; fellow musicians Angie Ezell, Frank Phobia and Jim Speese; and Paul's widow, Cindy, and son, Stephen, decided to plan it for this year.
Saturday's performers will include Jan Gyomber; Speese solo and with his band, Cloud Party, with guests Frank Phobia, Dave Mattes and Rick Kelchner; Justin Bortz and friends; Frozen Poet, featuring Ezell on vocals; Preston Hazard, creator of the streaming animated series "Fundamentally Cynical," which Smoker co-writes; and Smoker's cover band Company Car.
Paul formed The Zooboys in the '80s, attracting a loyal local following that would turn out in droves to hear the band's upbeat, pop punk. When drummer Rick Kelchner left the trio and Jeff "Chilly" Scott replaced him, they renamed the band John Flywheel, and their legend continued to grow.
They started getting good press and won back-to-back Delaware Valley Music Awards for best single ("Baggage of Love") and best alternative artist.
In 1995, the indie label Backstreet signed John Flywheel to a six-album deal. They released their self-titled debut later that year and went out on tour.
They later recorded a second album, "In Her Orbit," but Backstreet lost its distributor, resulting in the first album being pulled from record store shelves. The second was never released.
Smoker said that despite being a trio, John Flywheel unleashed a full, arena rock-like sound powered by Paul's open-chord guitar-playing.
"He was incredibly tight," Smoker said. "His vocals and his guitar style were just right on the money."
He also was a talented songwriter, taking inspiration from the British Invasion bands, Neil Young, punk bands like the Ramones and bubblegum pop like the Strawberries and 1910 Fruitgum Company.
The Facebook event page descibes Paul's songs as "short, driven and intense. Full of innuendo, mystery and depth. Addictive music that made it nearly impossible to stand still."
Speese, who wrote about Paul's bands often in his Local Music column in the Reading Eagle, said he once described them as "a cross between the Sex Pistols and the Monkees, that write two-and-half-minute morality plays."
"His songwriting was incredible," Smoker said. "He was a bible of information as far as '60s, '70s and '80s music. He read a lot of rock history and trivia."
Paul always embraced new talent on the local scene, inviting up-and-coming bands like Cloud Party and Phobia's band Anthrophobia to open at his gigs.
Speese said that in the '80s and early '90s, Paul was the most original voice coming out of the Berks County music scene.
"I had the pleasure of playing on the same stage with him many times, and it was always amazing," Speese said, adding with a laugh: "His style was so unique, while also being just quirky enough to not get a major label deal.
"I've never met anyone who had the full package like he did: singer, songwriter, guitarist. And the attitude: uncompromising, iconoclastic."
