Acoustic Juggernaut

By John Benson

The band plays originals and covers.

Wearing influences on their sleeves.

That’s what the relatively new band Acoustic Juggernaut — Bobby “Earl” Wolff (guitar), Joseph “Hoss” Jay Jarman (harmonica, vocals), Jared Mott (tenor saxophone), Dean Anshultz (drums) and Eric Jerniqan (upright bass) — does every time it gets on stage.

“Right now, we play a mixture of covers and originals,” said Wolff, a 1992 Boardman High School graduate. “Our originals are like bluesy, dirty blues and even some gospel stuff. Hoss’ voice is very soulful. For a bigger guy, he sounds like an old black man. He’s got some soul.

“So we play a lot of old-school Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers and Joe Cocker. And we also player newer stuff like Jason Mraz.”

When it’s mentioned that the group’s song selection is decidedly unique for the Northeast Ohio music scene, Wolff pointed out, “That’s how we kind of started it. A lot of people in Youngstown go for that harder rock edge or a jam band, but we kind of like incorporated our own needs and desires as far as blues and everything else.

“We kind of fit to conform Hoss’ voice along with what we like to play. So we definitely think we’re coming across in, you can’t really say original, but in this area it’s definitely not common.”

Original tracks already making Acoustic Juggernaut members excited include the slow yet punchy delivery behind the blues-jazz-sounding “I Get Around,” as well as the upbeat and blues-defined “I Thought You Should Know.” The quintet recently emerged from the recording studio with a four-song demo, with plans of releasing a full-length disc this fall.

Whereas many bands are concerned about being labeled or pigeonholed within a certain scene, Wolff isn’t worried.

“We kind of like that,” Wolff said. “We try to keep ourselves as broad as possible. We’re trying to make it pay our bills and be working musicians rather than trying to get signed.

“Every band out there is trying to get signed and do that thing and we’re trying to survive first. And if we do get signed, then that’s cool, but we’re just keeping our arsenal of music so that it will appeal to anyone. So it really doesn’t matter if we’re a jam band or classic rock, soul or blues. We just keep it open right now.”

More regional dates around Ohio and into Pennsylvania are what Acoustic Juggernaut has planned for the next year. In the meantime, the group is playing Friday at Cedars.

“We just want everybody to have a good time with good vibes,” Wolff said. “That’s basically what we’re all about, drinking and having fun.”