ONCE A WEEK, five lake-area guys, all but one in
their 50s, get together in Paul Norton’s Deephaven
basement to thrash out three-chord anthems with
guitars, bass, drums and keyboards, and play rock
star. The members of Static Jones Band all have
day jobs and other adult responsibilities, but every
Wednesday night, they put those on the back burner
to indulge in pure, amplified musical expression.
They also play occasional gigs and have developed a
following in the lake area.
Most of the band members can walk to practice.
Four of the five members live in the Heathcote
neighborhood in Deephaven; the only exception is
drummer-vocalist-songwriter Jay Hyre, who lives in
Excelsior. In addition to host Paul Norton, the other
members of Static Jones are bassist Judd Williams,
guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Dave Jaffray and keyboardist
Tim Roesler. The four have known each other for roughly 15
years, and “we talked for a number of years about playing
together,” Norton recalls. Norton, a Maple Grove
native, has been playing guitar and writing songs since
his 20s, and played in a number of rock bands before
this one. “My idea was to be an original band,” he says.
Most local bands made up of middle-aged musicians
are cover bands, he notes, describing Static Jones Band’s style as “indie rock and Americana.” In addition to original songs, they do
a few favorite covers, too, by well-known
artists like Jackson Browne, the Rolling
Stones, Big Head Todd and others, choosing
to eschew hits in favor of highlighting
more obscure B-sides. “You might not
know the songs, but the sound is very
familiar,” says Norton. Using double-hung windows, sheetrock
and sound-insulating materials, Norton
created a practice room in his basement,
where the guys are free to play as loud as
they need to. Three years ago, they started
practicing in earnest and assembling a set
list, and played their first gig at Bayside
Grille in early 2014.
Every six or eight weeks, the band plays
at local venues like Excelsior Brewing Co.
and Victor’s on Water in Excelsior, and
the Astor Cafe and Driftwood Char Bar in
Minneapolis. “We just love playing, and if
people like coming to hear us, that’s great.
It’s really fun to see these guys who have
always been in cover bands writing songs,”
Norton says. “One of the great things
about Minnesota and the western suburbs
is that there are a lot of venues that welcome
bands playing original music. You
don’t have to be a cover band. The places
we play have been incredibly supportive.”
All the members have day jobs “doing
very different things,” says Norton, who
runs The Village Company. Norton and
his wife moved to Deephaven 18 years ago
with their sons.
Hyre moved to the area from Cincinnati
four years ago and met Norton through a
mutual friend; he’s been playing with the
group for about four years. Hyre, who has
also been a songwriter since his youth,
says he appreciates the fact that the band’s
occasional gigging doesn’t interfere with
family and job responsibilities. “It’s different
from when you’re 17 or 18 years
old and you think you’re going to conquer
the world,” Hyre says. “With us, it’s family
first, job first.”
The band has made live recordings, and
might produce an album one of these days,
Norton says. The primary goal is always at
the center: having fun playing music, says
Norton. “It’s a wonderful distraction.”