Q&A: JJ’s Bohemia co-owner John Shoemaker
It takes a special kind of person to welcome a walking building-code violation like Monotonix into their place of business.
Whether or not it was for one of the Tel Aviv rock trio’s deranged performances, those who spend much time in the cozy confines of JJ’s Bohemia would probably agree co-owners John Shoemaker and Jeni Brown qualify as special.
I don’t remember who was playing the first time I went to JJ’s shortly after I arrived here in 2007, but the sensations of that night stuck with me.
When it’s hopping, as it was then (and pretty much every weekend since), JJ’s pulses with an almost animal-like vibe. There’s an energy that builds up from being in a group of 100 people packed so densely around the stage it sometimes feels more like an intervention for the band than a concert.
Since then, some of my fondest memories have been there, including one of my first Slim Pickens shows, getting to meet the members of legendary fem-punk band The Slits and standing so close to Justin Townes Earle I had to dodge his guitar.
This weekend JJ’s turns 4, and as he looked back, Shoemaker said it was the ability of good music meshing with a reactive audience to generate memorable nights that encouraged him to invest in the venue. His other option had been opening a restaurant when he and Brown moved back to Chattanooga from California.
“You can … manage a restaurant and have a good night and be on a wait all night long, and it feels pretty good,” he said, “but man, working a show where it’s a packed house and people who are coming to the show are having the time of their lives … you can’t beat that.”
Working doggedly to book and promote talent that might consider Chattanooga more of a pit stop than a destination certainly helped put JJ’s on the map. But Shoemaker said the venue’s success is just as much about attracting the right people to listen as it is about who’s onstage.
“It’s about the fans in Chattanooga more than anything,” he said. “People here are just enthusiastic and don’t hold anything back.
“They party. They scream. They’re having a good time. They’re not standing around with their hands in their pockets analyzing whether it’s a good time or not.”
Those fans may wreak havoc on the venue — Shoemaker said he’s had to repair or replace everything from the ceiling fans to the toilet seats (four times) — but it’s worth the repair bill, if people are having a good time.
“Our shows get rough here,” Shoemaker said, laughing. “Whenever people party, there are going to be a few casualties.”
JJ’s will close Dec. 12-25 for its annual sprucing up, so if you want to pay homage to Shoemaker and Brown, this weekend is the time to do so. The celebration kicks off tonight with a triple bill of Moonlight Bride, Wax Fang’s Scott Carney and Nashville-based pop/rock band The Non-Commissioned Officers.
Cover is $7. Whatever memories you have left after downing six Pabst Blue Ribbons are on the house.
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205.