LIVIN' WITH JACK

A small, smoke-filled tavern, that houses a colorfully diverse local clientele, sits in an inconspicuous corner of Florida. The air pulses with intense anticipation, like watching the sky for a tornado to drop. All eyes of the local town folks are fixated on the stage as they sip their drinks and smoke their cigarettes eagerly awaiting the night's entertainment. There is a magnetism in the air as front-man, Drake Matthews, takes a moment of silence to prepare for "Livin' with Jack's" opening song. The breath of Drake's past grazes by the back of his neck, as he stands there in the dark reminding him-self to breathe. "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick", old nursery rhymes keep running through Drake's mind; he wonders if Jack will show up tonight. With his head bowed and the other two band members ready and waiting for their queue, Drake looks at his bass player, Bobby Rose, out of the corner of his eye. Instantaneously, the dark tavern is filled with a contagious bass line that brings "Livin' with Jack" to life a

"Misery is about a girl who is confused between reckless thinking and addiction. I try to comfort her by her dropping all her problems on me. I wrote this song in reflection of my own life."

"Jack is that you….again?! Aw crap!" Although Jack is a common name, the band "Livin' with Jack", is anything but. "Livin' with Jack resembles a lifestyle many people in today's society can relate to, but are too embarrassed or afraid to talk about". Drake Matthews in "Livin' with Jack" has capitalized on an uncommon way of communicating a common ῲeality. He has known 'Jack' as the frustration of living with nothing and having no real way to acquire anything, which makes the odds of getting anywhere, seem like climbing Mt. Everest barefoot without a rope.

"When you're living with nothing, you got nothing to lose". Being all too familiar with starting from scratch, Matthews came to Nashville from the 'Sunshine State' of Florida, with two packed bags, and a tenacious desire to write and play music. Drake's inspiration for creating "Livin' with Jack" stems from having learned how to navigate the circumstances that lay within the parameters of the earth that he and 'Jack' have walked. "Livin with Jack" has dealt with their share of cave dwellers and bottom feeders that couldn't live up to their end of the deal, and they no longer palate flakey individuals who deplete the energy resources around them.

Drake founded "Livin' with Jack" in 2004 and has searched high and low for a caliber of elite players who have integral musicianship, loyalty, and a genuine desire to grow as part of the "Livin' with Jack" family. The newest additions to "Livin with Jack" who fit the profile Drake was looking for are; guitarist Adam Ridge, drummer Brian Dowd and Bass Player Bobby Rose Jr. Each player brings their own unique style that adds to the charismatic prism of already multi-dimensional Matthews who has been mesmerizing audiences with a voice so distinct, he truly re-defines the term dynamic. Putting all these players together is a definitive recipe for ultimate success that is sure to satisfy the appetites of a hungry public that has been left "Empty" and musically starved for an incredible home-cooked musical masterpiece they could sink their teeth into.

Matthews voices the edgy and dark tones of a pickled and "Unbalanced" past of "Self-Destruction", reflecting to an audience of intangible souls that embrace bittersweet realities, and courageously consume the energetic commonalities that unite the living with a frequency all its own. "The purpose behind the over all record is pretty much to share the hardships in my life through music and show others that they are not alone." "Livin' with Jack" has bridged the gap between "what was" and "what is" on a level almost any human being at just about any age can relate to.

As the years have progressed, "Livin' with Jack" has matured in various situations in which 'Jack' has played a significant part and has made everyone realize that 'Jack' is more complex than originally given credit for. "Livin' with Jack" now defines 'Jack' as time and circumstance, weakness and strength, order and chaos, the yin and the yang. Jack is your past, your present and your future, and is as unpredictable as a poker hand in Vegas at a 'Black Jack' table where one minute you're winning and the next you've lost it all. Jack can show up anytime, anywhere. It is the balance that creates the living breath within us all and makes us who we are. "Life rarely ever happens the way you plan on it, you always have to be ready to deal with Jack"

"Livin' with Jack" has spent the summer lighting up stages and leaving trails of dust all over the Southeastern United States and is currently working on new music that will liven crowds and shed a whole new perspective on 'Jack'. Be on the look out for their next album and tour dates. In the meantime, "May 'Jack' be with you!" www.livinwithjack.net

C – August 2007; Written by: Alison Aldrich