Culture, Concert | Jim came back to life

Yoren is looking forward to it. Now that he thought about the concert at home last year, he smiled broadly.

– I went out and saw that it was crowded, and that there were people sitting on roofs and terraces around the stage area on the west side.

During the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Jim’s not dead was a local surprise in a genre already doing so well in Kongsberg. The Americana project is firmly rooted in the world of a genre that straddles The Doors, Dylan and the Stones, and Tom Petty. Unfortunately for many, Christian Kjeller sold out very quickly.

On Saturday night, whoever misses will get a second chance. They play on the main stage at the Center during Kongsberg Agenda. Jorn says he will try to recreate the Woodstock Festival in Magasinparken this weekend.

– I think it’s really good to see Agenda members creating a mix of music and business. I like that they collaborate with jazz. I think that’s a good thing for Kongsberg, says Jørn Stenersen, who is the creative force behind Jim Didn’t Die.

All Texans

– The agenda will be a bit like South By Southwest in Texas, one of the largest music and film festivals in the world – with a strong tech program on the side. This is what we need. More music for Kongsberg, he says.

He thinks it is quite clear that the creative forces of music would provide fine synergy in a city with a local industry heavy on engineering.

– What we musicians do is one of the most creative things. It’s math without rules, and it’s peppered with emotions. There is no artificial intelligence in the world that can beat it, says Yorn.

He sits on a stack of planks behind the rehearsal room and writes some blue notes off of Martin’s guitar. On the expectations of playing at home again, he said it feels tingling.

After a record debut with Jim’s Not Dead during Corona, it has been somewhat limited with live performances. Gradually it became a little more than that — and a performance with a local team of musicians back home during Jazz last year showed there were no signs of Jim lying down and dying anytime soon.

New materials

I make songs all the time. I’ve done that for years. We’ll be playing some of the new ones on Saturday.

– Is it the same thing we heard last time?

– Yes. Genre-wise, it probably is. There are things that inspired me from the golden age of rock. old country as well. My son listens to a lot of Eminem these days, so I’m exposed to a lot, laughs.

Yorn, who has been buzzing with lyrics and songs his entire life, debuted as a recording artist in 2021 – which in terms of timing could be said to be a bit awkward, with society on lockdown.

Not Dead Jim is not a permanent band. It can be presented with a completely basic rock band with drums, bass, guitars and vocals. But here, too, there is room for brass keys and choruses. On Saturday, there will be something in between.

In addition to Jørn Stenersen – vocals and guitars, Bård Enerstad is on bass, Kenneth Bæver Bjerke on drums, Bjørn Gulliksen – guitars, Espen Fjelle on organ and keyboards, and Margrethe Skogrand backing vocals.

– I hope people will come and have a beer in the sun. He says we will serve everything else.

Read also