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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 22, 2013
Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
Index This Week’s Obsessions .......................... 22 Carnales Unidos Club Car Show .............. 23 Arts Alive .................................................. 24 ‘Damn Yankees’ review ............................ 25 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 26 Scott Cox .................................................. 27 ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’..28 Calendar .............................................. 30-31
A bright future cut short Death of guitarist at 38 stuns Bakersfield music scene BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com
There was never any doubt that guitarist Jim Fendrick was born to rock. Arms tattooed and hair slicked back, he commanded the stage with electric riffs as leader and sideman in several Bakersfield bands over the years. His talent and rock star charisma seemed to signal a bright future, which makes his death earlier this month at the age of 38 difficult for his family and friends to accept. “Once he got his mind made up that he was going to player guitar, that was it. He was gonna play guitar,” said Jim’s father, David Fendrick, recalling the moment his son first picked up an electric guitar at 19. “He would just sit, and like a kid who’s involved with music, would just sit for hours and hours and just keep grinding away on this guitar.” With no personal instruction, the young guitarist developed his skills playing along with his favorite records, his father said. “He liked rock and roll, all genres. Eventually he started making music, and stuck with it for the next 20 years. My favorite song that he used to play on acoustic guitar was ‘Blackbird’ by Paul McCartney. I just loved to hear him pick that out.” Though Fendrick lived in Huntington Beach at the time of his death, he never strayed too far from the roots he established in his hometown of Bakersfield, burning up the I-5 in his backand-forth commutes. At the time of his death, he was in two local bands, the alt-country outfit The Iron Outlaws and alternative rock quintet Karmahitlist, which made a lot of noise about a decade ago before reforming in recent months. But he also maintained a lot of informal connections with musicians in the local scene and was always willing to sit in with friends in need of his unique musical vision and incredible range. Danny Garone, Fendrick’s Iron Outlaws bandmate, considered the guitarist not just a friend but a mentor. “His attitude toward being in a band was a gift. His attitude was always very positive. He had goals of getting recordings done, being a team player, things like that. That’s the way he always was. He had other jobs that paid better than playing music, but he wasn’t really into that. He wanted to play music and be a
PHOTOS BY JESSICA MONCRIEF
Jim Fendrick, in a solo show at B Ryder’s in February 2012, was a member of local bands The Iron Outlaws and Karmahitlist.
guitar player. To play with him in a band years later was great. He was the guy who got me started. He was a mentor in music and life.” Fendrick’s Karmahitlist bandmate, deejay Alex Garza, said plans are in the works to compile a collection of previously unreleased Karmahitlist material featuring Fendrick, including demos, video footage and other recordings. Garza and Fendrick were childhood friends who attended Sandrini Elementary together. Fendrick eventually graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1993. “We used to ride our bikes together and go to school. I never thought we’d end up in a band, years later. Everything was ‘so rad’ to Jim when we would rehearse or have a show. ... He’s definitely going to be missed.” Fendrick leaves behind two young sons, Myles and Cole. Fendrick’s father, who lives in the Northern California city of Windsor, said his son was a tremendous role model for his children. Please see FENDRICK / 31
He could make them weep Bandmate recalls the music, magic BY CESAREO GARASA Contributing writer
Man, that cat could play. Jim Fendrick was a soldier for art: 100 percent packed pure nitro, a sleek 5’9” tattoo-covered turbo engine whose main purpose was to play music. He would drive two to three hours to play a show/rehearse/write music/record, sometimes sleep an hour or two and then drive back to Orange County because he had to be at work at some ludicrously early time or to be there to pick up his kids. His work
From his performances to his relationships, Jim Fendrick, seen here in 2012, was completely genuine.
ethic was constant, trying to be everywhere at the same time like he had no time to lose. He did this nonstop for the nearly 12 years I knew and played music with him.
He never faltered. Never. One of the best shows of my life was a month ago when Jim and I played with our band The Iron Outlaws. I Please see TRIBUTE / 29