“Coffee Is the Inspiration”: Barista-Bassist Fuels His Passion

from HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2023

Can the long-distance thing work?

Story by Imogene Gross, imogene@harrisburgmagazine.com

Nestled in the corner of Walnut and North 4th Streets is Denim Coffee’s small, cozy Harrisburg location, with an equally small staff of (currently) just 3 baristas. Denim Coffee is a small, local coffee chain headquartered in Chambersburg. They are a certified example of Made in PA - in fact, all of their coffees are roasted in their Chambersburg facility, and all baked goods sold in stores are baked there, too. Denim’s Harrisburg location is a hub for creative, motivated, and entrepreneurial spirits –including barista-bassist Jake Gendron.

Gendron has worked for Denim since October of last year, but his career in coffee goes back further. He’s had, by his estimation, four or five years of experience as a barista. He started out with Starbucks, in his home state of Colorado. Although he grew up there, he moved to the Harrisburg area about five years ago. In his free time, he enjoys going out and exploring the city, or nearby cities.

In fact, he often commutes to Baltimore, where his band is based, for rehearsals and performances. He joined The Edge of Desolation, a heavy metal band, or more specifically, according to their Spotify, “a mix of old school deathcore and slam rhythms,” as a bassist about two months ago. Although he has played in various other bands over the years, he had trouble finding a group of other musicians who were as serious about music as he was – which is why he is excited to work with The Edge of Desolation. “They’re businessminded about it,” he says of his bandmates’ attitudes toward the music industry, “we all come to a consensus on decisions, we all talk about stuff, we all get to work on stuff really well.” They run the band, not only as their passion, but as their livelihood, as Gendron asserts. The band performs at venues in their radius (occasionally in Harrisburg!), records and releases singles to streaming platforms, and are beginning merch sales for their fans. Denim places the emphasis on the quality of their coffee first. They have certainly not skimped on their espresso set-up: the espresso bar is built into the countertop, and it uses some of the most advanced coffee technology on the market, pulling espresso shots ground

Photos by Paul Vasiliades

and brewed by exact weight with specially filtered and mineralized water. The flavor of their single-origin roasts is emphasized by the small menu, which focuses on the basics: you’ll find all the classic coffees you would expect at a café, such as lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, cold brew, drip, and pour-over coffee. The base drinks are not too elaborate, so as to let the complexities of the coffee shine through and allow for customizations. Gendron hypes up the quality of their plain black coffee selections, which are delicious enough to stand on their own, but is happy to take customers’ customizations to build the exact drink of their preferences. The café does offer a special for each season: the Summer Feature (available currently), an espresso tonic with a squeezed orange slice; for fall, the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte; the Winter Latte, a latte with white chocolate, peppermint, and cinnamon; and the Spring Latte, a cardamom latte with lavender whipped cream.

Although he admits the free coffee (and treats! He recommends the blueberry muffin or cranberry, almond, and white chocolate scone) is a perk, his favorite part of the job is the people he has gotten to meet. Undeniably, the café draws an inspired, artistic crowd, including, of course, Gendron himself. After all, the little corner café is an ideal spot to hunker down and work on something for a few hours, with uplifting views of Strawberry Square and the Capitol through the table-side windows. In his opinion, the atmosphere of Denim is conducive to creativity: “I think you’re going to find a lot of the most creative people working at coffee shops. Coffee is the inspiration – if they’re not working there, they could be sitting, tucked away working on a paper or an art piece they’re doing there. You always meet the best people, in my opinion, at a coffee shop.”

Check out Gendron’s band at linktr.ee/ theedgeofdesolation or on Facebook at TheEdgeof Desolation.

Gendron’s Dossier

1) Words of advice to home coffee brewers. I always recommend trying a pour over coffee versus pot brewed coffee. Pour overs take longer but you’ll have a more flavorful cup of coffee in the mornings!

2) Is there anything – or anyone – who inspires you as a Barista?

I really just enjoy being in a coffee environment. Everyone can agree that coffee is a great way to start off any day and you can meet some really great people just by making them a drink.

3) Favorite coffee or blend of coffee. Definitely our Colombian roast. It was love at first taste when I had it and helped me rediscover my love of anything coffee related.

4) Recommendations of two or three kinds of coffee to try.

Our Colombian and Sumatra roasts are two of my favorites for hot brewed coffee or pour overs. For iced I typically do our cold brew. It’s great on hot days or when I need a good boost of caffeine.

5) Favorite coffee-fusion drink to mix. I like to add a shot of espresso or two to just a regular black coffee. I’m very simple in my taste in coffee!

6) Most commonly ordered drinks during your shift(s).

Definitely vanilla oat milk lattes or caramel oat milk lattes.

7) Philosophy on coffee brewing and/or the enjoyment of coffee.

I enjoy a good cup of black coffee, but the roast has to be good. I don’t like to add cream or sugar if the roast itself tastes good, so just black. I prefer a pour over simply for taste purposes, but regular brewed coffee is always fine by me.

8) Is Barista your day job? If not, what else do you do for a living?

Full time I am a barista, but as both a hobby and second job I play bass in a Baltimore based band called The Edge of Desolation.

9) During a typical week, what days/ shifts can you be found at Denim Coffee?

I work every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 7-3:30!