When asked by the Vanguard, “Has [cancer] affected your life?” Eric Jensen, of local folk/blues band Tractor Operator, simply stated, “Cancer affects everybody.” You would be hard pressed to find anyone who is not directly or indirectly affected by the disease. Even with all of the tests and research being put into this growing phenomenon, we are still at the mercy of this disease.
Operations manual
When asked by the Vanguard, “Has [cancer] affected your life?” Eric Jensen, of local folk/blues band Tractor Operator, simply stated, “Cancer affects everybody.”
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who is not directly or indirectly affected by the disease. Even with all of the tests and research being put into this growing phenomenon, we are still at the mercy of this disease.
Cancer, that malicious malcontent, didn’t foresee one thing though: that through its evil schemes and clever guises, those malignant and benign, it would unite a people; there is evidence enough in the pink and yellow bands that can be seen wrapped around the wrists of many, many Americans.
So too is there evidence that local musicians and artists can still put on a show for a good cause. This Sunday at the Doug Fir Lounge, Portland is welcomed to “Art and Music vs. Cancer,” a night featuring the acts of Menomena, Dolorean, Eluvium and Tractor Operator. Also on the bill are live life drawing and comic artists.
It has become one man’s mission, Eric Jensen of Tractor Operator, to make this benefit not just a one-night excursion, but a devotion of a whole year’s worth of profits to the fight against cancer.
It states on his Web site that, “You might have heard, but every dollar earned by Tractor Operator, from Sept. 1, 2008-Sept. 1, 2009, will be donated to organizations that are working to eliminate cancer in the world. It’s just our way of appreciating the people in our lives that have been affected by the disease.”
When asked to elaborate on the impetus behind this decision Jensen said, “My mom spent last year battling acute myeloid leukemia. Everything I make playing shows this year is going toward cancer research. Not a particular one, but many of them. That goes for copies of my first record through Smells Delicious [Records], as well as in-person sales of my EP [Evil Will Hand You Boredom] and second record [Bleeding Hearts and Severed Legs].”
Jensen has been playing in bands since he was an adolescent. He grew up in Boise, Idaho, listening to bands like Led Zeppelin, Treepeople, Built to Spill and Nirvana.
“I heard Beck’s first album and figured if he could do it, so could I,” Jensen says. “So I started playing guitar.”
He started Tractor Operator with his sister, Tara, in 2005, and has since traveled the United States several times to promote their music. Since releasing his self-titled LP and a double EP on Smells Delicious Records, his second album, Bleeding Hearts and Severed Legs, saw Tractor Operator being picked up by Jealous Butch Records, who’s alumni include M. Ward, The Decemberists, Laura Veirs and Nick Jaina, to name a few.
“I’m really lucky to be a part of such a great label,” Jensen says, “For years before Rob [Jones] and I talked about putting a record out, I wanted to be associated with the label. Rob’s good sense, work ethic and creative approach to putting something into the world is a beautiful thing. I’ve been a fan for a long time. I don’t think that it says as much about Tractor Operator as it does about Rob’s commitment to treating people with kindness and respect.”
More often than not, Tractor Operator is Jensen playing solo, stripped-down versions of the band’s songs. “Tractor Operator lately has been playing some shows as a band,” he says. “During those shows you might catch Dave Snider, Brian Gardiner or James West sitting in.”
Minus the talents of Mr. West, this will be the case for the Doug Fir cancer benefit show. Jensen also moonlights as a drummer in a band called The Valiant Arms.
“I don’t like managing a band,” he says. “Playing in a big band when everybody is ‘on’ is a great feeling. I like the freedom that playing solo affords with regard to touring or accepting shows that don’t pay.”
With or without a band, Jensen’s penchant for clever songwriting, relatively simple, repetitive folk or blues guitar plucking, and his clear mindset about what he is making music for are all to be admired and consumed with vigor.
Jensen’s altruism is impressive at the least, and the magnetism he’s been able to create around his cause is exciting both as a testament to the continued existence of human decency and the sonic wealth of the city in which he lives.
Tractor Operatorw/ Menomena, Delorean and EluviumDoug FirNov. 23, 8 p.m.$1221+
