When I came to town in the 70's BJ's Bar was the Bear Den. It was during the pipeline and The Bear Den was the place. In the 80's it was sold to couple named Bob and Judy, hence the name BJ's. Then our friend Ardie Crawford purchased it and has run it for the last 25 years. One thing we know is , nothing is forever. Ardie is married to one of my kennel mates on the Kenai River, Chick Kishbaugh. They have a house on the golf
course and grand kids to love so its just time for them to move on. All the 'old timers' that were drawn to BJ's this weekend understand it all so well. Ardie sold the liquor license so the bad news is no more beer at BJ's , the good news is you can get a real Margarita now at the Mexican food joint in town. But the biggest news of course is its the end of an era for Alaska's best Friend, Hobo Jim. For 25 years the ' Hobo Show' at BJ's has been the fun centerpiece of our town. Got company, go see Hobo. Feeling down, diffinently go see Hobo, celebrating, go see Hobo... For 25 years Hobo has been as steady as the tide in the Kenai River. As I'm in the people business I tell first time Alaska Visitors that theres a few must do's. See the glaciers, be awed by the vastness of the State, catch a salmon, see Hobo...and not necesarily in that order.
Thats him right there. His name is Jim Varsos. His wife is Cindy and he has a son , Sean. 30 years ago he wrote a song called Where Legends are Born, its about Alaska of course and he himself might be the biggest legend this State has created. He came to Alaska hitch hiking in 1971, right out of High School. Its no wonder he ended up in Homer Alaska, afterall he's a real Hobo and Homer is the end of the road. He worked some commercial fishing and some cannery stuff as well as doing some cowboying, but he was all about, entirely about music. He was everywhere and still is. He'd have his guitar case open and playing at the Bear Den, Kenai Joes , the Nightwatch, Alices in Homer, he'd play in the bar and if they threw him out he'd play in the parking lot. He even had his own bar for awhile in Homer. In the early days his nickname was "ThunderFoot", the energy he would put into a performance is evident by his cowboy like leaness today. His music had a rawness to it you couldn't shake, you had to listen. He would stomp and yodle, whistle and holler, he'd beat on the guitar so hard he'd rip the strings off. He'd jump on the table and play, yup, broke his leg once doing it but he still vaults a table now and then. For many years we'd all count the broken strings and when he set a new record he'd buy the place a round. I remember having my brother in Alaska in the early 80's. Jack was in the Bar business in Montana so we have to do to the Hobo show . I use the word 'do' the show because its really more accurate, at a Hobo show you don't just watch and listen, you do it baby....anyway, half way through the night my brother leaned over to me and said "man, if I had this guy at my bar I could make some money".
". Through the years his music has become more refined. I asked him one time about the strings breaking, he just said he's finally learned how to play the guitar. I guess so. He has hand dexterity like I've never seen. He does a thing we call 'hiding the pic' where he finger picks part of the song while holding the pick on the top of his fingers. Then when he wants the guitar to really bark he swivels the pic into his palm and strums its loud. Wonderful. Hobo has worked in Nashville as a staff writer and studio musician. He played with and knows the best, his song ' The Rock' was a #1 for George Jones. His songs are everything from heart warming to whimsical. His song ' Educated Man' was written for Elton Anderson a true alaska pioneer in Anchor Point..." he had no P.H.D. but he could build anything with his hands, with his hands, he was an educated man". His song ' Jerry Fontain' about a guy who finds an enchanted guitar, wow, I think it was Jim. He found it. He has a song 'Fishing for Chickens', about kids who grow up on the prairie with no place to fish so they put corn on a hook and fish for chickens....he says for city folks he has a version ' Fishing for Kittens'. Probobaly his most important song for Alaska was 'The Iditarod Song' . He wrote it in one night on a napkin at Soldotna Inn as he was on his way to Nome the next day for the end of the Iditarod race and had promised a song about it.
". Through the years his music has become more refined. I asked him one time about the strings breaking, he just said he's finally learned how to play the guitar. I guess so. He has hand dexterity like I've never seen. He does a thing we call 'hiding the pic' where he finger picks part of the song while holding the pick on the top of his fingers. Then when he wants the guitar to really bark he swivels the pic into his palm and strums its loud. Wonderful. Hobo has worked in Nashville as a staff writer and studio musician. He played with and knows the best, his song ' The Rock' was a #1 for George Jones. His songs are everything from heart warming to whimsical. His song ' Educated Man' was written for Elton Anderson a true alaska pioneer in Anchor Point..." he had no P.H.D. but he could build anything with his hands, with his hands, he was an educated man". His song ' Jerry Fontain' about a guy who finds an enchanted guitar, wow, I think it was Jim. He found it. He has a song 'Fishing for Chickens', about kids who grow up on the prairie with no place to fish so they put corn on a hook and fish for chickens....he says for city folks he has a version ' Fishing for Kittens'. Probobaly his most important song for Alaska was 'The Iditarod Song' . He wrote it in one night on a napkin at Soldotna Inn as he was on his way to Nome the next day for the end of the Iditarod race and had promised a song about it.
I know it sounds clichest and I know this is getting long but....Jim Varsos for the past 30 years has been part of the fabric of our town and what we do here on the Kenai River. You can always spot Jim in a crowd or even 1/4 mile downriver by his signature Baileys U-ROLL-it hat. Everyone loves Hobo, his guitar is an example. John Iverson who himself is an incredibly talented guy built this one of a kind guitar to give him. Its value would be impossible to guess. It has abalone inlay, the nut and line groves are mastadon ivory and the sound box itself is hand cut Alaska spruce from the Susitna Valley....the guitar is gorgeous...and Jim plays it with a beer bottle from time to time. He says thats what they're for.Hobo is also a guy who's not afraid to speak his mind. He's a patriot for sure. Each show he includes the National Anthem. On friday night we all did America the Beautiful as a bonus song. He often rallys people for their rights, the other night he spoke of the second amendment...."if you don't believe in the 2nd amendment you're in the wrong @@#^! bar". He's gone to Afganistan to entertain the troops. He's the real deal.
I think every working musician is a Hobo or sorts. So many nights on the road, staying in motels and eating on the run. Its not an easy life, it takes a special guy to give all of us his gift of music. So I know Hobo will land at another venue. Maybe anchorage where theres more opportunity. But what I'd like, what I'd really like, is that he writes that perfect song that goes all the way to the top. That somebody in Nashville hears the song and says walla...its musical magic, its worth a million. For theres nobody in the world I'd rather see make their millions than Alaskas and my friend Hobo Jim Varsos.
nice post Jeff. I had seen this sign many times, just never knew.
ReplyDeleteThanks