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Band Bio.
The J. Factor was formed in the spring of 2004 in the eastern
panhandle of West Virginia, just 90 mins. outside of Washinton D.C., and Baltimore. From it's conception The J. Factor has
been focused on being a band that can keep the party moving, and play music that people want to hear, and the
band loves to play. Each member of the band has a deep history in the Mid-Atlantic as top notch musicians. Very rarely do
you come across a band stacked so high with talent. From the smooth harmonies of Bill, and Jamie. To the raw power and
technical expertise of Todd and JR.
The band is told all the time how nice it is to find such a
talented group of musicians that are so down to earth. The J. Factor is one of the most "approachable" group of guys you will
ever run into. This is a direct result of their faith. The J. Factor strives very hard to develop, and maintain a positive
working relationship with everyone they work with. They have very strong relationships with all the venue owners, promoters,
and booking agents that they work with. Many of the these relationships have become personal, and more "family like"
then professional.
The J. Factor also heads up the Bud-Light "Drink Responsibly"
campaign. In the past five years The J. Factor has helped raise over 400,000 dollars in local charities like "Relay 4
Life" and the annual Hospice fund raiser "Bike Night" in downtown Martinsburg, WV. Bike Night alone draws over 8000 people
every year and The J. Factor rocks the streets of Martinsburg for four hours every August.
Feel free to read comments on this website, and their
myspace profile. Their fans, and friends have a lot to say about the type of band The J. Factor is both on and off stage.
Our Sound
One of the biggest questions we're asked online is "What do you guys
sound like?" We are 60's and 70's Classic Rock, and Blues. We tend to lean more towards the "in your
face" classic rock than blues. But, we do have a strong blues side to us as well. It's a melting pot of influences. Just
ask our fans...
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Here's some background on each member
of the band...
Mike Gain - Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar
Mike has been a local hero for
many years playing with such bands as Radio, Relic, and many more. Mike pulls influences
for rock-n-roll icon such as Tom Petty, John Lennon, and Robert Plant. Mike's strongest talent is the ability to emulate
other vocalists. Zeppelin always sounds like Zeppelin, and the Doors sounds so close to Jim Morrison it's like Jim himself
is on stage singing right in your face.
James Seeley:
Jamie got an early start playing music when at only age 12 was burning
up leads by such guitar greats as Ted Nugent, and Jimmy Page. As Jamie grew musically he began to draw influence from
players like Jeff Beck, Frank Marino, and Steve Via. His style of lightening fast scales and runs are made complete with
his perspective of feel found in players like Steve Morse, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Jamie also plays various
other string instruments such as Banjo, and Mandolin. He draws influence from many different styles of music. But, his talent
doesn't stop there, he also sings with the same kind of passion that is found in guys like Hendrix, and Vaughan. Jamie's a
driving force to be reckoned with, it only takes one listen to see just how deep of a musician he really is.
| James Seeley - Guitar, and Vocals |
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| "Photo by John M. Esparolini http://espimages.ifp3.com " |
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| "Photo by John M. Esparolini http://espimages.ifp3.com " |
Bill
Mundey: Bill has been a local guitar hero for many years playing in such local bands as Mighty White,
Third Finger, Rex Mundi, Slight Return, and now The J. Factor. Bill brings a wealth of playing experience to the
stage with The J. Factor. Bill has a natural chemistry with Jamie and has really created a new soundscape within the band.
Bills greatest influences are from such guitar greats as Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoades, Warren Haines, and Jimi Hendrix. Bill
was also a music major at Shepherd University with a focus on Guitar Composition.
| Bill Mundey - Guitar, and Vocals |
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| "Photo by John M. Esparolini http://espimages.ifp3.com " |
Todd Jenkins: Todd started playing at at the tender age of 13,
and has been a heavy weight player in this area for many years. He's played many styles of music over the years, and fits in
the classic rock mold very well. Todd has played in local acts such as Mighty White,
Third Finger, Rex Mundi, Slight Return, New City, White Axe, and Ice. Todd's biggest influences are John
Entwistle (The Who), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), and Allen Woody (Gov't Mule). Todd really brings a lot to the stage and
his live performances are second to none.
| Todd Jenkins - 5 & 6 String Bass Guitars |
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| "Photo by John M. Esparolini http://espimages.ifp3.com " |
JR Everhart: JR started playing drums at age 8 and cut his teeth
playing southern gospel music in church. But by High School JR was playing licks by guys like Neil Peart, Shannon Larkin,
and Lars Ulrich. Drawing influences from everywhere. JR's style in this band is more John Bonham meets Mike Portnoy.
JR brings tons of energy to the stage.
JR has played in local and regional bands for many years, such as Synical
Black, Crystal Myth, The Race St. Control Room Experiment, Drunk, Little Joe & The Buffalo Wings, Frozen Ocean, GTA, and
Shadow Cast
| JR Everhart - Drum Kit, and Band Management |
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| "Photo by John M. Esparolini http://espimages.ifp3.com " |
What does the J. in "The J. Factor" mean?
A question we get asked a lot is "what does the J. in The J. Factor stand for?"
Most people think it stands for Jamie, JR, or as one guy put it..."It's for joint, right man?" as he did his best "I'm stoned
look". The truth is it stands for Jesus.
Ya'see we all have a deep history in the Christian faith and believe it's the "Jesus Factor"
in our lives that keeps us balanced. We've sort of hesitated to come out and say this, because we didn't want to be seen as
a Christian Band, because we're not. We just happen to be men of faith who enjoy playing the music we love. Not to mention
we were needing some extra cash. If we were carpenters we would be doing home renovation projects to make
extra cash, but we're not. We're musicians, so it just made sense for us to start a band. We do however believe that it's
by no accident that we are together. What started out as a way to make extra cash has grown into a small empire.
The J. Factor has really been a chance for us to build relationships with people that wouldn't
normally come to church or even want to be around a Christian. We have used our music to show people that there are real (not
perfect) men of faith that just want to let their light shine in the darkness. If you know us you know that we have never
pushed our faith on anyone or ever made religion part of our format. In fact, I can only remember one time that we ever said
anything about our faith from the stage, and that was at Bike Night '05. We had discussed the event well in advance and just
wanted to plant a seed of faith before such a large crowd (some 4,000 people). But again, we never came across as pushy, we
only wanted to use our influence to share our faith. We had many conversations that night on the street with people wanting
to know more. That's The Jesus Factor at work in us.
If your curious as to where we worship, or would like to know more about our views on Christianity
feel free to click on our "myspace.com profile" in the navigation bar above and start a conversation with one of us. We all
have myspace profiles except for Todd who is still trying to move into the 21st century online.
Want to know what the J. in "The J. Factor" stands for? Click on "Band Bio." and scroll to the bottom of the page.
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