Who's on Bass?

(A mostly true story)


The scene is a coffee shop throbbing with music. Two brothers and two friends jamming for two hours. It's standing room only at Java Jo, one of those rare performances you wish could last forever. But who are the players?

"So which ones are the two brothers?" Ed leans close to be heard over the music.

"Joas and Joel," I nod toward the band in the corner.

"Joel is the drummer?"

"No the other Joel. Yes, the drummer’s name is Joel, but the other Joel is the brother. He’s the one with the hat."

"Oh the one on the harmonica?"

"No, the other one with a hat. The one playing guitar."

"But not the one sitting down?"

"No, the one sitting down with the guitar is Joas. Oh wait, now Joel is sitting down, too."

"So Joas is the one wearing a vest?"

"Yes, no, the guy on the harmonica’s wearing a vest."

"What’s his name?"

"I don’t know. Just some guy that came with Joas. But Joas is wearing a vest too."

"So the brothers are the two guys with vests?"

"No the brothers are Joas and Joel. Joas is the one with a vest playing guitar."

"The vest plays guitar?"

"No, Joas plays guitar, wearing a vest."

"The guitar wears a vest?"

"See the guy sitting in a chair, playing a guitar?"

"The one with a vest?"

"The guy with a vest. That guy is playing a guitar. His name is Joas."

"The guy, or the guitar, or the vest?"

"The guy’s name is Joas."

"And his brother’s name is Joel?"

"His brother is the one wearing a hat and playing guitar."

"But not sitting down."

"Not right now."

"And the other Joel is the one with a beard?"

"The Joel with a beard is the guy on the drums. The other guy with a beard is Joas"

"The guy with a vest sitting and playing guitar?"

"Yes. The other guy with a vest is a friend."

"The one on harmonica?" The guy with a hat?"

"The other guy with a hat. Not Joel on the guitar, but the one with a hat playing harmonica. He’s the friend."

"And it’s not the hat playing the harmonica?"

"Might be."


The Cast:

Joas has a beard, wears a vest, sits and plays guitar amazingly. And sings. His brother…

...Joel has only stubble, wears a hat, stands (sometimes) and plays guitar similarly. And sings, maybe better.

Joel the drummer (actually the entire rhythm section since there's no bass), has a beard. No vest, no hat.

Friend (Chris?) wears a hat, and a vest, and plays harmonica marvelously.