A night for 'Sparky'

On Saturday, music fans gathered at the Bluebird Nightclub to remember the late Jason Molina.

Molina, 39, died March 16 of organ failure at 39 after a decade-long battle with alcoholism, according to Rolling Stone Magazine.

Secretly Canadian, the Bloomington record label that managed Molina, called him the cornerstone of its label, writing in a blog post that “his singular, stirring body of work is the foundation upon which all else has been constructed.”

The label organized Saturday’s memorial show to honor him and bring those who knew him together through his music.

Molina, affectionately called “Sparky” by his friends and bandmates, was described by those in attendance Saturday night as genuine, kind, generous and funny. Many of these friends travelled from far away to remember a man for whom they had great respect.

Former bandmates from Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co. and other groups paid tribute to Molina through music and shared memories with the crowd during breaks.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t have done this for Sparky when he was around, but it is an honor to play tonight,” said Erica Fletcher, a friend who performed with the band Oneida.

Others said the atmosphere was bittersweet.

“It was strange to play without him, but it felt good to play,” said Bruce Coming, Molina’s friend and former bandmate. “The music is what he lived by and it’s what brought us all together.”

The portrait of Molina that emerged was of a likable, down-to-earth person who drew people to him through the connections he formed.

Some drove from far away, saying it was the least they could do for a guy that touched their lives.

“Jason was the funniest, kindest, most genuine, weirdest, most welcoming guy I’ve ever met,” said Matthew Barnhart, a friend who drove from Chicago to the show. “He bonded with people in a way that was truly unique.”

Other friends of Molina’s agreed.

“Even the most brief encounter left me with something meaningful,” Stephen Sowley, a friend, said.

Jessica Scholnik met Molina after what she described as one of his more stirring
performances.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” she said. “His music was so effective. I went up to him and said, ‘Thank you for that,’ and he just gave me a hug and held me.”

About Jason Molina

Jason Molina was born in Lorain, Ohio on December 16, 1973.

Inspired by Black Sabbath as a young musician, Molina started playing in heavy metal bands around Cleveland, Ohio as a teenager. Molina eventually decided to pursue a solo music career and write his own songs.

His early monikers included Songs: Albian, Songs: Radix and Songs: Unitas, until he eventually landed on Songs: Ohia, which would become the moniker for his first and most successful solo endeavor.

Songs: Ohia’s first, self-titled full-length album, released in 1997 by Secretly Canadian, is referred to by fans as “The Black Album."

Molina’s second musical project was the band Magnolia Electric Co., formed in 2003.
After a 10-year world tour stint to promote both projects, Molina was forced to take time off to deal with the effects of severe alcoholism.

His final album, “Josephine,” was released in 2009 by Magnolia Electric Co., his country-rock collaboration with his fellow band mates Pete Schreiner, Mark Rice, Michael Kapinas and Jason Groth.