Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Rodriguez And Free And Easy Band
Hi Jimmy Rodriguez, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My biggest influence growing up was my brother, David, who played guitar and sang with the Free and Easy Band. At six years old, I would listen to Free and Easy (FNE) rehearse in my basement, and always idolized the band. They were real-life rockstars, jamming at my house! Before that, FNE was founded in 1968, by musician and manager Tom Behr. FNE played local clubs 5-6 nights per week, toured the Midwest, and became a powerful trailblazing group on the Twin Cities music scene. The band changed names through the years, but many of the players stayed the same. As multiple groups were spun off of the original, Free and Easy always remained as the hottest band in town.
I kept interested in music as I grew up. David would often be out on the road, but would stop home between tour stops to drop off instruments and reconnect. While David was gone, I learned to play guitar, bass, piano, and percussion. I would help teach my other brothers, John and Michael, how to play and jam. Although I loved playing music, I decided to go to work after school, and start a family. But by the age of 26, I realized I needed to get back into music. I started playing in a Tex-mex polka band, then a wedding band, then a country band. All of these opportunities taught me how to be a well rounded musician. I continued to play drums and sing, but still looked up to my big brother David, as he continued rocking with Free and Easy.
In 2008, I finally got my big break! Free and Easy had taken a multi-year break, but was being inducted into the Midwest Music Hall of Fame. David and some other alumni started putting the band back together for the induction ceremony concert. The band asked me to play percussion and sing on the concert, and I finally got to share the stage with my big brother, David. That was really a life-changing concert for me, as I got to play with the band I used to idolize as a kid. After that show, the other FNE members asked me to officially join the band under one condition: they wanted me to lead the band. This was such an honor for me, as the lineage of Free and Easy goes back through so many great musicians who went on to play all around the world. I had to leave my other bands, and put my focus solely on making great music with Free and Easy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
By the time I started leading the band, Free and Easy had been away from the scene for several years. Our first struggle was to break the stigma that FNE was an “old people’s band”. Clubs wouldn’t hire us back because they thought we were too old school. I knew that wasn’t the case, as our “old guys” played with more fire than anybody else in the Twin Cities. But we took the critique on the chin. We hired a couple young singers who were destined to be stars. We started with a powerhouse lead, Brent Rice, then added the most versatile voice in the city, Jeff Gavin. Along the way, we added an amazing leading woman, Mel Anderson. This infused the group with energy, and the band thrived. FNE was really kickin’ at that point, and could bring the SOUL to all types of tunes from the 70s and 80s, through modern chart toppers. We were back at the top of the Twin Cities music scene! We built our schedule up to 50+ shows per year, and had really honed in our sound. But come summer 2024, I hit the biggest challenge of my life.
FNE had just finished a busy summer of gigs, and man was I gassed. Loading up gear, drumming, and singing all night was getting tougher by the show. But that’s aging right? I went in for a doctor’s appointment, told about my symptoms, and was quickly ordered an EKG for my heart. Within a few weeks, my doctor ordered more tests, and scheduled an appointment with a cardiac surgeon for a triple-bypass surgery. Never did I imagine being in that place. I have always been active, always worked out, and thought I was healthy as a horse. But here I am, on the other side of a major surgery, and attacking recovery every day. I took some time away from Free and Easy, but I am on the way back.
After that surgery, I realized even more that I need music, and we all need something that pushes us to live life to the fullest. I hope to inspire even one person through this interview. Live life with the people you love, keep inspired to get through hard times, and create great moments every day. Music can truly inspire people through difficult situations. I use that inspiration to keep going, and to keep working back to the stage with my Free and Easy family.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Free and Easy’s mission is to share and create great moments with our crowds and people we love. We absolutely love playing a show, and seeing an audience member light up when they hear an old song from their past. We bring energy and passion to the stage each night, love performing, and are inspired by the music on stage. But just as much, we love sharing that joy with the crowd, seeing their reactions, and making memories.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love connecting with people at our shows! Check out our website and social media to see our schedule. We also play private events, festival stage shows, and clubs. We get tons of energy from a great crowd. Our favorite comment from the crowd is, “It looks like you guys are having a blast up on stage!”. We are! Free and Easy Band plays for the love of music, and to share that spirit with the audience. Go out and support any live music, and make sure you come say “hello” if you see Free and Easy. We’d love to meet you and hear your story. Thank you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freeandeasyband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freeandeasyband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FNE.Rocks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeEasyBand
