Growing up in western New York, future songwriter Jabe Beyer would travel the rural routes of America with his craft show-going parents, absorbing at every turn the American roots music that would so influence him later in life. Arriving in Boston in 2000 to seek his way in the world, Jabe recorded his debut album, Twenty Point Turn, in his tiny apartment. It presented a gravelly voiced troubadour with a sound mixing elements of bluegrass, country, and cowpunk. Twenty Point Turn garnered numerous local accolades, including the Oustanding Debut Album Award at the 2000 Boston Music Awards. Jabe supported his debut with self-financed tours throughout New England, the East Coast, and America, steadily building his fan base. In 2001, Jabe and his band released Outback Country Vampire, which built on the sounds of his first album, channeling old folk music, murder ballads, and the darker sounds of contemporaries like 16 Horsepower into his strain of driving folk-core. More touring followed, as did a move from Boston to New Hampshire. In March of 2003, Woodeye Records released Drama City, Jabe's third album. The ambitious project included one disc of music recorded by Jabe with his band -- bassist Jay Aucella, drummer Dave Westner, and mandolin player Sean Staples -- together with a second, video-enhanced CD featuring three live performances and unreleased mp3s. ~ Johnny Loftus