story, photo and video by Cara Wilwerding
Age has never been a deterrent for Josh Bargar.
The 17-year-old Lincoln native started playing piano at the age of 7 and picked up a bass guitar at 11. He's since worked his way up the ladder to play with illustrious local and national blues musicians such as Magic Slim, Tommy Castro, Janiva Magness and Kilborn Alley Blues Band. Bargar says playing with such skilled musicians has taught him that less is more in the blues.
“Sometimes just keeping it simple and keeping that groove there, that’s what gets people moving and reacting positively to the music,” Bargar says.
This lesson became essential when Bargar began filling in for Brian Morrow, bassist for Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers, when Morrow had to miss a couple shows.
“I was pretty honored that (Hoyer) asked me because I’m this 17-year-old kid,” Bargar says. “But I’m fully capable of learning the music. I played for them the first time and everything just went really smoothly.”
In fact, Bargar says band members almost forgot he was fresh out of high school, mistaking Bargar’s proficiency for Morrow’s. Learning music had never been difficult for Bargar, and Hoyer’s songs were no exception. He learns by ear and can typically play a song after hearing it only three or four times, he says.
“I think you’ll find that I really just truly feel the music,” Bargar says. “Every note I play is coming straight from my heart. I just love doing it. Being on stage and playing bass is my high. Nothing compares to that feeling.”
In addition to playing with the Shadowboxers, Bargar spent a week learning skills at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln summer jazz workshop in June.
A Bit of Josh Bargar at UNL Jazz Camp from Hear Nebraska on Vimeo.
At shows he plays, he also gathers inspiration at The Zoo Bar. When Bargar first started playing music, he focused on rock 'n' roll, but The Zoo Bar was the place where he was introduced to — and where he cultivated his love for — the soulful blues.
“I’d think, ‘Hmm, I wonder how to play that,’” Bargar says. “I want to be as versatile as I can be, but still have my own sound.”
He hopes this versatility helps him stand out as an attractive asset to bands in need of a bassist. As far as marketing himself, Barger says he’s already achieved a leg up, having switched from guitar to bass as a youngster.
“I was reluctant at first. You know, no one wants to be a bass player,” Bargar says. “But I fell in love with the instrument, and I’m really happy about it now because look at all the guitar players trying to compete for a gig. That’s not easy.”
Barger is attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall. Along with academic study of his instrument, Bargar will travel to Las Vegas with Hoyer’s band to play the Sin City Soul & Blues Revival the weekend of Sept. 15-17, in addition to shows at Grand Junction and Denver along the way.
Still a teenager, Bargar considers making a career out of the bass to be an ultimatum. Though he realizes supporting himself with a lifetime of riffs and grooves will never be an easy task, it doesn’t scare him.
“People may think I’m crazy, but I want that as a profession,” Bargar says. “I want to live off making music and I will not rest until I get that. If that means I have to work several jobs to get there, fine. But that’s what I want to do and that’s what I will do.”
Cara Wilwerding is a Hear Nebraska contributor. You can find more of her work from her summer internship here. Reach Cara at caraw@hearnebraska.org.