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As “Esse Jeisner,” Eisner retakes his states

 Jesse Eisner’s “‘Esse Jeisner” alter-ego “says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”
Jesse Eisner’s “‘Esse Jeisner” alter-ego “says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”

“I went crazy writing this and it all came out,” says Jesse Eisner. “‘Esse Jeisner’ says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”

Shit like leaving an infant brother in a high chair while you hide in the living room because a maniac is running laps on your porch demanding admittance to the homestead.

Eisner spent four months at a creative fever pitch, writing songs and music to try and contain the life story of a young man from a broken home who has raised a grip of kids, watched family members descend into drug addiction, and found God in some strange places. His new musical project, Esse Jeisner Retakes the States, puts all those words in the mouth of a crazy, old, homeless man; the eponymous Esse (which Eisner says “should be pronounced ese, like an L.A. gangster”), who disjointedly chronicles key points in the life of the alter-ego’s alter-ego.

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Catching up with Eisner before and after a show, he tries to explain that the project is supposed to be a big rock opera that somehow contains the often-contradictory twists and turns that push a guy’s life in all directions. It’s a mess, but it’s an earnest mess with just enough love to survive.

At his best, Eisner occupies the hypnotic drones of low-fi shoegaze and breaks lyrical repetition to deliver thoughtful lyrics: “I’ll follow you into the woods and we’ll drown out our moms and dads.” The show vacillates between on-the-nose Christianity and artful use of Jesus as metaphor for a loved one. It bounces between uncanny Cat Stevens covers and distorted noise that leads to inexplicable in-jokes and spoken-word poetry.

At his worst, Eisner tries to do too much with a simple show. He struggles with reaching out and trying to wrestle abstruse metaphors into submission. That’s not without a little irony, as the story behind Retakes the States is a Bildungsroman in musical guise, and great opportunities for growth don’t always come out of successes.

States’ biggest novelty (and strength) is that it fights through all its own weirdness and ends up being a regular tale from a regular guy.

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 Jesse Eisner’s “‘Esse Jeisner” alter-ego “says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”
Jesse Eisner’s “‘Esse Jeisner” alter-ego “says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”

“I went crazy writing this and it all came out,” says Jesse Eisner. “‘Esse Jeisner’ says all the stuff that is hard to think about and all the shit we don’t like to acknowledge.”

Shit like leaving an infant brother in a high chair while you hide in the living room because a maniac is running laps on your porch demanding admittance to the homestead.

Eisner spent four months at a creative fever pitch, writing songs and music to try and contain the life story of a young man from a broken home who has raised a grip of kids, watched family members descend into drug addiction, and found God in some strange places. His new musical project, Esse Jeisner Retakes the States, puts all those words in the mouth of a crazy, old, homeless man; the eponymous Esse (which Eisner says “should be pronounced ese, like an L.A. gangster”), who disjointedly chronicles key points in the life of the alter-ego’s alter-ego.

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Catching up with Eisner before and after a show, he tries to explain that the project is supposed to be a big rock opera that somehow contains the often-contradictory twists and turns that push a guy’s life in all directions. It’s a mess, but it’s an earnest mess with just enough love to survive.

At his best, Eisner occupies the hypnotic drones of low-fi shoegaze and breaks lyrical repetition to deliver thoughtful lyrics: “I’ll follow you into the woods and we’ll drown out our moms and dads.” The show vacillates between on-the-nose Christianity and artful use of Jesus as metaphor for a loved one. It bounces between uncanny Cat Stevens covers and distorted noise that leads to inexplicable in-jokes and spoken-word poetry.

At his worst, Eisner tries to do too much with a simple show. He struggles with reaching out and trying to wrestle abstruse metaphors into submission. That’s not without a little irony, as the story behind Retakes the States is a Bildungsroman in musical guise, and great opportunities for growth don’t always come out of successes.

States’ biggest novelty (and strength) is that it fights through all its own weirdness and ends up being a regular tale from a regular guy.

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San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
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Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
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