Sophomore Johnnie performs at Brother Willie’s
Zachary Thomas’s favorite part about performing for people is the sense of community that it brings, especially at CSB/SJU. “In that moment, there’s no difference between playing for twelve people and Kendrick Lamar rapping in the Square Garden to thousands,” Thomas said.
Zachary Staver used to dance to “Veggie Tales” in the backseat of cars and picked up the guitar at a pre-pubescent age after watching “School of Rock.”
Now, he goes by the stage name “Zachary Thomas,” reveling in his newly released album and playing live performances to a plethora of students.
“I spend more time playing music than anything else,” Thomas said. The Johnnie hails from Maryland and is a communication major with an English minor—a combination that helps his songwriting. He’s part of the Men’s Chorus, the Bonner Program and works at the Minnesota Street Market in St. Joe. To some on campus, he’s known as “Chicken Joe,” and to others, he’s just a guy with a guitar.
Completing his tie-dyed, mustached appearance, Thomas is an avid lover of all things folk. To him, folk music is a way of storytelling, which engages the audience in an abundance of emotion. He cites Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler Childers as inspirations; more specifically, he loves all musicians who use music “not just as an entertainment medium, but as an activism measure.”
It’s this notion of advocacy and originality that draws Thomas in.
“I love intentional songwriting… like when people aren’t putting stuff out just to release it,” Thomas said.
Thomas’s own songwriting led him to perform at Brother Willie’s Pub last Friday, which yielded a large turnout. He played his music along with several covers, such as John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and Hank William’s “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It,” which Thomas utilized as a fun sing-a-long.
“If I can involve people in the show, A, it makes them care about what’s going on, and B, it’s fun,” Thomas said.
Thomas said he’s grateful for the community of support he’s received at CSB/SJU. Not only does he have facilities to play in, but also people to play for.
Thomas’s music extends across friend groups to other musicians on campus who provide helpful feedback. Sharing his music with other musicians can be intimidating, but Thomas is always appreciative for the insights it provides.
When playing his music to a live audience, he hopes to deliver a unique experience.
“Something I really admire about musicians is when they play live and it sounds different than the album,” he said.
To imitate this idea, Thomas changes aspects of his songs during his concerts.
For example, he’ll take songs that were acoustic on his album and play them live with an electric guitar. His performances are energetic and mood-boosting.
While a lot of people find it “cool to be negative these days,” Thomas aims for the opposite; he wants his music to find a place that uplifts, that captivates.
Thomas’s album, “(voicememo) rabilia,” is available on all streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Fans of his should look forward to more live performances, as the musician dreams of playing around St. Joe, in the Amphitheater and even in the big tree outside of Simons.
As for why he finds music important, Thomas has a lot of thoughts.
“There’s a lot of division in the world, everywhere, from our little town to the global scale. There are certain things in life that are really valuable in bringing people together, and I think music is one of those things,” Thomas said.
