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[ Friday, Jan. 29, 1999 ]
Harmonious
J.R. & Sharon a staple in local bar scene
By JAIMEE ABBOTT
Collegian Staff Writer
Two Saturdays ago, yet another foggy night in State College, it was hard to push past the dense cluster of fans at Cafe 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., to see the band that had them holding their plastic beer cups high above their heads and singing along. But despite the crowd's size, J.R. & Sharon knew almost every face. Mixing cover songs by artists like Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty and Shania Twain with their own compositions, J.R. Mangan and Sharon Clendenning have made their mark on the State College music scene. They've captured that sound on their recently released sophomore compact disc, Too Many Parades, a nice balance of covers and original folk songs. Mangan has been playing in State College for over 14 years since graduating from Mansfield College, near Scranton. He first played with a few different bands and then as a solo act. He knew Clendenning through her brother-in-law, but they didn't become J.R. & Sharon until she sang backup vocals on his first CD. Mangan is the songwriter, lead male vocalist and acoustic guitar player. A married man with four children and two pets, Mangan retreats to his basement to write songs he describes as "folk with a country feel." The songs are mostly autobiographical -- the title track from the duo's latest CD is about his grandfather, and another song on the CD, "Ready and Willing," is about his brother.
PHOTO: Joanna Phillips
The J.R. & Sharon Band plays to a packed crowd at The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave.
Clendenning picks up the female vocals, complementing Mangan with a voice as animated as her body language. Although singing is a full-time job, she is also pursuing a master's degree in information science through Syracuse University's independent study program.
They used to be strictly an acoustic duo, but for the last two years they've been performing as a full band on the weekends. Before Mangan and Clendenning added the rest of the band -- Dana Hawk (drums), Sean Kitchen (bass guitar) and Ed Knepp (electric guitar) -- they had been turned down repeatedly for weekend gigs because bar owners wanted an upbeat group that could bring in the crowds.
"We heard that enough times and we put a band together," Clendenning said.
The band has now played as a band almost everywhere on weekends, from Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., to Café 210 West, with Mangan and Clendenning performing weekday gigs as a duo.
Bar owners and their patrons have responded favorably to the combination, and J.R. & Sharon are now booked consistently five nights a week.
"We book the band," said Mike Caruso, manager of The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave. "They bring a good crowd in and they play fun music. From my standpoint, they're worth booking and the people have a fun time."
The regular gigs have earned Mangan and Clendenning a loyal following.
"Our fans are wonderful," Clendenning said. "The weekend we played when the students first came back from break I looked out into the crowd and could swear I knew every face."
Mangan is so familiar with his fans, it's funny, he said.
"At The Saloon the people stand in the same spot every week," he said. "I'll point to somebody and say, ‘You! Move over there for a change!' And when we go to Philly or Pittsburgh, they're there, too."
J.R. & Sharon are now in such high demand, by February, they're booked through the summer. They look forward to one of their quirkier annual performances, when they play from an anchored pontoon boat in Racetown on July 4th and Memorial Day.
"They're good," Jim Warunek (senior-criminal justice) said. "I really like their originality when they do cover songs."
The duo works because each person complements the other's talents.
"The things that I'm not as good at, J.R. is, and vice versa," Clendenning said. "We sort of fill in each other's gaps."
They keep themselves excited to perform by learning at least one new song a week.
"That keeps it fresh," Clendenning said. "It keeps getting more fun for me, more fulfilling. When you get out and see everybody ready to have a good time, how could you not respond to that?"
"Three days off and I go nuts," Mangan said. "It's like going out to see your friends every night. No matter what I'm doing I get that surge of energy at 8 o'clock."
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