User:Jaredbanks/sandbox

= Virginia Slim =

Virginia Slim is the alias of American singer-songwriter Jared Banks.

1985-1986: Claude Pepper and the Nasals
Jared Banks began performing live music as the lead vocalist for a Falls Church High School band called Claude Pepper and the Nasals. Led by guitarist Jeff Olson (who went on to form The Terraplanes at William and Mary), Claude Pepper and the Nasals also included keyboardist Karen Gallagher, guitarist Hector MacKenzie, and a cast of other friends. They performed mostly 1970s-1980s alternative and classic rock at miscellaneous high school talent shows, dances, and parties. Their dream to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest live performance of “Louie Louie” never came to fruition.

2010–2011: The Spin Boldaks
While working at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul during 2011-2012, Jared Banks joined forces with agemates and fellow music aficionados Dave Jendrisak and Matt Miller to form The Spin Boldaks. They specialized in 1980s pop music converted into arrangements that could played exclusively on acoustic guitars. The Spin Boldaks performed at the U.S. Embassy and various compounds around Kabul, including a farewell event for Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Some of The Spin Boldaks’ performances are archived on their YouTube channel (with a record-breaking single subscriber). While none of their professional accomplishments made the news, the live music scene that The Spin Boldaks helped create in Kabul was written up in the Department of State Magazine and in the Washington Post.

2013-2014: Bill and the Bent Tones
Jared returned to Kabul 2013-2014 and started performing with another pair of middle-aged men. With William Bent and Chris Ausdenmoore also on acoustic guitars, the band Bill and the Bent Tones performed 1970s-1980s pop songs but with more of a country twang. Some of their live performances were recorded and are literally legends, as they are locked on a colleague's iPad.

2019-current: Virginia Slim
Since moving back to the Washington DC area, Jared decided to go solo under the alias Virginia Slim to honor his upbringing in Virginia and folk music origins. His only recording so far as a solo artist is a single cassette tape of mostly original music that he gifted to his friend Karl Savage in 1993. Jared currently performs of mix of original songs and covers whenever he can find the time, an open mic, and a captive audience.