Amy Jo Barker – April, 2 2015
My Kind of Church
If you look up and see beautiful naked men and women; pretty, plump and voluptuous, you’ll know you are in the right place. Cherub beauties are frolicking in the clouds, and curving grandly upon the ceiling above you. Maybe you’ve been there? You are from here, so likely you have. Can you smell popcorn? Is there a Barton organ present? Where are you? Well, you guessed it. You’re in the Ironwood Theater just across the state line in Ironwood, Michigan. Not Bayfield county; not even Wisconsin, but close.
Ironwood, Michigan is a town of 5000 smack next to Hurley, Wisconsin. It houses one of the prettiest little theaters I’ve seen. The historic Ironwood Theater is located in downtown Ironwood. Built in 1928 as a vaudeville and silent movie palace, the theater flourished as the town’s center of entertainment until 1963 when it was sold and operated as a movie house. It closed in 1982, and was given to the city of Ironwood by owner Thomas Renn. The Ironwood Theater Preservation Committee through the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority began restoration of the theater in 1986. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a volunteer based organization. The Ironwood Theater boasts beautiful renovated seats, carpeting, wall and beam decorations, a new stage floor, a restored proscenium mural, and a Barton organ restored to its beauty of opening night in June of 1928.
Here on this March night of 2015, we sat back with our popcorn and ale and listened to that organ, until it descended into the floor. We then sat in reverence to a Man in Black, a man beloved by many. I learned to love him at the knee of my old man, and the deep baritone still resonates and excites and soothes me to this day. He introduced himself as such: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.” And tonight if you closed your eyes or looked up at that pretty ceiling, he was there. There in the form of a tribute band called The Church of Cash. There with his voice and his guitar and his music.
Jayder Kalk, with his own deep voice on lead vocals and rockabilly guitar reminded us that we all are the church. In this case, The Church of Cash; those of us who love the Man, and the message, and the music. We gathered, we looked to the heavens, and we listened to the gospel of Cash. We tapped our boots, and clapped our hands and sang the night away; sang the night away in church. We sang with the angels above us, and good folks around us, and a blessed man before us. That is as church should be. Apparently there is popcorn and guitar strings in Heaven.
“I tell them that it is not what I conceive as a band name, but rather it is ALL of us! Church is something for people to come together and celebrate a common love. It’s the same with the Church of Cash. We come here, all of us to celebrate the music and message that Johnny Cash gave to us. You, me, even the bartender are part of this church. Thank you for being part of this wonderful congregation of beautiful people enjoying this gift of music from the Man in Black!”
Jayder Kalk