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Juhlin began playing the guitar at the insistence of his slightly older brother, Gregg, who was himself learning the bass guitar at the time. This would have been about, what, 1975? Within months, the fast-learning Juhlin brothers were scratching out loveable versions of Beatles songs for patient relatives through a cackling plastic amplifier.
Juhlin’s high school years were spent in the throes of the electric guitar, the turntable and the Aqualung LP. He gained a reputation as one of the area’s loudest guitar players, and has yet to shake it. By 1982, the Juhlin brothers formed The Slugs, an aggressive, Who-fueled pop conglomerate that avoided mass fame, but quietly (through searing stage volume, clever hooks and a peerless onstage joie de vivre) influenced several generations of more successful bands, without holding a grudge.
Never a group to avoid irony, bad timing, in-fighting, conceptual humor, Jagermeister, three-hour performances, seriousness, idiocy or major seventh chords, The Slugs trudge onward, more than two decades into their career. Their performances are few and far between these days but lack none of the spark that endeared them to a legion of fans who are now largely in their late 30’s and prefer a 9PM starting time, if possible.
Somewhere in the summer of 1992, Juhlin fell in with Austin, Texas transplants, Poi Dog Pondering, in the early days of their legendary Chicago run. Juhlin’s casual finesse, chugging guitar, loose-limbed showmanship, and savant’s memory of obscure chord changes found favor in this musically omnivorous collective. From 1993 to 1999, Poi Dog was one of the city’s most consistent concert draws, regularly smashing attendance records. Why they never gained national fame is beyond Juhlin. Juhlin’s inevitable solo career began when he began to stockpile acoustic-flavored songs that didn’t fit the gritty mold (nor the moldy grit) of The Slugs. After his first solo acoustic show (supporting Peter Himmelman) proved a success, Juhlin began regularly pursuing such one-man opportunities. A mere 14 years later, Juhlin decided to take the next step and record his debut solo CD.
