Reeble Jar steps up to the big stage.

Byline: Serena Markstrom The Register-Guard

As a group, the young men of Reeble Jar have a hard time staying serious for very long. That is, unless they are playing the band's brand of instrumental grooves infused with funk, jazz and world rhythms.

"When we're crammed in the van we have so much fun it's ridiculous," guitarist Sean Ponder said during a recent group interview at Luckey's, or the bar the band described as "the office." "We all have so much fun with each other."

Fun, it turns out, is this band's secret weapon. And while members get serious when it comes to playing, each of the seven probably would tell you that performing is when he is at his happiest.

The band is honored to share that happiness and fun with its largest crowd to date when Reeble Jar makes its McDonald Theatre debut on New Year's Eve. The group's hard work creating original music has led to this production, which could attract a crowd of up to 1,000.

"We're just a bunch of dorks, but it's been so cool," Ponder said. "This year has been great for us. We've had a lot of support and recognition from the community."

Successful shows lead to big gig

Traces of Reeble Jar's history go back five years or so, but Reeble Jar in its seven-member formation - Ponder on guitars, Joey Hepner on bass, Adam Bushey on drums, Josh Coffey on keyboards, James Green on saxophone, Justus Williams on harmonica and Tyler Spencer on didgeridoo - will turn three this spring.

The lineup started to jell when Coffey moved back from the East Coast.

Although it's unusual for a group with no studio recording to land a gig at the McDonald, Reeble Jar's reputation - spurred by successful shows at the WOW Hall, the Eugene Celebration and the main stage at the Oregon Country Fair - have led to this big leap, the band said.

Also, when String Cheese Incident was in town for a three-day run at the Cuthbert this summer, Reeble Jar organized after-parties and camping after each show, which the band said attracted some 2,000 people from 37 states.

To make sure the Eugene audience is really hungry to open a Reeble Jar and taste what's inside for Sunday's show, the band has avoided playing local gigs in December. Rumors circulated that it was a contractual obligation, but during the interview the five members said it was their decision - although one that promoters of this weekend's gig were no doubt happy with.

Bass player Hepner said the band is trying to do something different for the New Year's Eve show.

The staff at the McDonald offered the band a gig for Halloween, but it wanted to wait for the right time.

"We didn't want to shoot ourselves in the foot and play the McDonald too soon," Hepner said. "We just wanted to have a good solid month - starve them a little bit."

To usher in the year 2007, the band has come up with a spy theme, "007," and paired up with mobile percussion ensemble Samba Ja. The Brazilian troupe will play its own set and then join Reeble Jar on stage for what band members called "Reeble Ja" and "Samba Jar" jams.

The band has come up with ways to surprise fans for the special show, including guest vocal appearances by Stacey G and Marv Ellis from Genus Pro. It's also planning some "secret" covers that it won't reveal until they are performed live.

The members did share one secret element of the show, one that you can find out about by going to www.registerguard .com/reeblejar. You can also listen to Reeble Jar songs there.

Sunday's show may signal Reeble Jar's next phase: playing fewer, bigger shows.

As for New Year's resolutions, members said they would very much like to record a studio album, but it's so expensive they haven't had that chance yet.

Reeble's members are between 26 and 28 years old, and the big dream is to be able to quit all their other jobs and just tour as the band.

The seven members have played with more than a dozen other bands locally, but they said none compares to the Reeble Jar experience.

Clearly they love the band, but there's one thing they don't love: trying to explain what a Reeble Jar is.

For starters, "reeble" is not a word.

Guitarist Ponder said they use the word the way Smurfs use "smurf." A noun. A verb. An adjective. An adverb.

A reeble conversation could go something like this:

"What the reeble was that note?" one says.

"Oh, it was reeble something I've been reebling over for a while. It didn't reeble for you?" another says.

"Well, it would reeble for me if I was reebled, but because I'm reeble cold reebled, it sounded kind of reebled," the first says.

"What the reeble. We're all about reeblation, aren't we?" the second says.

They actually don't sit around having coded conversations, but "reeble" does slip casually into the dialogue. You get the idea.

Don't call it a jam band

The big myth is that Reeble Jar is a jam band.

That notion probably stems from the fact it's an instrumental act and they started out as a party band. But members said their songs are carefully structured, and they rarely "jam" or improvise during shows.

There's no single songwriter for the group, but the songs are composed in advance. Varying song lengths - up to 12 minutes - also can lead people to think the song was improvised on the spot.

The confusion is evident among Eugene Weekly readers, who named Reeble Jar best jam band in 2005, and runner-up for best jazz band and third place for "best reggae- world band" this year.

There was no jam band category this year.

Many of Reeble Jar's songs, however, do originate from jamming during rehearsal.

"It's really a group effort when it comes down to it," bassist Hepner said.

Ponder agreed.

"It really happens when we're all together," he said. "We'll get an ideas from someone dorking off, warming up."

A few cited Spencer's did- geridoo prowess as one element that makes the group's sound unique, but Spencer brushed that off.

"I've never played with so many talented people. You bring out the best in me," Spencer said to his group. "It's like living the dream. I feel honored to be playing this (McDonald show).

`We get a lot of positive support, you can't help but feel honored."

CONCERT PREVIEW Reeble Jar with guests What: Acid jazz, world, funk fusion When: 9:30 p.m. Sunday Where: McDonald Theatre, 1010 Willamette Tickets: $10 in advance and $12 at the door To hear music: Visit www.registerguard.com/ reeblejar; you also can preview the secret visual effect the band has planned for this show

You can call Serena Markstrom at 338-2371 or e-mail her at [e-mail].