It’s sometimes said of the Fort Wayne music scene that there is a lot of potential, but nothing big really ever happens. No one, in the words of Kevin Hambrick “makes it.”

Remember Jettingham? You might. They were signed by Universal a few years ago. Their big success came when they had a song get on the American Pie 2 soundtrack.

What about the Migraines? They’re still plugging away after more than a decade of playing tiny clubs all across the country. They have had numerous offers and opportunities, but nothing has really come through.

Wasn’t there another band?

Oh yeah, Homeless J. What ever happened to Homeless J?

Yes, we all remember them. It’s hard to forget a local band with a live sound that huge. Their live shows were more than impressive, they were damn near epic. Charismatic frontman Chad “the Flash” VanMeter, layers of instrumentation provided by Jon and Lance Hill, Matt Minnick and Brad Amstutz - some of the coolest dudes in town. Their story is one riddled with small amounts of tragedy and irony.

Three or four years ago Homeless J were picked up by MCA records. They began working on their first full-length album and were nearly done with the entire thing when, in typical corporate fashion, the label was bought out by Geffen. Some artists carried on with Geffen, but most were let go, and Homeless J were one of the bands that was sent packing.

“I guess we were kind of lucky with that,” said VanMeter. “We thought we were going to lose the record. It could have been way worse. If we had the album released and then MCA was bought out, it could have been really bad for us.”

One of the reasons musicians should be wary of all labels (independents as well as the majors) is because they tend to be sneaky. Most of the money they give you for touring, equipment, promotion and, most of all recording, has to be paid back. If your record does well, then they are more than happy to keep money pumping into you. You’re good for it, after all. But if your record doesn’t sell, then it’s good-bye house, good-bye car and good-bye to all those dreams of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.

So, perhaps God may have been looking after Homeless J. Why shouldn’t He? After all, VanMeter is a Lutheran minister.

“We really don’t want to be trapped into a target market,” said VanMeter. “People still like Rage Against the Machine, and their lyrics are very pro-communist. People can look past that and still listen to the music. Unfortunately, people think that only Christians can listen to Christian music. Yes, we are Christian, and it does color our view and lyrics. Why shouldn’t it? We write about life experiences, and take inspiration wherever it comes from. I guess that’s kind of the theme for the record - the elusive search for inspiration.”

VanMeter brings up a good point: rock n’ roll is all about rebellion and nothing says rebellion like Christianity. Screw the Zapatistas, and their struggle against corrupt government, this is where the action is.

But seriously, however stretched the comparison with Rage may be, it is odd how everything gets by in the world of rock except Christianity. It is true that it is supposed to be about rebellion, but more importantly, rock n’ roll is about the freedom of self-expression and an accepting forum for the expression of your ideas.

This is what Homeless J have clung to. They had a nearly complete record that was creating a buzz among industry bigwigs. The art was nearly finished, and all was right with the world. Then came David Geffen and his unstoppable label.

It was the moment of truth for the band. Do they shelve the record? Admit defeat? They could go home; they still had a following in Fort Wayne. They could just become regulars at C-Street on Saturday nights.

This is not the route that they took. They decided to find another label to release the record. The folks Homeless J were working with at the New York office of MCA were still very supportive and decided to start up another label, Selectric Records. Soon Selectric was able to secure distribution through Sony Red.

Homeless J signed with Selectric and once again had an outlet to express their ideas and, more importantly, release the album they had been sitting on for three years.

The album, entitled 3 Seconds to Gaze, to be officially released on August 8 is a sort of concept album about inspiration, including but not limited to what VanMeter receives through his faith.

“This album is a conversation about the fleeting nature of inspiration,” said VanMeter. We really try not to limit ourselves. A lot of people find inspiration in one place, and keep going back, trying to find it again. While inspiration may be there for awhile, it will move, and keeps moving. What may inspire you today may not do it tomorrow.”

This is a big lesson for most artists to learn. X102 recently conducted a poll asking for the albums its listeners are most looking forward to for 2006. Homeless J’s 3 Seconds to Gaze was listed right along with Pearl Jam, Tool and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This says something.

While the album is anticipated, and articles like this one could help to create a little buzz and hopefully result in higher album sales, Homeless J aren’t playing the same game anymore. They’re not trying to open for whatever national band is playing the Fort Wayne market.

“The stakes have definitely been raised,” said VanMeter. “This is going to be a national release. We’re not really competing against other Fort Wayne bands anymore. Those other bands that were listed with us in that poll, those are the bands we’re competing against. Our album will be at Best Buy, right beside theirs. The idea of this national release, it just makes you stop and think what a big pool we’re swimming in at that point.”

It seems that Homeless J may be able to do it. They’re getting that all too coveted national release, and it is on a small independent label with major label knowledge and good distribution. They are planning to do a lot of heavy touring later in the summer and a few regional shows to help re-build the momentum lost by three years of dormancy.

“I guess what got us through all of this was our persistence,” said VanMeter. “It would have been really easy to give up and go home, but we had come a long way and didn’t want to lose it.”