BLAINE, Minn. – (July 18, 2015) – Jefferson Street may look like an ordinary local band, and for the most part they are. They recently invited some family and friends to watch as they put together a live recording in Blaine outside at the lead singer’s house. “It all started, the drummer Eric and I were in a previous band together for about a year and I decided I’m a song writer so I want to sing my own songs,” said lead singer Bryce Kahle.
But this singer and this band are doing some extraordinary things. “I believe you’re referring to my blindness, which has really turned out to be a beautiful thing actually,” said Kahle. Kahle grew up with poor eyesight but in his mid-20s lost his sight all together. Then Bryce went to a school for the blind in Minneapolis to learn how to live life without vision. He has taken this ailment and turned it into a positive. “One of the most beautiful things I think of blindness to me in my opinion is no more do I have this visual judgment that I label people with. I get to know you for who you are as a person inside, not what you may look like on the outside. The blindness has been a blessing all in all. Nothing you have should stop you or keep you from following your dreams,” said Kahle.
There were struggles along the journey. Through perseverance and strong will Kahle has come back to music and wants to both entertain and share his message to anyone who will listen. “Well at first the biggest hurdle to overcome was denial. Slowly little by little as I continued my training program it went to slowly started to chip away and go away. No longer do I have this poor me I’m blind or poor me I’m not blind., I’ve never been blind. Now I fully accept it. You know it’s just another part of me just like the color of my hair or color of my skin, it doesn’t define who I am or anything like that,” said Kahle.
The band together will be doing work with Tree Top Kids, an organization to help children who are in poverty and around bad influences. They will be playing a benefit show at the end of July with a few hundred kids involved. “The vision is to have a farm where they can get out and have a house with some foster parents to get out of the volatile situations and learn some work skills and just to have something positive in their life to look forward to and to ultimately change their direction in life,” said drummer Eric Haider. The guys in Jefferson Street all love playing music and to do it for more than just themselves is an inspiration. “If I could touch one person in that way that would be so cool to see whether it’s a little one or a grown adult struggling with whatever condition it may be, in my case blindness, and help them to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you just believe in yourself, reach deep down inside of who you are and believe in yourself and say I can do this and can overcome any obstacle that comes my way,” said Kahle.
When it comes to the love of music though this band just wants to rock. “I kind of like everything. Everything from old time country to good old rock and roll. Bob Seger, Elton John, Joe Cocker,” said Kahle. What it means to do good deeds while exploring your passion with friends is certainly overwhelming. “Bryce is really a unique great guy. He had degenerative eyesight loss in his young teens and his heart has always been gratitude no matter what obstacle comes in his life and it’s pretty inspirational,” said Haider. Jefferson Street will be playing a benefit show for Tree Top Kids on Saturday, July 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at North Springs Church in Lino Lakes. A food donation or $5 will get you in the door. For more information on Kahle’s music click here.