John Askew             He’ll say hello, tell you about the specials on the menu. Stay awhile and he’ll tell you a story. But as he’s making your drink or placing your order, he’s watching... listening... recording, if you will. You see, recording is John Askew’s specialty. Wildwood Assistant Manager and bartender John Askew is leading a double life. In his off time, he fronts the band Tracker, which records "soundtrack-y" road music. "More like creating an atmosphere for traveling," John says. The band’s CDs have names right off any roadmap - Lincoln, Nebraska. Ames. Polk. He's now working on a soundtrack album for a graphic novel called 'blankets'. Look for it this summer. John started playing bass when he was 13. He picked up the guitar two years later because, "My friend had a 4-track recorder. Recording was always the thing. That was the most fun for me." John has a side project, Wasted Tape, which stems from that idea. "We thought the name would be self-deprecating enough to allow us to perform the music live without consequence. Now we think it’s just a bad name," he laughs. But back to recording. When John moved from California to Portland in 1998 and Tracker became "serious," he needed a place to record. He and a friend opened Type Foundry Recording. They ran it all, from operations to engineering - anything to get their music on tape. They started recording other bands too, and the studio was booked. John says he heard so much good music that he decided to start a record label - FILMguerrero. "It’s a collective, all artist-run," says John. "Everything is shared 50/50, and no one is exploited." Last year the label found an investor, giving them the boost they needed to grow the business into a full-time venture. "We spend tons of time and are barely breaking even. Of course, running this label is not about making money, it’s about the music. We work very hard and we believe it is important. It’s an extensive hobby." Extensive is right; artists under the FILMguerrero label now enjoy national and overseas distribution. (Check out filmguerrero.com.) How does Wildwood fit into this busy music mogul’s schedule? "Wildwood is my way to make a living, and it affords me time to do other things. I’ve never worked in a restaurant where I’ve liked the people better. I love Cory’s philosophy about food. I believe in his support of local growers, sustainable agriculture, and the organic process." John gets high praise from the Wildwood crew. "John is drawn to that same quirky energy that exists among all the bartenders at Wildwood," notes Cory. "He’s creative and has a humorous side. If I ever need comic relief, I talk with John for a few seconds, and I walk away with a smile." John started as a waiter at Wildwood in 1998, but he prefers bartending because of the unique interaction with clientele. "It’s different from what a server might have with customers. Wildwood regulars are intriguing. I hear lots of interesting conversations." Those conversations frequently lead somewhere. "An idea floating in my head or something I mentally recorded often ends up in my lyrics." Recording. Always recording.
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