John Roderick (musician)

Roderick was born in Seattle on September 13, 1968, the son of Marcia and David Roderick. His father was a Washington State legislator and World War II veteran.{{Cite news|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/former-legislator-david-roderick-dead-at-86/|title=Former legislator David Roderick dead at 86|date=December 26, 2007|work=The Seattle Times|access-date=August 29, 2017|language=en-US}} His mother was a computer programmer who eventually rose to an executive position working for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Roderick has three older half-siblings from his father, and a sister, Susan.

In 1971, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/harms-way/Content?oid=10029|title=Harm's Way|last=DeRoche|first=Jeff|website=The Stranger|access-date=October 11, 2017}} In 1973, Roderick's parents divorced and his mother took John and Susan back to Washington state, but returned to Anchorage shortly after. He graduated from East Anchorage High and moved back to Seattle. Roderick enrolled at Gonzaga University in 1987, but left after two years. In 2019, Roderick graduated with a BA from the University of Washington after three decades of undergraduate study.{{cite tweet|number=1172604579621376000|user=johnroderick|title=@_ It’s closer to the truth to say “after three decades of undergraduate study” |accessdate=September 13, 2019|language=en|date=September 13, 2019}}

{{Main|The Western State Hurricanes}}

Roderick's first major band was The Western State Hurricanes, which he started while attending the University of Washington. The band enjoyed quick success, playing their first show at Seattle venue "The Breakroom" in May 1998. The band split after failing to sign a deal with Sub Pop Records.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cityartsonline.com/articles/silencing-knuckleheads|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613232834/http://www.cityartsonline.com/articles/silencing-knuckleheads|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 13, 2015|title=Silencing the Knuckleheads|date=May 27, 2015|work=City Arts|access-date=October 11, 2017|language=en}} Having recorded an unreleased album in the late 1990s, Roderick was prompted by Pete Greenberg to remaster their debut album, Through With Love, which was announced in late 2019 by Latent Print Records. In February 2020, the band regrouped to perform shows, including a recorded performance on KEXP.{{cite web |title=Western State Hurricanes - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUKy4J6gqvs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SUKy4J6gqvs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |access-date=January 4, 2021 |date=February 6, 2020}}{{cbignore}}

{{Main|Harvey Danger}}

After the disbanding of The Western State Hurricanes, Roderick was offered a spot to play keyboard in popular Seattle band Harvey Danger. Roderick played with the band until they went on hiatus in April 2001.

{{Main|The Long Winters}}

Along with former Harvey Danger singer/songwriter Sean Nelson, Roderick founded the indie rock band The Long Winters in the wake of Harvey Danger's breakup. Roderick penned the band's first album, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm, in 2001 and released the album on Barsuk Records. The band since released two more albums, When I Pretend to Fall (2003) and Putting the Days to Bed (2006), and one EP titled Ultimatum (2005). The band still plays shows, playing at the inaugural Upstream Festival in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://upstreammusicfest.com/Fest/Lineup.aspx|title=Check Out The Lineup {{!}} Upstream Music Fest + Summit|website=upstreammusicfest.com|access-date=October 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020142028/https://upstreammusicfest.com/Fest/Lineup.aspx|archive-date=October 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}

File:Merlin Mann and John Roderick (16507109485).jpg and Roderick]]

In September 2011, Roderick began co-hosting the Roderick on the Line podcast with Merlin Mann.{{cite web|url=http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/|title=Roderick on the Line|publisher=Merlin Mann|access-date=September 10, 2013}} On August 13, 2015, he released the first episode of his second podcast, called Road Work, with co-host Dan Benjamin.{{cite web|url=http://5by5.tv/roadwork/|title=Road Work|publisher=5by5|access-date=October 9, 2017}} Both podcasts are loose-form and conversation based, with new episodes released at irregular intervals.

On September 7, 2017, HowStuffWorks announced a new show entitled Omnibus, co-hosted by Roderick and former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings. Alternating as host each episode, they discuss topics they "fear might be lost to history", typically niche cultural trends and historical events. The first episode was posted on December 7, 2017.{{cite web |title=Episode Archive |url=https://www.omnibusproject.com/episodes |website=Omnibus |access-date=January 4, 2021}} On August 9, 2019, they announced their separation from iHeartRadio, and shifted to a Patreon-funded model.{{cite web |last=Roderick |first=Ken Jennings and John |title=The Monkey Selfie (Entry 803.MT2220) |url=https://www.omnibusproject.com/177 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Omnibus}} On January 1, 2023, the podcast decreased from twice weekly to once a week,{{Cite web |last=Roderick |first=Ken Jennings and John |title=Emperor Norton (Entry 408.MT2221) |url=https://www.omnibusproject.com/528 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Omnibus}} citing the time required for Jennings' work as Jeopardy! host.{{Cite web |last=Ayana |first=Archive |date=July 28, 2022 |title='Jeopardy!' says Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will split the host job |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114116264/jeopardy-host-ken-jennings-mayim-bialik |access-date=February 11, 2023 |website=NPR}}

Roderick, along with Adam Pranica and Benjamin Ahr Harrison, presented Friendly Fire, a weekly podcast about war films that ran from January 12, 2018 to January 22, 2021.{{cite web|url=http://maximumfun.org/shows/friendly-fire|title=Friendly Fire Podcast|date=January 11, 2018 |access-date=February 16, 2018|publisher=Maximum Fun}}{{cite podcast|url=http://maximumfun.org/episodes/friendly-fire/over-and-out-2021/|title=Over and Out (2021)|work=Friendly Fire|publisher=Maximum Fun|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=January 22, 2021}}

Roderick frequently collaborates with other musicians. Along with collaborator Sean Nelson, he provided vocals on Death Cab for Cutie's album Transatlanticism. He also collaborated with Jonathan Coulton for Coulton's album Artificial Heart, released in September 2011,{{Cite web|url=http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2011/07/28/first-track-from-artificial-heart/|title=First Track from Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton|website=www.jonathancoulton.com|language=en-US|access-date=October 12, 2017}} as well as the duo's Christmas album One Christmas at a Time. Roderick co-wrote the song "Poor Judge" on Aimee Mann's 2017 album Mental Illness.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Aimee-Mann-Mental-Illness/release/10081416|title=Aimee Mann - Mental Illness|website=Discogs|language=en|access-date=October 12, 2017}} Roderick co-wrote "Soft Place to Land" for Kathleen Edwards's Voyageur album; the song won the 2012 SOCAN Echo Songwriting Prize.{{cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/kathleen-edwards-john-roderick-win-echo-music-prize/article4624562/ | title=Kathleen Edwards, John Roderick | publisher=The Globe and Mail | date=October 19, 2012 | access-date=December 20, 2012 | author=Wheeler, Brad}}

Roderick became a founding member of the Seattle Music Commission in 2010, appointed to the position by former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.[http://cityofmusic.com/music-commission The Seattle Music Commission] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416222153/http://cityofmusic.com/music-commission|date=April 16, 2015}}

In 2015, encouraged by McGinn, Roderick announced his candidacy for Seattle City Council Position 8, one of two city council positions that represent the entire city.{{cite news|author=Groover, Heidi|date=April 6, 2015|title=Musician John Roderick to Run for Citywide Council Seat|publisher=The Stranger|url=http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/04/06/22009879/musician-john-roderick-to-run-for-citywide-council-seat|access-date=April 6, 2015}} He came in third place in the citywide primary, winning 15.90% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/elections/results/2015/201508/results.ashx?la=en|title=King County 2015 Primary Election Results}}

Roderick currently lives in Seattle with his daughter. In 2017, he was honored with the position of King Neptune for the 2017 Seattle Seafair.{{Cite news|url=http://www.seafair.com/p/about/148|title=Seafair Royalty|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830012344/http://www.seafair.com/p/about/148|url-status=dead}}

In January 2021, Roderick posted a Twitter thread in which he discussed preventing his nine-year-old daughter from eating a can of baked beans until she could open it using a manual can opener by herself, which he estimated took six hours.{{cite web|last1=Welk|first1=Brian|last2=Rossi|first2=Rosemary|title=Bean Dad Makes His 9-Year Old Struggle to Open Can of Beans for 6 Hours, Infuriates Twitter: 'Self-Absorbed A–Hat'|url=https://www.thewrap.com/bean-dad-9-year-old-open-can-6-hours-infuriates-twitter/|website=The Wrap|date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2021}}{{cite web|last1=Rettig|first1=James|title=Long Winters' John Roderick Dubbed 'Bean Dad' After Viral Tweet About His Daughter|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2111946/bean-dad-long-winters-john-roderick-viral-tweet/news/|website=Stereogum|date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2021}}{{Cite news|title=Outcry as 'bean dad' forces hungry child to open tin can|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55515243|date=4 January 2021|access-date=5 January 2021|publisher=BBC News}} His comments were met with a large outcry on Twitter, and some users began derisively referring to Roderick as "Bean Dad".{{cite web|last=Prigge|first=Matt|title=Twitter Blew Up On A 'Bean Dad' Who Wouldn't Teach His Young Daughter How To Use A Can Opener|url=https://uproxx.com/viral/bean-dad-can-opener-twitter-reactions/|website=Uproxx|date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2021}}

The podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me, which had previously used The Long Winters' song "It's a Departure" as a theme, announced that they would be removing the music from the show; it was replaced by "My Life Is Better with You" by Montaigne.{{Cite news|last=Binder|first=Matt|date=January 3, 2021|title='Bean Dad' becomes Twitter's first 'main character' of 2021|work=Mashable|url=https://mashable.com/article/bean-dad|access-date=January 3, 2021}} Friendly Fire, which was co-hosted by Roderick, went on a brief hiatus before announcing on January 22 that it would not be returning.

Roderick posted an extensive apology to his website addressing the controversy.{{Cite web|title=An Apology|url=https://www.johnroderick.com/an-apology|website=John Roderick|language=en-US}} He stated that the story was "poorly told" and not properly contextualized. He added that he and his daughter had already eaten a large breakfast, were smiling and laughing throughout the ordeal, and that she had had access to other snacks. He also apologized for the language of his story, claiming he was not aware how it affected abuse survivors. He additionally addressed what he described as his "racist, anti-Semitic, hurtful, and slur-filled tweets" from 2011 that had resurfaced at the same time as "intended to be ironic [and] sarcastic" but still "wrong".{{cite news |title='Bean dad' apologises after tin can posts cause outcry |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55549536 |date=5 January 2021 |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=BBC News}}{{Cite web|last=Aswad|first=Jem|date=2021-01-05|title='Bean Dad' and Indie Musician John Roderick Apologizes for Controversy, Past Racist Tweets|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/bean-dad-and-indie-musician-john-roderick-apologizes-for-controversy-past-racist-tweets-1234878792/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Rossi|first=Rosemary|date=2021-01-04|title=Bean Dad Deletes Twitter Account After Old Anti-Semitic, Homophobic Tweets Resurface|url=https://www.thewrap.com/bean-dad-deletes-twitter-account-anti-semitic-homophobic-tweets-resurface/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=TheWrap|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Spearman|first=Kahron|date=2021-01-04|title='Bean Dad' exposed for racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic tweets|url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/bean-dad-john-roderick-racist-homophobic-tweets/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US}}

Roderick later stated he received a visit from Child Protective Services to verify the welfare of his daughter because of the controversy, and that they had found nothing of concern.{{Cite web |last=Skenazy |first=Lenore |date=2021-02-16 |title=Remember Bean Dad? Child Protective Services Was Called to Check on His Daughter |url=https://reason.com/2021/02/16/bean-dad-child-services-john-roderick-can-opener/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|John Roderick}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070517112544/http://www.mammothpress.com/index.php?area=readinterview&pid=110 Interview with John on Mammothpress.com]
• [http://www.themerlinshow.com/ep/012-interview-john-roderick 4-part Interview on The Merlin Show by Merlin Mann] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316193853/http://www.themerlinshow.com/ep/012-interview-john-roderick |date=March 16, 2008 }}
• [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=10029 Feature in The Stranger by Jeff Deroche]
• [http://www.believermag.com/issues/200506/?read=interview_roderick Interview in The Believer by Litsa Dremousis, June/July 2005]
• [http://www.playinginfog.com/interviews/long-winters1.html Interview in playinginfog by Kate Izquierdo, October 2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704133000/http://www.playinginfog.com/interviews/long-winters1.html |date=July 4, 2008 }}
• [http://www.merlinmann.com/roderick/ Podcast with Merlin Mann: Roderick on the Line]

{{The Long Winters}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roderick, John}}

Category:1968 births

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:20th-century American male writers

Category:21st-century American guitarists

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American podcasters

Category:American rock guitarists

Category:American male singer-songwriters

Category:Candidates in the 2015 United States elections

Category:Guitarists from Washington (state)

Category:Harvey Danger members

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Anchorage, Alaska

Category:Politicians from Seattle

Category:The Long Winters members

Category:The Minus 5 members

Category:Writers from Anchorage, Alaska

Category:Writers from Seattle

Category:Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)