by Johnny LoftusWhile in Sicily to visit his friends in the Manges, musician and punk rock renaissance man John "Jughead" Pierson decided to rent a flat and spend some time finishing up a novel. Eventually, though, the ex-Screeching Weasel guitarist missed making music. After borrowing a secondhand acoustic guitar from a pal, Jughead began to think about how much he enjoyed playing the instrument, as opposed to its electrified counterpart. He appreciated the immediacy of the acoustic and its ability to bring music to people without the confining power grid of clubs and bars. The trip, those thoughts, and that acoustic guitar became the impetus for Even in Blackouts, the world's first 100 percent acoustic punk-pop combo. A punk rock veteran, Pierson assembled a group of younger musicians for the Even in Blackouts project, including vocalist Liz Eldredge, who had never even been in a band before. No stranger to the ins and outs of the record business, Jughead self-released Myths & Imaginary Magicians, EIB's debut, limited its pressing to 2,000 copies, and sold it exclusively through online independent music store Interpunk. But soon the LP was the site's best-seller, and Berkeley's Lookout! Records took notice. The label was a good fit, as they were old friends of Jughead's from his Screeching Weasel days. So, in late March of 2003, Lookout! released Myths & Imaginary Magicians into wider distribution. The album featured covers of Weasel classic "Hey Suburbia," as well as Operation Ivy's "Knowledge" and "Only You" from Yaz. Even in Blackouts supported the album with a spring and summer tour in 2003.