Mike Wolanin | The Republic The Vanguards bassist and singer Jim Worton belts out lyrics as he sings and plays during band practice at his house in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
When the honorable Judge Jim Worton is not commanding the courtroom during the day, he switches out his official robes and dons the attire of his secondary calling — rock musician.
Worton, alongside four other members, make up the Columbus-based band The Vanguards.
The Vanguards originally came together in the ‘80s when rhythm guitarist Mike Riley and bassist Jim Worton were in high school. The two of them, alongside another high school buddy of theirs, John Ballard, played for fun after school hours.
Riley came up with the idea for the band name while sitting in English class learning vocabulary words. He presented “Vanguards” to Worton and Ballard, and the name stuck. Vanguard means “forefront” or “front line” – which Riley admits is a bit of an ironic name for a group that plays mostly classic rock.
As massive Beatles fans, the trio played mostly Beatles covers as a way to pass time before drifting apart musically post-graduation. The group remained close friends, but The Vanguards had retired as a musical ensemble. Both Riley and Ballard moved to other musical ventures and played in different bands while Worton was named Columbus police chief and eventually elected to his current position as Bartholomew Superior Court I judge.
For 20 years, The Vanguards remained disassembled until 2020 rolled around and Riley pulled the group back together mid-pandemic.
“(Riley) called me up and said ‘Hey, I’ve got this guy named Nate Huber who went to high school with my daughter who’s a really good drummer. Do you want to see if we can get back together again and play in my basement?’” Worton said.
Worton, who had been missing music in his life, readily agreed and The Vanguards were back together, but now with a new member.
The band lineup continued to change as Ballard’s job took him to Indianapolis and away from the band. Down a guitarist, the group met Alan Resnik, who stepped into the role.
Resnik had also played guitar in various bands over the years, citing Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton as his inspiration. Now, as a retired Cummins employee, he spends his free time learning new music and introducing the band to more musical options.
“I play a lot of guitar. I play a lot of stuff outside of what the band plays. So in order to keep up my chops, I gotta play what the band plays, and I gotta play what Alan plays,” Resnik said.
On the hunt for a final member, keyboardist Jordan Roberts came to the group after hearing them play.
“(Roberts) plays in another local band, the Jackson Way, and we met him and immediately once we heard him play, we knew we needed to snatch this guy up. We need him,” Worton said.
On top of the five members of the band, The Vanguards also utilize the skills of Matt “Mattie B” Burton as both a sound engineer and band manager. Burton helps mix the audio, runs all the equipment in both rehearsals and gigs and helps secure venues for performances.
With all the members of The Vanguards together, they play gigs in bars and other venues around town and have built up a bit of a following drawn to their uniquely diverse set list.
“We’re kind of a different type of band… we play anything from the Allman Brothers to the very next song being Hank Jr. – it’s a bit all over the place,” Worton said.
A judge, engineering manager, music teacher, retiree and environmental services worker span generations to form this musically-diverse group of performers.
“We’ve got a lot of years between the oldest (Resnik) and the youngest (Huber) between us, so that’s why the playlist is a bit eclectic,” Resnik said.
That age gap may grow even bigger with the potential addition of Roberts’ son Sammy providing a brassy trumpet feature to a few of the songs.
All the members are adding new songs into the rotation with a current repertoire of around 60 pieces that is continuing to grow. The Vanguards want to keep their fanbase entertained by switching up the songs at each show, though “Fooling Yourself” by Styx, “I Got a Feeling” by the Beatles or “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd remain as band staples.
Each of the band members are highly complimentary of one another from Worton praising Roberts as a trained musician who is phenomenal at the keyboard or Huber as an exceptional drummer to Resnik comparing Worton’s vocals to the likes of Tracy Chapman. These men are more than just a group of guys who play music together.
“I can’t tell you how much I enjoy playing music with these guys,” Worton said. “That’s the thing too, I know some bands just get together and play, they aren’t really friends outside of it. We’re all good friends and we really enjoy it.”
Over the last five years, The Vanguards have brought positive energy and jovial connection with them wherever they go, hoping to provide a night of rock and roll away from the rest of the world.
“I work in a job where everybody is pitted against each other all the time, and music just brings everybody together,” Worton said. “It’s a stress relief for me. It’s something completely different. Some people like to play golf, but I like to play music.”
Currently, the band is undergoing its Back Alley Tour by appearing in venues in Shelbyville, Nashville, Greenwood and Columbus throughout 2026. Information about the tour can be found on The Vanguards Facebook page.
