Author Archives: Matthew Belter

After a year and a half of concert postponements due to Covid-19, Blue October finally made it back to southern California for a handful of rescheduled shows supporting their 2021 “This is What I Live For Tour.” Justin Furstenfeld and company delivered a “welcome-back” performance that challenged the mind and stirred the soul on a crisp winter’s night here in Orange County. 

To be completely transparent, I was never a huge Blue October fan growing up.  My brother Mark absolutely loved this band, but for some reason I just couldn’t get into them. He always told me, “You won’t get it until you see them in concert.” Lucky for me I took his advice, and immediately became a huge fan after witnessing my first live performance (and since have never looked back). Sunday’s show at the House of Blues was my first time seeing them in a few years and was excited to see if they were going to pickup up where they left off pre-Covid. Only time would tell.

Opening for Blue October was a Minneapolis based pop band called Yam Haus. I’d never heard of these guys before and the pessimistic devil on my shoulder kept chirping that I’d probably be underwhelmed (at best) by their performance. Boy, was I wrong.

This quartet, featuring Lars Pruitt (vocals/guitar), Jake Felstow (drums), Zach Beinlich (bass), and Seth Blum (guitar), hit the stage with fury and kept the energy high throughout an abbreviated set that I really wanted to continue. The chemistry between bandmates was palpable, and the crowd was digging every minute of their killer performance. I see great things over the horizon for Yam Haus and look forward to digging further into this up-and-coming band.

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The early 1980s was a magical time for electronic music. Artists like Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and OMD were coming on strong and opened doors for other artists looking for the freedom to express themselves in new and untraditional ways.

Born in a dorm room in 1982 in St. Paul, Minnesota, three friends—Kurt Larson, James Cassidy, and Paul Robb—came together to form a band known simply as Information Society. Their 1985 classic “Running” became an instant classic in NYC and helped catapult the band from obscurity to stardom. Future singles such as “Walking Away” and “Peace and Love, Inc.,” cemented their place as one of the quintessential synth-pop bands of all time. 

We recently spoke with Information Society founding member Paul Robb to discuss all-things INSOC including their challenging start in the music industry, a storied 40-year career, as well as their upcoming release, ODDfellows.

Share with our readers how you got your start in the music industry?

Well, that’s a pretty long story. In the early days of the band, we really didn’t understand much about the music industry. As a matter of fact, for the first year or two, we kept having discussions about why we weren’t being discovered and were very frustrated. Finally, someone pulled us aside and said, “If you want to be discovered, you’ll need to make some recordings in order to put out records.”  Sounded fairly easy (laughs), so we eventually scraped up some money—I believe the whole recording budget was $600—went into a studio, and recorded our first self-released EP.

Funny thing about that EP, it just wouldn’t sell and most of the vinyl ended up being thrown away. About a year later, we regrouped and tried again with the support of a local DJ along with a small indie label in Minneapolis called Wide Angle Records. And like a lot of fledgling record labels, they started out by owning a record shop. Ultimately, they gave us some money and helped us distribute our next album. It was on that album that our song “Running” first appeared. Fast forward a year and a half later, and that single ended up causing a major stir in New York, ultimately inspiring Tommy Boy Records to license that song and eventually sign us to a first major record deal.

What artists inspired you along the way?

It is so hard to get across the idea to the younger generation how open it felt in the early ’80s. New wave was so important to us, yet we all came at it from different musical points of view. My focus at the time was jazz and funk. Kurt Larson was listening to Styx, The Beatles, and all things progressive. James Cassidy was in a band playing Black Sabbath covers. We were all influenced by what was around us, but when new wave music started to trickle into Minneapolis, which is where we grew up, it really opened our eyes to what was truly possible.

Bands like Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and a German band called D.A.F., were incredibly influential on us in the early days even though we didn’t really end up sounding much like that kind of proto-industrial music.  And then the whole new romantic thing kicked in with a lot of British and German bands. After that, we started hearing “electro” bands in NYC and that really turned us on. Ultimately, we combined the song craft and the romantic overtones that we were picking up from the British bands along with the beats coming out of New York, and that was the two-cent formula that we ended up eventually co-opting as the Information Society sound.

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Who is Racquel Jones?  To some, she’s an amazing musician and vocalist.  For others, she’s an inspired artist and painter. However, after peeling back the onion a bit, I found Racquel Jones to be quite simply extraordinary. 

Born and raised in Jamaica, Jones has broken molds and shattered ceilings as a rising star. She is fearless, focused, and unapologetic in her desire to crush pre-existing stereotypes with a quest to be treated equally as a woman in the arts—and to create on her own terms. 

What were your first impressions of music as a child?

I could not make sense of music as a kid, and it is still hard to articulate it now.  I just know that it did something inside of me, it moved me. I liked it and wanted more of that feeling. I also wanted to create that feeling for others incorporating into it the sounds I love.

Do you recall the first time you performed on a stage?

My introduction to performing was in church, but I don’t remember the first time because I was so young.  Outside of that, I do recall performing at about eight or nine at school. My teacher discovered that I knew how to play the recorder—nerd alert—that I taught myself to play. She decided to enter me into the JCDC Music Competition in Jamaica. I made it through three rounds—and got a bronze medal—but apparently was too young at the time to advance in the categories that would allow me to compete nationally. I remember that feeling. I remember the audience. I remember the judges. It was incredible.

Who would you consider your greatest overall influence on the person you are today?

I find that question to be very strange for us as human beings because it leads to compartmentalizing and prioritizing one influence over another. I feel as if everything that I have encountered in life, every person and every experience, has influenced me. I cannot pick them apart to compare and definitively say which had influenced me more. Like I said, everything I hear, everything I see, everything I think of—good or bad—has impacted me in some way. I just know that I’m open to everything and the learning that I encounter along the way.

What are some the challenges that women in the arts currently face?

I don’t know if this is me downplaying myself or not, but my fight is literally to occupy my own space along with being free to be myself. I don’t know if that equates to me being strong or revolutionary. I just know that’s my fight and it’s probably relatable to a lot of women. The challenges for men are the same challenges we have as women in everyday society, except that they are more heightened for women.

At the end of the day, we’re literally just screaming, “Give me the space to fucking create. To be paid like guys are paid and to be me without these imposed misogynistic unrealistic standards brought up by men. Why can’t I have freedom to be me?” That’s literally the fight.

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If you’re into punk rock at any level, you probably know of Frank Meyer. Frontman for The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, his name is synonymous with the LA punk scene and has been so for over 20 years. He’s a legend in punk circles and continues to get better as time moves on. 

The Vinyl District recently sat down with Meyer to discuss all things rawk ‘n’ roll including his early beginnings in music, his greatest influences as a guitarist, and the Cheetahs’ latest release, One More Drink.  So, fill your glass and drop the needle.

What are your earliest memories of music as a child?

My earliest memories of music are probably The Muppet Show and subsequently The Muppet Movie. That soundtrack was one of the first records I can remember asking my parents to buy for me.  I loved “Can You Picture That?” by Dr. Teeth & Electric Mayhem, the hard rock group of the Muppets. So dope!

So, The Muppets we’re kind of a gateway drug to your affinity for rock and roll?

Yes!  As a result, I began listening to rock and roll radio here in Los Angeles in the early ’80s.  I loved The Knack’s “My Sharona,” Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and that whole first Go-Go’s album. Those were the big ones on the radio at the time and that stuff really, really, really hit me hard. These bands really sparked my interest in music, and as you can tell became my lifelong obsession.

As a child of the ’80s here in LA, were you a Van Halen fan?

The very first time I heard Van Halen on the radio I was blown away.  I couldn’t even understand the sound I was hearing but knew at that point I wanted to start playing guitar. Then I saw pictures of Van Halen and was floored.  They just looked like rock gods. I was like, “Whatever that is, that’s what I want to do as a career.”

As a youngster, did you grow up on vinyl or cassettes?

Vinyl and cassettes were all the rage when I was a teenager. I was a little too young for 8-tracks, but as a kid I’d buy stuff on vinyl. It was a blast to open the albums, read the liner notes, and marvel at the killer artwork and photos.  I also had TONS of cassettes too!

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When Todd La Torre took over the reigns as vocalist for Queensrÿche back in 2012, many felt that he’d have a hard time filling Geoff Tate’s shoes. Admittedly, I was one of those early doubters and could not imagine anyone else hitting those incredibly high notes across some of progressive metal’s most cherished masterpieces.

That all changed when I witnessed one of Queensrÿche’s earliest shows with La Torre at the helm. From his opening salvo to the final curtain call, Todd’s vocal prowess was on full display throughout among classics such as like “Roads to Madness,” “The Whisper,” and “Take Hold of the Flame.” It was as if I was transported back to the early ’80s all over again with La Torre crushing every song he wrapped his vocals around.

Fast forward to 2021, and La Torre has not only filled Tate’s shoes, but expanded on the Queensrÿche legacy tenfold. Sure, he can slay the classics. However, Todd’s also been instrumental in bringing back the band’s classic sound seemingly lost sometime after Promised Land. With three releases under La Torre’s belt as Queensrÿche’s lead singer, the band is back (and in a really big way). And while many in the music industry took an unscripted break due to Covid-19, Todd La Torre used the downtime to release his first solo album, Rejoice In The Suffering.

How did you get your start in music?

Here’s the nutshell version. I started playing guitar at 10, got my first set of drums at 13, and have played in multiple bands throughout my life. I joined Crimson Glory in 2010 and was with them for three years. In 2012, I ended up joining Queensrÿche and have been their vocalist ever since. Bottom line, I’ve always played music and primarily have been a drummer my whole life.

Who were your greatest inspirations as a young musician?

I grew up listening to a ton of rhythm and blues because of my mom. She was into legends such as Al Jarreau, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, and of course Michael Jackson. She was also into a lot of progressive jazz like David Sanborn, Keiko Matsui, Spyro Gyra—stuff like that. My dad, on the other hand, was into Earl Klugh, Elton John, Steely Dan, Billy Joel, that kind of stuff. All very inspiring artists to say the least.

As I got older growing up in the age of radio, I really got into the great singer / songwriters of the ’70s such as Fleetwood Mac, Jim Croce, and Jackson Browne. I then transitioned into ’80s rock and to this day I’m still a huge fan of bands like Tesla, Dokken, and Ratt. In my formidable teen years, I began listening to heavier stuff like Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche, Testament, Overkill, Halloween, and Slayer which helped mold me into the musician I am today.

So how did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

I honestly never really believed that I was going to have a career in music. In high school I always wanted to be a drummer and constantly dreamed of making it big as an musician. In my late twenties, I figured that ship sailed and became an upholsterer by trade. I had my own business and ran it successfully for 22 years while having a really great reputation in the Tampa Bay area. During that time I still liked to play music and was gigging in local bands. I was having fun as a drummer doing cover songs at beach bars and it gave me something to do outside of work. It wasn’t until I joined Crimson Glory back in 2010 where I actually began singing in a band—which is not something I ever really aspired to do—and the rest is history.

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Joel Hoekstra is one hell of a musician. From an early age he took an interest in music and quickly excelled at classical instruments such as the cello and piano. However, it was AC/DC’s Angus Young who inspired him to pick up a guitar—and it’s been his lifelong passion ever since.

Hoekstra has parlayed that passion into a 30+ year career, playing guitar with legendary acts such as Night Ranger, Whitesnake, and Cher as well as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Bolstering that already incredible resume, he performed on Broadway as the lead guitarist for the critically acclaimed musical, Rock of Ages.  The Vinyl District recently sat down with Hoekstra to discuss all things music—including the upcoming release of Running Games from Joel Hoekstra’s 13.

How did you get your start in music?

My parents had me playing cello and piano when I was a little kid. They were classical musicians. As far as playing the guitar as a young child, it was really hearing AC/DC for the very first time. I was like, “Ooh, that’s what I want to do. I want to play that.” In terms of getting a start professionally, it was a constant series of baby steps that led me where I am today. But I have managed to make my living at it since I got out of school at 20 years old. So, it’s really a blessing to make it this far.

Who were your greatest inspirations as a young musician?

It was really Angus Young who made me want to pick up the guitar for the very first time.  However, I owe my success to some really great teachers I had right from the very start. My first taught me rock songs, and that got me hooked. After my first few lessons, I started with a new instructor who began teaching me out of one of those method books. I was initially bummed out and was like, “Oh, this isn’t what I pictured it being.” It felt like cello and piano lessons all over again. But that quickly evolved into theory and technique which was great and I was hooked on the whole process from that point forward.

Tell us about the first time you performed in front of a live audience?

I was terrified. I vividly remember having such bad stage fright that I couldn’t even move my feet.  I was so nervous, my legs were locked and was just standing there going, “Oh my god, oh my god.” So yeah, the first time out there was terrifying.

Over the years, you’ve been associated with some incredible acts including Night Ranger, Whitesnake, Cher, as well as Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Rock of Ages. Understanding each of these is unique in its own right, is there one experience in particular that stands out?

Overall, the one thing that stood out to me was remaining open to any and all career possibilities. I worked hard at everything that came across my radar as I never really knew where the opportunity might take me. The Cher and the Rock of Ages gigs were the ones that stood out as the things I never would have imagined, right? When I was 11 years old learning Black Sabbath songs, I didn’t really say, “I can’t wait. Someday I’m going to be on Broadway.”

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