{"id":1620,"date":"2026-02-03T13:25:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brianellergraphics.com\/2026\/?page_id=1620"},"modified":"2026-02-06T16:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T21:58:17","slug":"joe-lester-2003","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brianellergraphics.com\/2026\/interviews\/music\/joe-lester-2003\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Lester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

He’s the Bass Player\nfor The Atomic Punks<\/a>,<\/p>\n

He was our “Mystery Guest” in “Who’s In The Box?”<\/span><\/p>\n

He’s a genuinely nice guy.<\/p>\n

He was good enough to give us a few minutes of his time, and here’s what we found out about Joe Lester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Eller:<\/strong>\n What was the first Concert you ever attended?<\/span><\/p>\n

Lester:<\/strong> I always talk about the first three I saw, because they were all completely different. The first was in Alaska. It was Triumph with Saga opening up. Very classic rock\/metal, not much to write home about, but very cool to finally experience it. The second was\n Spinal Tap at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle. I didn’t know anything\n about them except that Lenny (from Laverne and Shirley) was in the band and\n the metal station up there played a song called "Christmas with the\n Devil." It was a free concert, so we checked it out. I remember that\n when they started playing "Gimme some Money," the crowd started\n throwing loose change at the stage. I thought they were going to cancel\n the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third was Loudness with Keel\n opening up. That was such a cool experience, finally getting to see a\n couple bands that I was hip to and my first taste of the LA metal scene.\n That was the beginning of it right there…<\/p>\n

\n What was the first Album you ever\n bought?<\/p>\n

The first rock album I bought was VH\n II on cassette. Then the next one was "Back in Black" on 8-Track\n so I could listen to it in my dad’s truck.<\/p>\n

How old were you when you heard your\n first Van Halen song? Which song was it, and what was it about the band\n and music that you liked?<\/p>\n

I was 10, a buddy of mine turned me\n on to Ozzy, after that, I started listening to the local metal station.\n The first song I remember was "Beautiful Girls" that’s why I\n bought VH II. I loved the guitar and the words to the song, and the way\n Dave was singing it.<\/p>\n

What is your favorite Van Halen song and why?<\/p>\n

It’s really hard to pick. I think\n that Mean Street and Unchained capture what the band is all about. Killer\n guitar intro, pounding rhythm section, great sassy vocals, those\n harmonies, middle section only like VH could do it and a great guitar\n solo. Both those songs have all of that, but there are so many great ones. Hard\n question.<\/p>\n

Is that to listen to or to play or\n both?<\/p>\n

Both,two of my favorites to listen to and I’m\n always happy when I see those two songs on the set list. \n We play Unchained pretty much every show, so I’m always pushing\n Ralph for Mean Street.  When we are in the dressing room writing\n the set list, sometimes Ralph will get stuck and say "hey Joe, give\n me a song for the set."  I always suggest "Mean\n Street" first, and by now he almost knows it’s coming every\n time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What is your favorite VH album?<\/p>\n

Favorite, I love all of them (we are\n talking DLR era right??) The Sammy stuff is great, but we only really talk\n about the DLR stuff. ha ha. I think the first one is the best and most\n complete. Every song is devastating. I can just imagine all of the other\n bands during that era shitting their pants the first time they heard it\n and going uh oh…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. VH I<\/li>\n
  2. tie… Fair Warning, VH II, Women\n & Children<\/li>\n
  3. the rest of them..<\/li>\n <\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n

    How did you start playing? How long\n have you been playing?<\/p>\n

    I started on Trumpet when I was 10,\n moved to Baritone horn the next year and started guitar when I was 14.\n Played in Concert\/Jazz\/and Marching band all through high school. When I\n was 18 I switched to bass, our band at the time was a 2 guitar band and\n our bass player left. Since I was the rhythm guitar player, I switched to\n bass. I got really into it, but when I moved to LA in 1989 I started to\n explore the guitar again. Then I met Darren Housholder and tried taking\n guitar lessons. He thought that since I was good at rhythm guitar, I might\n have a better shot at a career playing bass. Boy was he right, I just\n thanked him last week again for that. When I finally went back to bass, I\n didn’t pick up a guitar for almost 8 years. I’m so glad I play bass, it’s\n such secret weapon in a band. So there you go.<\/p>\n

    I’ve been playing music for 24\n years, guitar for 8 and full time bass for about 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

    \n Who are your influences?<\/p>\n

    Top 5:\n