It is to the disappointment of this reporter that Joe Persinger, guitarist and drummer, has announced his retirement from music, live at a press conference in Phoenix Arizona. Through much triumph and tribulation, he rose through the ranks as a meager guitar player trying to find his spot as a singer, song writer, and rhythm guitarist in a 2 man band. Joe Persinger and Mark Quatraro began their triumph in a small room and basement writing and arranging songs that would touch the hearts to those that were close to them. They released their first album in August of 2001. Although there wasn't much to come of the album it had some success in the local circuit. However, the band broke up and Mark decided to pursue dreams outside of music.
For the next few years Joe bounced around from band to band struggling trying to find success. It wasn't until 2003 when Joe met punk drummer, Dan Woodall, and began a new project. Due to outside commitments though, the project never came to be and Joe was back to where he started. In 2004, Mark Quatraro, Dan Woodall, and Joe Persinger teamed up to play a (small) festival in Lindenhurt Illinois on a warm summer June night. They received critical acclaim for the excellent performance, but again prior engagements stopped the trio from pursuing anything beyond that warm summer night.
In early 2005, the re-union began. Mark Quatraro and Joe Persinger teamed up to start a new project. This time with Eric "Guy" Reading as the bassist and Joe moving behind to the drums. Known as "Funked Up Soul" they again played that (small) festival in Lindenhurst. Armed with a new sound and brand new music they hit the circuit playing and hosting open mic jams throughout Chicago. Eventually, they hooked up with keyboardist and producer Bobbi Scumacci. He began to mold and record their new sound, but it was here where things went a rye. Joe was fired from the band as the drummer and was back in the limbo of surfing band to band. Over the next 4 years he pursued playing the drums and small jams here and there. On a hot sunny day in downtown Phoenix, on a stage behind a podium, he had this to say:
"It is to my disappointment that I announce my retirement from music today. I was once a young boy who spent much of his bed time listening to my father's band play through the vents on the floor. Countless times I would fall asleep to the sounds of a youthful rock band jamming away at originals and Neil Young songs. When I was 6 years old I had my first on stage experience singing 'Leaving on a Jet Plane", I performed at Carnegie hall when I was 16, had various stints in plays and musicals, and received my first guitar and microphone shortly after that. It was a few years later I then received my first drum kit as well. It was my father that made all those things possible and I thank my father for his gratitude and support for my passion of music. I thank you, Dave Levin for all your pictorial documentation of every gig I have played and the loud cheering you would always give. But that still doesn't excuse the photo ops you have missed. Just kidding buddy. I thank Dan Woodall for the countless jam sessions we've had and for putting up with all the extra recreational activities that you forced us to take outside. If it wasn't for my good friend Jason Laboy, I probably would have quit choir after my freshmen year and wouldn't be standing here. Thank you Jason, for helping me with my horrific dance moves and nasally sounding singing voice. I thank you, Kimmy Piacenza and Sam Beigler who were there the night we wrote 'Denial' and kept laughing at the lyric 'you cut me up and split me like a chive' that we wrote at 1:00am in the Highland Park High School student parking lot. To this day, I still chuckle about it. I will never forget track #5 on the first album Mark and I did where you hear me say 'I wasn't even talking about Kimmy' as she stormed out of the studio. When I listened to that track years later on a high quality stereo, you can hear Mark say 'Why'd you have to say shit?'. As the three of you know (Jason, Sam, and Kimmy) I was a jerk back then and wronged you at some point that summer. I'm sorry for my actions. I was honored to play with Mark Quatraro and Eric "Guy" Reading through the years. I got to play with them one last time last June and it was a fun week. These two have now branched out into an amazing sounding band known as Freedom Ryders. It's a great sound and I wish them the best of luck. I thank you Trevor "Tree" Shandling for putting up with my lack of musical talent when I had no clue what a guitar chord was, or how a drum beat worked, but still let me sing along and look like an idiot while we 'jammed'. I promise you all today that I am not quitting music behind closed doors. I will always strum away or pound out a new drum beat. I am however, retiring from playing publicly. A songwriter once wrote 'Denial is what made it stay alive......Denial brought it slowly to die.......Other then the gut wrenching break up that songs refers to, I never thought it would also apply to my music and talent. I no longer find myself with the same passion I used to have with lyric and song writing or musical arrangement. When writing with a group of people I found that everyone has their own opinions and the whole idea gets homogenized and it looses its edge. That does not reflect any particular scenario that I have been apart of, but is something that every musician has to deal with. You will not see me on stage at a festival, block party, or even small get together. My time has come to retire and do the things I have control over. Thank you......so....(wipes a tear).....much for all your support. I leave with this quote from legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix: 'Even Castles made of sand, fall into the sea, eventually.' Thank you so much everyone....."
So he walked away from the stage and podium shaking hands and hugging those who shared the stage with him that afternoon. The crowd cheered and chanted his name as he made his way off the stage. His hand raised high in the sky as if he was waving hello and goodbye to every person in the crowd. As he walked off the stage a silence took over the crowd and the cheers went from loud to somber to an eerie quietness. A wise man once said "Hero's are never forgotten, but a legend never dies." Although that doesn't really apply to this situation, at least the man left with grace. His music touched those that heard it, made those who saw him love him, and that music and memory will play in their heads for a long time.
--John D. Staff
Mark Dan and Joe in 2004
Playing some guitar in 2003
This guy sounds like he had a good run
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