Charles welcomes Boston-area drummer and avid live music fan TJ Horn (Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys), who set a personal record by attending 75 concerts in 2025. TJ recounts formative early shows including Depeche Mode in 1994 (his first concert and lifelong favorite band), Metallica, and Lollapalooza ’94, plus later highlights like Rosalía in Boston and a DIY punk turning point seeing Face to Face. He shares a surprising Ozzfest story where Fred Durst sat beside him to watch Tool, and other intimate-show memories including Touché Amoré at a tiny VFW and seeing The Killers open at The Middle East. TJ discusses being a mostly self-taught drummer, a 2012 documentary by filmmaker Mike Pecci, Walter Sickert’s RPM Challenge albums and “steam crunk” theatrics, and his live stage readings of erotic fan fiction at burlesque and nerd-culture events.
In this episode, Charles sits down with TJ Horn, a Boston-area drummer who has played with several bands — most notably the critically acclaimed Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. Beyond his drumming career, TJ is a passionate live music fan who set a personal record in 2025 by attending 75 concerts in a single year. He's also known in certain Boston circles for his live readings of erotic fan fiction. It's a wide-ranging conversation about music, performance, and what it means to love live shows.
TJ traces his passion for live music back to a 1994 Depeche Mode concert at the Blockbuster Pavilion in Glen Helen, California — a show his uncle brought him and his family to when he was just 12 years old. That night sparked a lifelong obsession. That same year, his uncle also took him to Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and the legendary Lollapalooza '94 — where TJ saw the Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, L7, and a then-unknown Green Day, just weeks before they exploded in popularity. Over the years, TJ has accumulated remarkable concert stories: chatting with Fred Durst for 40 minutes at Ozzfest while watching Tool, seeing Porno for Pyros perform a surprise acoustic set on a walkway at Lollapalooza '95, and stumbling upon a tiny 40-person Touché Amoré show after standing in the snow for a wristband. His 75-show year in 2025 came about naturally — fueled by a wide network of friends with different musical tastes, a work schedule that freed up his evenings, and a simple philosophy of saying yes when a cheap ticket or a spare invite came along.
On the music-making side, TJ is a self-taught drummer who got his start playing along to Green Day and the Ramones in his bedroom as a military kid who had just moved to Boston. He's gone on to play with bands spanning punk, hardcore, and art-rock, including The Martyrs and a rock opera project featuring Amy Winehouse's saxophonist and members of The Replacements. His longest creative relationship has been with Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys — a theatrical "steam crunk" band known for elaborate costumes, steampunk conventions, annual RPM Challenge albums, and now an upcoming horror sci-fi film directed by Walter himself. TJ also speaks fondly of the erotic fan fiction readings that made him unexpectedly famous in Boston's burlesque and cosplay scene — a side gig that started with dramatic readings of bad dating app messages and turned into a crowd-favorite variety act. For more from TJ, find him on Instagram at @tjbrokenproton.
BANDS: A Tribe Called Quest, Amy Winehouse, Beastie Boys, The Boredoms, Boy's Life, The Breeders, Bridgit Calls Me Baby, Coal Chamber, Converge, Cyndi Lauper, Deftones, Depeche Mode, Dropbear, Eagles of Death Metal, Elastica, Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, Face to Face, Fight, George Clinton, Green Day, Hole, Jack White, Jay-Z, L7, Lady Gaga, Less Than Jake, Letters to Cleo, Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Ministry, Motörhead, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Nick Cave, Nine Inch Nails, Ozzy Osbourne, Porno for Pyros, Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Replacements, Rosalía, Salt-N-Pepa, sapling, Sex Pistols, Smashing Pumpkins, Shonen Knife, Soulfly, Stellastar, Stereolab, Suicidal Tendencies, The Killers, Tool, Touché Amoré, Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys.
VENUES: Blockbuster Pavilion (Glen Helen, CA), Boston Garden, The Middle East (Boston), San Diego State University's Aztec Bowl.
LINKS:
TJ Instagram: @tjbrokenproton.
Walter Sickert movie "Ashwire": https://www.fangoria.com/ashwire-trailer/
[00:00:24] Tee Jay Horn: We were a band very big on theatrics and we never set out to be a quote-unquote, "steampunk band," but there is a huge fandom for that stuff. And, we ended up, headlining a bunch of conventions and things like that, which was just awesome. I'd never felt so famous in my life sometimes playing at those things.
[00:00:45] Charles: My guest today is TJ Horn. TJ is a Boston-area drummer who has played with several bands, including the critically acclaimed Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. He's also an avid live music [00:01:00] fan, and in 2025, he set a personal record by attending 75 concerts in a single year. TJ also performs live readings of erotic fan fiction. TJ, welcome to Seeing Them Live.
[00:01:15] Tee Jay Horn: Thank you so much for having me on.
[00:01:17] Charles: Yeah, this is great. And, yeah, like we were just talking, we'll, we'll start with your concerts first and then get into some of these bands you were in. Um, your first concert, which, uh, you put down as Depeche Mode and, and in that documentary, I was reading that that's one of your ac- actually one of your influences as well, or was, with among many other bands you cite.
[00:01:40] But, um, so that must have carried to this day even, uh, influence on you by seeing them. This was, uh, 1994. You were 13 years old, and like all, you know, kids, nine times out of 10, it's their mom who takes them to their first con- concert if they can't drive, you know? So, um, so yeah, why don't [00:02:00] you talk about that a little bit?
[00:02:01] Tee Jay Horn: Uh, yeah, actually looking back on the date now, I was actually 12 at that concert. But, yeah, my mom listened to, like, just a lot of just whatever top 40 stuff. I remember her, like, spinning, like, Cyndi Lauper records and, I remember s- like, when Salt-N-Pepa first came out, she was really into them. But I had an uncle who was only, like, 10 years older than me, and he was into, like, you know, alternative or counterculture type stuff. Um, so he, you know, suggested we all go to Depeche Mode. My mom loved, uh, you know, "Enjoy the Silence" 'cause that was a big, like, top 40 radio hit. And, uh, yeah, we all just went.
[00:02:39] Um, it was me, him, my mom, and my sister all went to that concert. And, uh, from, uh, that day forward, I've been obsessed with live music, and I really clung to Depeche Mode after that as well. And to this day, they're still my favorite, all-time favorite band.
[00:02:56] Charles: Yeah. Um, and so was this, um, this was at the Blockbuster [00:03:00] Pavilion, so is that like a, like kinda like a band shell kinda thing?
[00:03:04] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, it's one of those, like, big outdoor pavilions, you know, probably has, like, 10,000 capacity or something like that. Um, it's kinda awesome because it's set in the mountains between, like, the high desert and, like, the Los Angeles area. So it's l- it's literally, like, overlooking a mountain pass. Um, so yeah, it's just, you know, added more, I think, to my love of live music as my first couple of concerts were at that venue, and just having that beautiful scenic backdrop and, uh, you know, being up elevated in the mountains a little bit. It was actually, you know, you get to wear a, a hoodie instead of just burning to death in the desert all day.
[00:03:46] Charles: Yeah, 'cause, uh, I looked it up. This place is in Glen Helen, California.
[00:03:52] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, and I, I think it still exists today, but it's probably, you know, the Verizon, Comcast, Disney, Warner Brothers, you know, whatever.
[00:03:59] Charles: [00:04:00] Yeah, yeah.
[00:04:00] Tee Jay Horn: Back then it was the Blockbuster Video Pavilion, you know?
[00:04:04] Charles: Yeah. Uh, yeah, and they're obviously, yeah, th- those guys are long gone. Them and their late fees, right?
[00:04:11] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, yeah.
[00:04:12] Charles: So were you guys, like, on the lawn or something? Did you have seats?
[00:04:15] Tee Jay Horn: We actually had seats. We were a lot further back, um, closer to the lawn section. Um, I do have another fun story about that lawn section involving my early years of concert-going. But, yeah, we were, we were towards the back. We had seats, so it was a little bit spoiled. But, you know, that was also back in the day when you could get up and, you know, go wait at Tower Records at 8:00 in the morning for tickets to go on sale, and it was just first come, first serve. You know, front row was the same price as back row, and, you know, maybe the lawn was, like, $10 cheaper.
[00:04:47] Charles: So you've, you, like you said, you went there several times and you had another story about being on the lawn of, of that place?
[00:04:54] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I saw Metallica also in 1994 with [00:05:00] Suicidal Tendencies and, uh, Fight, which was a thrash band that Rob Halford had at the time. So being up in that lawn section, that was the first time I saw some, like, serious kinda scary moshing, uh, for Suicidal Tendencies. But once again, I think I was either 12 or 13 at that time, and I remember just being so curious about it and being, like, frightened but still curious enough to get along the edges of the mosh pit to watch it and everything.
[00:05:28] Charles: Yeah, no, I, I've said before, like, o- once you kinda go into the mosh pit, you kinda know, at least myself, like, who to stay away from.
[00:05:36] Tee Jay Horn: Oh, for sure.
[00:05:37] Charles: Yeah, that, that, you know, people who are in there for whatever reasons.
[00:05:41] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, definitely was.
[00:05:42] Charles: So, if you wanna move on to your best concert, and I know, we're thinking of changing this category actually, 'cause you're not the first person to, like, "I don't know, I can't pick my best concert. There's so many of them." So, you know, we're thinking of maybe changing it to, like, most, important concert or [00:06:00] something like that.
[00:06:00] But even then it'd probably be hard to do. But if you had to say, Lollapalooza 1994.
[00:06:06] Tee Jay Horn: Yes.
[00:06:08] Charles: I looked on the lineup, uh, this was online. Uh, the main stage lineup was, like, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, George Clinton, The Breeders, A Tribe Called Quest, Nick Cave, and L7. And then also as add-ons, depending on what date you attended, were The Boredoms between, July 7th and August 3rd, and Green Day August 5th through September 5th. And I was wondering, is that accurate or, uh, and did, did, did you see Green Day? Was Green Day there when you were there?
[00:06:45] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, so I showed up maybe during, maybe during their last song. I was kinda entering the actual venue. It's kind of a weird venue. It's, uh, I saw them at, uh, San Diego State University's Aztec [00:07:00] Bowl. Um, so it was like a, you know, it was a stadium and everything. So, like, I'd been on the grounds by the time Green Day was playing, but I, I missed most of their set.
[00:07:12] Um, and I was actually talking to a friend about this recently, how quickly they got famous, because they were, like, the first band on that bill that day. And I had moved to Boston from California a month later in September, and there was a massive riot here because they did a free show in downtown Boston.
[00:07:36] Um, and then, like, a couple of days or weeks later, they were, like, one of the headliners on Woodstock '94. So, like, just in that month was how fast they went from being, like, nobodies to headlining these major events.
[00:07:52] Charles: Yeah, so I mean, did you just, did you go there and to see a band in particular that interests you?
[00:07:58] Tee Jay Horn: I, so [00:08:00] mostly at that show, I, I was legit there for everybody. I didn't know very many of the bands on the second stage. Um, I can recall seeing Stereolab and Shonen Knife on the second stage, um, who I, I ended up, you know, buying both of their cassette tapes after that. Um, but yeah, I, I literally, I just wanted everything.
[00:08:27] I was, again, I was 13 years old. Um, just wanted to consume as much alternative and counterculture music as possible. And, you know, even back then, I obviously I knew, like, George Clinton's We Got the Funk or whatever, but, like, you know, there was that thing in my head that he had produced a Red Hot Chili Peppers record.
[00:08:48] So I was like, "Oh, that guy's cool 'cause he produced the Chili Peppers," and like, you know, I knew Nick Cave was a little bit like goth, so I wanted to see him be spooky. And, um, The [00:09:00] Breeders unfortunately had to... Somebody, like, threw a bottle on stage and I think, like, injured Kim Deal, so they only got through, like, one or two songs.
[00:09:10] Charles: Oh, man. Geez.
[00:09:11] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, it, it was a, a wild show. and like I was-- I, I can remember being mostly excited about seeing L7 and the Beastie Boys, which the RIP to Jennifer Finch from L7, just passed away like yesterday, I think.
[00:09:25] Charles: Yes. Terrible news.
[00:09:27] Tee Jay Horn: So yeah, yeah, the Beastie Boys were kinda life-changing for me, because at that time they had a full band and were also, all performing on instruments, instead of just being three guys on stage with a turntable. So that kind of, you know, opened my mind to a little more hip hop back in those days too.
[00:09:45] Charles: And were you guys, like, on the lawn? Did you have seats?
[00:09:48] Tee Jay Horn: It was general admission. I remember being kinda off on the sidelines for most of the show. And I also remember back in the day too, it was just everyone was so hyped. Like, people were [00:10:00] moshing for, like, Nick Cave, which... Just slam dancing for anything. And then, uh, I did get up front for the Smashing Pumpkins, and it got so... just people kinda pushing and shoving. And, uh, like I remember my uncle's friend, like, passed out from just being squished so much, and I was so little at the time. I ended up, uh, getting pulled out by the bouncers over the barricade, and I went to the back of the venue and finished the show from the back.
[00:10:29] Charles: Wow.
[00:10:29] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah.
[00:10:30] Charles: Okay, so you went with your uncle again.
[00:10:32] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, he played a big part in, I mean, so I guess in the year 1994, he played a big part in my, uh, y- you know, going to concerts and things like that, um, 'cause he also took me and my sister to see Nine Inch Nails on the Downward Spiral tour. Um, he also took me to, to, like, local DIY punk shows and things like that. So, if there were any other concerts. He's the one that took me to Metallica. So yeah.
[00:10:58] Charles: The cool uncle.
[00:10:59] Tee Jay Horn: [00:11:00] Yeah, yeah.
[00:11:00] Charles: Nice. Always good to have one of those. Did you have any other best concerts that you wanted to talk about, TJ? Like other ones that kinda rank up there or that come to mind?
[00:11:11] Tee Jay Horn: I go to so many. One I can think of very recently that I went to that I was very surprised by is this artist from Spain named Rosalía.
[00:11:20] Charles: Oh, yeah.
[00:11:21] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, I d- I didn't know, like, too many of her songs, but, like, I don't know, I just hopped on StubHub and there were some cheap tickets, and I really wanted to go to a show that night. So I went to see her at the Boston Garden, and it was one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen in my life. Um, she did a lot of songs, you know, in her, her native Spanish. Um, but she was also singing in, like, Arabic and Italian, and there was an entire orchestra on the floor of the Boston Garden, and she had a stage going on.
[00:11:53] So, yeah, that, that was a cool show. Man, I'm just trying to think over the years. Another important [00:12:00] show for me was seeing the punk band, uh, Face to Face in Southern California. That was the first sort of DIY punk show I went to, and I remember going to that show and just thinking in my brain, you know, seeing these guys, like, pull up in their beat-up Toyotas, lugging their own gear out, and I'm thinking in my head like, "Wait, wh- why don't these guys have limos?
[00:12:26] And where's their tour bus? And why is there not roadies helping them set up? And why are they shaking everyone's hand in the crowd? And why are they selling their own merchandise?" And, it was kind of at that moment that I realized, like, oh, you don't have to be a big star to be a successful musician. So that was a show that kind of made me fall in love with smaller, uh, like, you know, DIY punk and hardcore bands and things like that. You know, and I learned that just almost anyone could, you know, call up a VFW and rent a VFW and [00:13:00] say, "Hey, I'm gonna put six bands on. Charge five bucks a head," you know?
[00:13:04] Charles: Yeah, any place is a venue, especially if you don't sell alcohol and stuff like that, It really opens up possibilities, for where bands can play and who can attend.
[00:13:17] Tee Jay Horn: Yep.
[00:13:17] Charles: Okay, cool. I thought we would move to most surprising. You put down this Ozzfest show, 1998, and I've got the lineup here. So it was Ozzy Osbourne was the headliner, obviously, Tool, Limp Bizkit, Soulfly Dust , Coal Chamber, and Motörhead. I don't know how accurate that is, but that's what I found online.
[00:13:40] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah. Motörhead was on the second stage for some reason at that too. Um, but, uh, yeah, that show became very surprising to me because after Limp- like Limp Bizkit was pretty big at the time. And, uh, this again was at one of those pavilion-type [00:14:00] venues, um, that, you know, has seating and a, a lawn and everything.
[00:14:04] And for whatever reason at Ozzfest, the seating... the, uh, seating wouldn't fill up until Ozzy came out, and it would just be like a smattering of people, and the lawn section would just be packed full of people moshing and stuff. So right after Lim- I had a seat, and, uh, right after Limp Bizkit played, Tool was setting up.
[00:14:27] And Fred Durst just, there were so many empty seats, he just came and sat right next to me and was like, "Hey, bud, how'd you like the show?" I was like, "Well, what are you doing just sitting here?" He's like, "I'm gonna watch Tool, brother." I'm like, "All right." And, um, they had covered, like, Ministry at that show, and I wanna say they covered a Suicidal Tendencies song too.
[00:14:49] So I kinda just music nerd got to talking to him about Ministry and, um, how much of a Ministry fan I am, a NIN fan, and how Depeche Mode's my favorite band. And we got into this [00:15:00] long conversation about Depeche Mode. And, um, yeah, I just learned about how much of a music and film geek that guy was. Uh, we just really got into a nerdy conversation, and, uh, the only reason it got cut short is because Tool came out and started playing. So we, we had a good, like, 30, 40-minute conversation.
[00:15:19] Charles: That's So cool.
[00:15:21] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah.
[00:15:22] Charles: I mean, that's crazy, crazy, crazy. Wow. So you, you, uh, listed that as a pleasant surprise. And then you, you said you maybe might have some other ones, that were similar surprises like that.
[00:15:34] Tee Jay Horn: Uh, yeah. I mean, recently I was at a festival. Um, there's a band called Touché Amoré that I really, really like. They're one of my favorite bands. And, um, from the stage that night at the festival, they announced that they were playing at this tiny VFW-type venue in Massachusetts the next day. And, uh, you had to go to this record store to get a bracelet for it.
[00:15:58] So I woke up [00:16:00]and stood in the snow the next morning and was, like, the first person in line to get a bracelet. And, uh, yeah, they just did this intimate little show and, uh, surprisingly only, like, 40 people showed up. So, um, it was fantastic. They just seemed like they were having the time of their lives. Um, and, uh, you know, they're a band that tours the world. I mean, their guitar player has designed, like, album covers for, like, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga and things like that. It's weird. They're kind of this, like, smaller, you know, emo punk band, but they're like - They were on, like, Jay-Z's management team for a while, and I think it's because of their guitar player's connections. Yeah.
[00:16:40] Charles: That's cool. Yeah, I, I love seeing, you know, bands when you can get lucky enough to, uh, you know, a small little space. A, a couple years ago we were at Lollapalooza and, we just, we went into this tent that was sponsored by Toyota. It was like a tent. It was weird. There was a stage back there.
[00:16:58] It was tiny, [00:17:00] tiny. And my sister was saying that there's this band called Bridgit Calls Me Baby, and they're playing twice. And, uh, so they, so therefore they must be good. That was ... That ... We, we didn't know anything about them. They're from Chicago. And, uh, and so, uh, we went in there, and yeah, we squeezed in 'cause people kept kind of filtering in there. But
[00:17:19] Tee Jay Horn: Right. Right.
[00:17:20] Charles: Yeah, I mean, there might have been 150 people maybe under that tent. I don't know. It was a small tent, but that was really cool. You know, just totally unexpected. And then from there we became fans and we've seen them. So yeah, that, the, those small, small venues are, are, are cool if you can catch the right, you know, situation and stuff.
[00:17:43] Tee Jay Horn: Right. Yeah, years ago I, um, there's a club at the, um, in Boston called The Middle East.
[00:17:50] Charles: Oh, yeah. I've, I've heard of that place.
[00:17:52] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, it's got like four venues in it. It's kind of like Boston's version of, I don't want to say CBGB because it's not that scuzzy, but it's [00:18:00] maybe that legendary in Boston. But anyway, I went to see a band, uh, called Stellastar that I really liked.
[00:18:05] They were kind of like one-hit wonders in the early aughts and, um, The Killers were one of their openers and like no- nobody had really heard of them at the time. And upstairs that night at the other venue, like the Eagles of Death Metal were playing. So yeah, it was, it was, uh, like I have that cool, street cred to say that I, you know I saw The Killers open for somebody in a 500 capacity venue.
[00:18:29] Charles: Yeah, yeah.
[00:18:30] Tee Jay Horn: Also in that, that same venue I, I saw the Deftones there. I saw like Less Than Jake and, you know, these are all bands that play massive venues now.
[00:18:38] Charles: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, 'cause, was the same Lollapalooza or not, but, the Deftones had played before The Killers, at Lollapalooza, which was an interesting arrangement. But, you know, mo- a lot of, half the crowd probably cleared out after the Deftones.
[00:18:52] Tee Jay Horn: Right.
[00:18:53] Charles: Half more came in to see The Killers. But, yeah, it was, they're definitely play to bigger crowds now, for sure.
[00:18:59] Tee Jay Horn: If I can [00:19:00] throw in one more cool surprise 'cause we're on the, we're on the, the Lollapalooza train here. I went to, uh, I, so I'd moved out to California towards the end of ' ' 94 and, uh, I went back to visit some family in '95. and my, my dad actually took me and my sister to Lollapalooza '95 and a bunch of our kinda childhood friends also went.
[00:19:21] And it was at, again, one of these pavilion things and there was a walkway between the lawn section and the seats, and Porno for Pyros randomly just, like, set up on the thoroughfare and just did an acoustic set randomly. It was such a surprise. And then, like, that same day I ended up meeting Justine from Elastica and, like, Melissa Auf der Maur from Hole. Yeah, it was so Wow.
[00:19:46] Charles: That's That's something else.
[00:19:48] Tee Jay Horn: Yep.
[00:19:49] Charles: Just, luck of the draw, I guess, right?
[00:19:52] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, for sure.
[00:19:53] Charles: But I g- you know, if you go to enough shows, right, that happens, at some point. And so if you'd wanna transition [00:20:00] TJ into this, you went to 75 shows in 2025.
[00:20:05] Tee Jay Horn: Yes, sir.
[00:20:06] Charles: Which is a personal record, right?
[00:20:09] Tee Jay Horn: Yes, definitely.
[00:20:10] Charles: That's the most you've ever been to.
[00:20:12] Tee Jay Horn: Uh, in one year, Yeah.
[00:20:13] Charles: In one year. Cause I, I think I told you in email, my-- a friend of mine, we went to see 24 shows in seven days.
[00:20:22] Tee Jay Horn: That's insane.
[00:20:23] Charles: It was very insane. Yeah. It was, it was actually, I don't know. You could argue whether it was enjoyable or not. At some points it, it wasn't, but overall it was fun. But you know, we had to plan and deal with weather and stuff. And so I'm like, wow, 75. Like how did that all come about? I mean, were you like thinking, "Oh man, I'm, I'm going to a lot of shows this year. I wonder how many I've been to?" Or were you trying to go to more in 2025 than you had previously?
[00:20:52] Tee Jay Horn: Not really. So, um, I, like, recently got divorced [00:21:00] and just found myself kind of being more social, um, with people that I hadn't been social with in a very long time. And, um, all my friends like different types of music. Like, I have one group of friends that loves hip-hop. I have one group of friends that loves, uh, you know, um, hardcore punk metal.
[00:21:18] I have another group of friends that likes pop and more indie stuff. And, um, so yeah, I just kind of found myself just saying yes to whatever if I had a free night. Um, I, I work a-- my job shift is, like, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Um, I also have a massive network of friends. Um, so it's like there were some nights I would just pop on, uh, Instagram, and in my inbox I'd see someone being like, "Oh man, I'm sick.
[00:21:47] I can't go to the show. Do you want tickets?" "Yep." Um, you know, I had one friend who had a friend who was, like, friends with, uh, Jack White's stage manager or something, [00:22:00] and gave her an unlimited guest list. So it was, like, a friend of a friend hooked it up, and now I've made more friends through that connection. And, um, I have friends that work at venues that, uh, sometimes might have discounted tickets. Uh, there were nights, some nights where I had zero plans, and I just hopped on StubHub and said, "Oh my God, this band's playing for 10 bucks? Why not?" And you know, I have a lot of musician friends, so I went to see their shows.
[00:22:27] And yeah, I think it was more towards the end of the year that I started, like, being like, "All right, can- let's see how many I can cram in" by the end of the, you know. It was by, like, October, November that I was just like, "All right, I'm on a roll." Like.
[00:22:41] Charles: That's cool 'cause, as far as like you said, you know, seeing a band for 10 bucks, we noticed too, like we went to a lot of free things sometimes, like record release parties. They weren't charging a cover. If there were three bands and we walked in and the first two bands had already played, they're like, "Yeah, just go in."
[00:22:57] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
[00:22:58] Charles: And so [00:23:00] it was, uh, it was relatively cheap, you know? Uh, we, we weren't going to see like Springsteen or anything like that.
[00:23:08] Tee Jay Horn: And that's the thing is like there were very few shows that I probably paid over $30 for if I paid for it at all.
[00:23:19] Hi, this is Charles Zona, and we're glad you are enjoying this episode of Seeing Them Live. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please fill out the form on our website at seeingthemlive.com. Also, if you like the show, please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
[00:23:39] And now, back to the show
[00:23:45] Charles: Right, so that's interesting. So how's this year, shaping up? Is it similar you think?
[00:23:52] Tee Jay Horn: Not as much as last year. Uh, I definitely haven't noticed as many freebies this year so, uh, my wallet [00:24:00] will only allow so much. Again, with my job schedule, I was very tired a lot last year. So I've been trying to be a little bit better about being like, "You know what? I don't need to go to this one." But I do, I do have a pretty full calendar for the next couple of months, for sure.
[00:24:18] Charles: Yeah, no, that, that's great. Uh, that's a great way to go about seeing some shows with friends and getting these deals last minute or yeah, somebody knows somebody. That's awesome. So yeah, TJ, I don't know, you wanted to, maybe we could jump into your music. You play the drums
[00:24:34] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, yeah.
[00:24:36] Charles: For lots of different bands and from that documentary I was reading, Controlled Rhythm, you're a self-taught drummer. Is that about correct on that?
[00:24:46] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah. So I took, like, two drum lessons when I lived in California, and, um, it was right around that time, uh, my family found out we were moving out to the Boston area. Um, I'm a, like, [00:25:00] military brat, so um, when I first moved here, I, like, couldn't go to school until I got a physical, but all the doctors were booked up for, like, two months.
[00:25:11] Um, so I basically just had a, a drum set in my room and just started drumming along to, uh, you know. Like, I'd bought the Green Day album after Lollapalooza, so I started drumming along to that 'cause it's fairly easy. Um, and my sister got me into a lot of old, like, you know, the '77 punk stuff, like the Sex Pistols, and, uh, some of that stuff was fairly easy.
[00:25:35] Like, the Ramones is very straightforward. It's just fast. Um, and then, you know, I got into... I was always watching MTV and, uh, some, like, there was a band from Boston called Letters to Cleo that I had really gotten into.
[00:25:50] Um, so I, I remember drumming along to that record a lot. And then, um, you know, being a military kid, I would, I was just looking out for the other [00:26:00] weirdos on base and, you know, all the kinda, I call them long hairs or whatever. W- we all, uh, me and my sister, you know, saw two other alternative-looking kids one day, and, uh, none of us really knew how to play our instruments super well but enough to start a band. And so we all kinda grew together that way. And, uh, you know, some of us kept going, some of us didn't.
[00:26:21] Charles: Yeah. And so eventually you improved, obviously, and, uh, then you started playing with some of these other bands. Are all Boston area bands, obviously, right?
[00:26:34] Tee Jay Horn: Yes. Yeah. I've subbed in for some bands that have, you know, come into town. Actually I think it's, uh, only, like, two people that have come into town, um, from out of town. But, uh, yeah, e- everything's been Boston-based for sure.
[00:26:49] Charles: Okay, and then how did the documentary come about? This is like 2012. Uh, this guy's name's Mike...
[00:26:55] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, Mike Petch- Pecci, Pecci. Mike Pecci.
[00:26:58] Charles: Okay.
[00:26:58] Tee Jay Horn: Like Joe Pesci, yeah. [00:27:00] So this all kind of, like, oddly ties into that Walter Sickert band too. Um, I had worked at a record store in a mall in, uh, Watertown, Massachusetts, and, um, that's actually where I met the people from Walter Sickert. Two of them were shopping in the store.
[00:27:16] But one of my coworkers ended up becoming one of my best friends, and we both, uh, lived in Watertown at the time, just, like, a couple of blocks away from each other. Um, and so I became friends with kind of her friend group, and this guy m- uh, Mike Pecci is just this... He was just this brilliant photographer, um, and also was directing, like, music videos and stuff at the time.
[00:27:42] Um, and yeah, him and his, uh... Like, he had, like, a, uh, a business with another director. I believe they had a falling out. I'm not positive. I don't wanna speak on that and cause any drama or anything. But, uh, anyway, he ended up moving into the house that was just a, a [00:28:00] block away from me. Um, and yeah, he just wanted to, uh, shoot a, a documentary about me, which was just insanely flattering and awesome.
[00:28:11] Um, he also used me for, like, a model in a local newspaper at one point, which was bizarre. But he, like, took these just awesome photos of, uh, uh... Yeah. Um, but yeah, it wa- it was so cool working with him. Um, it was cool that he, like, put it into a film festival. Um, you know, this guy's directed music videos for nationally known people and, um, I, I was just so flattered that he did it.
[00:28:40] Um, definitely have that imposter syndrome. I'm like, "I'm j- Dude, I'm just your neighbor. I'm not in, like, any famous bands or anything." And, um, but in a way too, he, he explained it. It was almost like a digital business card for him. Um, him, him and his, um, directing partner did documentaries [00:29:00] on, like, five or six different people.
[00:29:01] Like, they did one on, like, a boxer. They did one on, like, the singer of Converge. Yeah, Mike's awesome. He has his own podcast, actually. I can plug it here. It's called In Love with the Process. It's just all kind of, uh, inside baseball stuff for Hollywood. And, he is about to direct a feature film, being produced by Ridley Scott.
[00:29:23] Charles: Nice.
[00:29:23] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, he's doing well. He's a talented guy, and I'm, I'm glad it's paying off for him.
[00:29:28] Charles: That's awesome. and then you said that kinda ties into this, your, your involvement with Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. and I listened, I downloaded, listened to, purchased, the Blood Blooms album, which is their latest one,
[00:29:44] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah. Nice. Nice.
[00:29:46] Charles: Which, you play the vibes, and I had to, on that, it, you're credited with vibes on that album.
[00:29:53] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, I think I was just kinda hanging around the studio or maybe making weird noises or...
[00:29:59] Charles: I had to look up what [00:30:00] that was. I'm like, "I think I kinda know. It's like a xylophone maybe thing?"
[00:30:04] Tee Jay Horn: No, they meant actual, like, chill vibes, bro. Like...
[00:30:08] Charles: Oh, okay.
[00:30:09] Tee Jay Horn: I can't remember if I, if I actually did touch anything in the studio for that one.
[00:30:13] Charles: No, but what, what I found very interesting, TJ, was, in the like, I guess the liner notes of Bandcamp of the album, there's this note from Edri?
[00:30:23] Tee Jay Horn: Yep, yep. She's, she's one of the performers in that band.
[00:30:27] Charles: Yeah, and she writes, and I, and I just wanna get your thoughts and comments on this. She writes, "21 years ago, the RPM Challenge kicked off as an artistic fever dream that is still raging." So they, they do this thing called the RPM Challenge, the band. " In February ha- has been a month of absolute chaos," she says, "creativity, and major life moments." So basically this challenge, which they've done every year, 'cause I was gonna ask you, well, how many albums do they have? This is the 21st album. They've been doing it for [00:31:00] 21 years, and they, produce an album every February. And I, I have to say that Blood Blooms, man, that album, and those two songs, Shadow Run Part One, Shadow Run Part Two, those are, those are really, really good songs. And his, the emotion in his voice. They're kinda scary though, too. You know, I'm not gonna lie. It's like they, they have like these creepy sounds in, mixed in, like, it reminds me of, like, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, their album,
[00:31:30] Tee Jay Horn: Oh, interesting.
[00:31:31] Charles: Their album, Confessions of a Knife. It has, like, this, you know, horror movie kinda creepy sounds you wouldn't wanna hear in your house if you were by yourself. But, but man, that is, that is unbelievable. So I'm assuming you've been part of these RPM Challenges over the years.
[00:31:50] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, I have. It's a lot of fun. I can explain it to people. It's, there's basically a, a newspaper in, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, or maybe they're just [00:32:00] online now. But, uh, yeah, they challenge anyone that wants to participate in it, uh, just to write an album in the month of February. And the only rules are you gotta start it February 1st, and it's gotta be done by the 28th, and then there's a deadline to turn it in.
[00:32:20] And, um, I don't know if it's required or not, but people tend to make a spectacle about going to turn their record in, whether they just wanna film it on their TikTok or whatever. Um, but Walter is a just crazy eccentric, uh, visual artist as well, um, as a musician. So he would always make these intense, like dioramas with like, you know, moving parts or lights on them, or smeared in blood or like, um, you know.
[00:32:49] Um, and then every year there's a big, um, kind of gathering in this, uh, theater where everyone can kind of hang out and exchange their [00:33:00] albums. And um, one year I went, it was just like, there were just instruments on the stage and they're like, " Whoever wants to come up and play, just come play." So it was, you know, um, I ran up and like sat in on drums for like 10 minutes on a, on a song. And, yeah, it's a cool way to just bring a lot of local musicians together and you get everything from hip hop to metal to techno to just ambient noise, to dad jam band stuff.
[00:33:27] Charles: Yeah, it's a good way to get something done and get it out, and you you gotta ship it right by the, the end of the month.
[00:33:34] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, and earlier on it was a really good way for us to demo stuff that would wind up on our more like professionally recorded things as well. Um, ' cause, you know, you- we would only have like one night a week really to get together and jam, and most of those early ones, they were all just done home recording-wise, so the quality's not that great.
[00:33:57] And, um, we also, that [00:34:00] band, we did two different live musicals, so some of the like songs for those musicals came out of some of those jam sessions. And, um, you know, you can hear like the early just really stick figure drawing versions of them in those RPM challenges, and then you hear, you know, what it evolved into later on the, you know, real recorded versions.
[00:34:22] Charles: So with those albums then that are like, I saw some on like Apple then, are those like refined RPM challenge recordings?
[00:34:30] Tee Jay Horn: So lately, more recently they've actually been going into like more professional recording studio settings to do the RPM challenges. And, sometimes what'll happen too is Walter will take them home, 'cause they've been like engineered a little more than they, they can be, you know, at their h- their own house. And, you know, actually have like a decent sound engineer and things like that. Walter will, will take it home and kinda chop it up or remix it the way he sees fit or, you know, put overdubs on at [00:35:00] home.
[00:35:00] Charles: Yeah, he classifies the, the band's sound as steam crunk. Which I looked that up and it's like, steam, you know, it's kinda like steam punk, sci-fi, fashion, a lot of Victorian era imagery. And then the crunk part is like rowdy, high energy stuff. So a lot of the videos I noticed were like, you know, people in Victorian type clothing and stuff like that, and they're kinda trippy.
[00:35:28] Tee Jay Horn: We were a band very big on theatrics and we never set out to be a quote-unquote, "steampunk band," but there is a huge fandom for that stuff. And, we ended up, headlining a bunch of conventions and things like that, which was just awesome. I'd never felt so famous in my life sometimes playing at those things.
[00:35:48] And, uh, yeah, I, I mean, it was interesting to walk around and see everyone's costume. Like, some of these steampunk people, like, really would have, like, full animatronics, like, walking around with them that were powered [00:36:00] by steam. Yeah, I had some of the, like, most fun live performances of my life. There's another band from Boston that would join us a lot called Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, and they're like a steampunk marching band. More like a... Actually, I'd, I'd say they're more like radical, like, protest kind of stuff too. But, like, I would join them sometimes, uh, for, like, random performances at those conventions, and it just always got buck wild and, uh, and awesome.
[00:36:26] Charles: That sounds really cool. And, I guess also on the liner notes of this album, Blood Blooms, there's a big project that they're working on. It's like they said it's a nod to an upcoming project that we cannot fully reveal for many months, but suffice it to say it's big. So there must be some part of that album that's gonna fold into this project?
[00:36:47] Tee Jay Horn: They have announced, uh, announced it. Walter is directing a film. The trailer is out on, uh, like Fangoria. It's gonna be like a horror sci-fi film. They're gonna kill me 'cause I [00:37:00] cannot remember the name of it. But yeah. They've been, um, hard at work on this for, I'd say, I think it's been in production for the last year or so. They've been pretty hush-hush about it.
[00:37:12] Charles: Well, we can link to it in the show notes. And you gave me, like, some sample bands that you've played with, like The Martyrs was one of them, and The, The Struggle Sessions is the album. And that's like a, punk, hardcore punk, band, 2020, that was released.
[00:37:30] Tee Jay Horn: Yep.
[00:37:30] Charles: And then, then just, kinda showing the, the variety of what you play, then this boy's Life band, Tomorrow the World.
[00:37:40] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, that's a project by a guy that was in a band called Boy's Life, uh, in Boston. Uh, it's like a rock opera that he did.
[00:37:47] Charles: Yeah. Is this guy John Surrat?
[00:37:50] -Surrette?
[00:37:52] Tee Jay Horn: Surette, yeah.
[00:37:52] Charles: I don't know my French here.
[00:37:54] Tee Jay Horn: It's all good.
[00:37:55] Charles: John Surrette. But yeah, then that, that's like a more... Well, there's a [00:38:00] couple of different vocalists, a female, some saxophone.
[00:38:05] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, actually the sax player on that was Amy Winehouse's sax player.
[00:38:09] Charles: Oh, okay.
[00:38:10] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah. there's a guy named Dave Minahan on that record, uh, who also engineered and produced it. He's been in The Replacements.
[00:38:19] Charles: Oh, wow.
[00:38:20] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, it was a cool project to be invited to be on. I'm only on, like, three or four tracks, like, ' cause he tried to get as many local musicians as he could involved and that was an incredibly fun thing to play. And, uh, his band Boys Life has, like, kind of a cult following. They were, like, a teenage punk band back in, like, the early '80s, late '70s. And, uh, when we did that thing live, that was, like, the first time they had reformed in years, so it was, like, a packed house and, yeah, it was super cool.
[00:38:50] Charles: There's a lot of catchy songs on that, that album.
[00:38:53] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, I, love it. 'Cause it's just a good, fun punk rock and roll record.
[00:38:57] Charles: Are you, drumming for anybody [00:39:00] currently, TJ, at the moment?
[00:39:02] Tee Jay Horn: Right now, so Martyrs is, like, technically still together, but we haven't really played together in a couple of years. Uh, just 'cause life, uh, kids, and things like that. The band Dropbear I sent you, um, we are kinda moving in a different direction, forming a new project at the moment. Doing some writing right now. and that, that's about it for the time being. I always have my eyes and ears open for somebody looking for something to do.
[00:39:29] Charles: Yeah, you never know, right?
[00:39:31] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah. There's a local band here called sapling who are really good, and, uh, two of the members of that band live together and kinda have their own recording studio in their basement and everything. So I'm hoping. I've been talking to them just about making some weird, weirdo noise-type music.
[00:39:50] Charles: Yeah, The, the stuff I listened to was, was fantastic, and the genres, you know, like I said, were hugely varied, Well, as we [00:40:00] wrap up on time here, TJ, there's one last thing. You put down you read erotic fan fiction.
[00:40:06] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah.
[00:40:07] Charles: And I looked at some of the stuff, and it, yeah, it's pretty, it's pretty wild and pretty erotic, for sure. So how, like how does that work?
[00:40:14] Tee Jay Horn: It's a little bit of a story here. That band Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, when we were performing around Boston, we would often have, like, burlesque dancers on stage with us, like, circus performers, uh, things like that. And so we got-- I got pretty close with a lot of people in the local, like, burlesque and cosplay scenes and stuff like that. And a person that, uh, was-- is a producer that puts on, you know, produces different shows, for a while, they were posting these really raunchy messages that men were sending her on dating apps that were just, like, horrific. And I just started going online and making videos of them with, like, the Masterpiece Theater music in the background, and just reading them very, like, [00:41:00] dramatically.
[00:41:00] Like, I don't wanna, you know, repeat some of the stuff on here. But, you know, I, I tried to make it look, like, trashy and classy. Like, I'd get a wine glass and, like, pour a little bit of Jagermeister in it and, like, sip it and, like, meanwhile, I'm, you know, living in this punk house with a, a messy room. And, so when they started producing shows that were themed more to, like, nerd culture and things like that, and this person's also a writer as well, and involved in different fandoms and stuff. So they started, putting on these shows and just having me as, like, a variety guest of, uh, reading this erotic fan fiction that they wrote.
[00:41:36] And, uh, the thing is, is, like, you know, I've done voiceover work before, and you usually read the script to death before. I would go up unprepared. I would just read it right off the paper, right on stage in front of people, and some of this stuff was raunchy. and you know, some of them were themed to, like, animes, and I didn't know the, the names of the characters or anything.
[00:41:59] [00:42:00] And, uh, so over the years, it like, you know, the first time I did it, I was kinda nervous, reserved, everything. And then, you know, the next year, the applause was a little louder for me. And It started turning into this kind of like self-deprecating comedy act. Like, "Oh, what am I doing here? Somebody's sending me drinks and blah, blah, blah." And, you know, by the time the, the last one they did, it's like I was almost like a headliner on this thing. Like, wow, it's crazy that people wanna see this, you know, out of shape middle-aged guy come up and read all this disgusting stuff when there's nudity on stage, you know? and that's, you know, I'll always thank that person too, because I, I was actually starting to get more known for that than being like a local musician.
[00:42:45] Like, there were times I was at the grocery store and they'd be like, "Oh my God, you're the erotic fan fiction guy" so yeah, that's, that's always been a blast. Yeah, I think they moved to New York, but they are planning on, uh, putting on a Lord of the Rings themed, uh, burlesque show soon. And, you [00:43:00] know, asked me if I might be available to, to reprise my role. So I'm hoping I get to do that again just for old time's sake.
[00:43:07] Charles: Quite a niche you got there, you know? For sure. All right, TJ, well, yeah, is there anything else you might like to plug or talk about?
[00:43:17] Tee Jay Horn: I just always wanna plug my friends. Like, everyone should definitely follow Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. They're a fun band that just won't stop. You know, gained members, lost members over the years, but, uh, I feel like everyone's in that band is a good judge of character.
[00:43:32] So, there's always somebody cool hanging out in that band. You never know what you're gonna get with them. ... Yeah, it's awesome. I definitely recommend seeing them live if they're ever in your area. Definitely keep an eye on, uh, Mike Pecci for his film that should be coming out.
[00:43:47] Everyone should just do a deep dive on the, the Boston music scene. There are just so many incredible bands coming out of Boston right now who, you know, are all older and have careers and will probably never get radio [00:44:00] play anywhere. But yeah, if anyone wants to hit me up, you can hit me up on my Instagram. It's just @tjbrokenproton. And I'd be happy to just nerd out about music with you.
[00:44:12] Charles: Cool. Or go to a show, right?
[00:44:14] Tee Jay Horn: Oh yeah, I'm at tons of shows. If you are listening to this and live in Boston and think I be at a show that you're at, hit me up. I'd be happy to have a drink, give you a high five with you or something.
[00:44:24] Charles: Cool. Yeah, this has been great, TJ. I really appreciate you coming on, Seeing Them Live and sharing, I guess just a handful of stories. Like you said, we could probably go on for hours.
[00:44:34] Tee Jay Horn: Yeah, if you ever want a part two, I'm around, man.
[00:44:36] Charles: All right, thanks.
[00:44:37] Tee Jay Horn: All right, thank you so much.