Event: Saturday chat with Jon Peter Lewis & Ben Mathews Date: Saturday, 4/23/05 Time: 10am PT, 11am MT, 12pm CT, 1pm ET Place: JPLm Message Board
The chat with jon will be conducted as follows:
There will be 3 threads for each celebrity you will want to access during the chat.
1) The Questions Thread – These threads are only for posting fan questions. You may submit multiple questions. Add your name to the end of your post. Please do not post random comments in the questions thread, as they will be deleted.
Please note: jon & Ben only have a limited amount of time here, and may not be able to answer all questions posed to them.
2) The Response Thread – These are the threads jon & Ben will use to reply to questions posed to them in the Questions thread. Only jon & Ben will have the ability to post in these thread.
3) The Discussion Thread – These threads are where fans can gather to discuss the event.
Hi Ben! … What, if anything, will you always remember about the recent show you did in Rexburg? -Paula
Wow, that was such a great show. The funniest thing about it was that eveyone in the back of the floor was swing dancing to every rock & roll song. Not that I have a problem with it, in fact it was great. It was just such a throwback to the '50's that it made me laugh.
Ben, did you have any interesting nicknames when you were younger? How about now? -Jolie
Umm, I still don't quite get where it came from, but Peaches is just about the most "interesting" nickname I've ever had. Never really been a fan of nicknames. "Ben" or "Mathews" work just fine for me.
Hey peaches, sorry i couldn't be here to give this to you myself, i'm at work, gotta start saving so that i can come to a jpl concert! LOL, what do u like most about playin guitar? when did u start to play?
luv, betty jo
Save your pennies and don't blow them on electric guitars like I did! What I like most about playing guitar Betty Jo, is that it's so dang versatile. I can play it on everything from jazz to rock to classical to russian folk music. (Not that I know any russian folk music, but you know what I mean.) And I can fall asleep while playing. You should try it sometime. Cures everything.
Ben how did you like the Rexburg concert was it your first live performance with the band?
Britney
I've got to tell you Britney, it was one of the most fun concerts I've ever played. It was my first one with that particular band. Kurt and I were in the band for the IF show in the fall. I love playing with Kurt. He's just cool.
Do you have any new nicknames? What all does Jon tease you about and what do you tease him about? -Mandy
Jon's pretty good at teasing. He can tease you for just about anything. I think I'm so used to it now that I don't even realize it when he's teasing. It's like second nature. Lots of fun.
Hey Ben....we've seen your mad guitar skillz, but I was wondering if you sing too. Are we going to get to hear some of your vocals on the album? -Wahoo
I like to sing, but I'm not great at it. I think my voice would be better suited to indie rock, but I'll probably do some background vocals on the album. We'll see. Wahoo!!!
Hi Ben. Do you play both acoustic and electric guitar and, if so, which one is your favorite and why?
I play any kind of guitar I can get my hands on. Lately I've been trying my hand at lap steel - an electric guitar that sits on your lap and is played with a chrome slide. It's really hawaiian. Very cool. Okay, if your screenname means you're 22 and you already have an mba, that's just awesome. But don't feel bad if it doesn't. You're probably WAY COOL anyway. Stay rad. -Ben
haha. That's all. I just wanted to ask and be nice
I'm feeling absolutely fantastic, thank you very much! I suppose I could be better if I was sitting on a $500,000 savings bond and some long lost great aunt wanted to give me a house in Beverly Hills. But as that just isn't likely to happen, I'll be just fine right here. Life is good. How are you?
Mishtat! Sounds like a karate move. YA!! Best part about living in LA? Hmm... I'd have to say it's the proximity to everything. I love being close to a place where so much is going on. We're just far enough away that there isn't too much noise or air pollution, but close enough that it isn't much hassle to go to the city. You should move out here. I think you'd dig it.
I read the concerts reports and heard that the show was great. Congrats! My question is: Which of jon's new songs is your favorite to perform and why?
Well Moneypenny, it's hard to say which is my favorite to perform. I have a great time doing "What's Wrong" because it's more "me" than any of the others. I also like doing "Turn to Grey" because it's got a great groove. I like that. Actually, our recent version of "Stories from Hollywood" is really fun to play too.
I heard you guys finally have sort of a band together (not sure if they're all permanent, but hey! It's a band!), so I was wondering if you could name them, their instrument, and just give an ubershort description of them.
Well, the band is still coming together. The group we had in Rexburg was the infamous, not to be sneezed at Sam Howard on bass, who I think you should get to know. I believe he's going to be chatting today to. He's the man. Danielle Aslett, 18 from Provo, UT on drums. She plays with Sound Alliance and was recently hired by Utah's best jazz singer Angela Bingham. They'll probably play together often. She rocks. Kurt Reeder, also from Provo, played keyboards. He's a really tasteful player and I always love playing with him. He also plays with Sound Alliance. And that, dear Kimmy, was the band.
Can you tell us about any people who have been influences in your life, people who have been examples to you and who have shaped your character? Besides your immediate family. -artslvr
Wow, arts, thanks for the deep question. Mohandas K. Ghandi. I think everyone should read up on him. St. Francis of Asisi. Lots of people, actually. You should ask me some other time when I'm a little more awake. Last night was a long night.
Did you watch Nickelodion as a kid? What was your favorite old school Nick show?
What is your favorite children's book?
Favorite Nick show... Well when I was into Nick it was brand new and they had that one gameshow with the Physical Challenge and the slime. That was pretty much all I ever watched. Fav children's book: "Epandamondas". It was banned from public libraries and stores because it was thought to be racially offensive. I'll admit that if it was written about a caucasian boy I'd probably have been offended by it too. But Grandma used to read it to us when we were little, and she was always a good storyteller.
***THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION. ASPIRING MUSICIANS HAD BETTER READ THIS, DANG IT!!!*** Hi Ben. Thanks for taking time out to talk to us today! Do you think putting a band together is a learning experience? Can you see yourself improving musically by doing it? -Betts
Betts, you are a champion. PUTTING A BAND TOGETHER IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS A MUSICIAN COULD POSSIBLY DO!!!! You can get better by sitting in your bedroom and practicing, but playing with a band is THE most effective learning tool ever. Absolutely.
So Ben, do you covet Jon's famous green jacket as well? Seriously, do you write music too, and will any songs you've written be on the CD? Thanks. -molinka
Honestly, he can keep the jacket. I love to write music, and I'm collaborating with Jon on some songs for the album. I don't know if any of my own songs will be on it, but I'm thinking about starting my own indie rock project on the side. We'll see where it goes!
I noticed in some pictures from the Rexburg concert you had a Beatles T-shirt on. I am guessing you are also a big fan. Do you have a favorite Beatles song or album? -JPLROCKS77
I'm a big Beatles fan. My favorites change quite often, but recently I've been fascinated by "Elanor Rigby". Abbey Road has always been my favorite album. What's your favorite?
