Frontman to Manager: The Von Bondies Jason Stollsteimer Talks Local Music Industry, The Secret Friends Festival & More!
After 18 years of touring with bands such as The Von Bondies, Jason Stollsteimer is managing acts and organizing fests
After 18 years fronting bands such as The Von Bondies and The Hounds Below, Jason Stollsteimer has decided to retire from music. Kind of. He says he hung up his guitar sixth months ago to take on a new roll in the Detroit music scene. Stollsteimer, 38, is now managing two local bands with international aspirations. He’s also producing an event called The Secret Friends Fest, which sees eight bands from Detroit and around the Great Lakes take the stage this Saturday night at The Loving Touch in Ferndale.
Stollsteimer speaks with WDET’s Travis Wright about his musical transition and what drew him to these bands. He says he only wants to be involved with bands that want to tour as much as they can, like he did when he was regularly gigging.
We’ll hear from the bands on the Secret Friends Fest bill that he’s started to manage, including Valley Hush .and Tart, the later of whom shares a brand new song called “Metal Eyes” from their forthcoming record.
