Jason Steed is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist who has been playing music in Tucson for close to 25 years, with bands including Naked Prey, the Zsa Zsas, Dog and Pony Show, Creosote and Silverbell.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
The first "big" concert I saw was Adam and the Ants, in 1980, at Cornwall Coliseum in Cornwall, England.
What are you listening to these days?
Broken Bells, Broken Bells; Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Brutalist Bricks; MGMT, Congratulations; Alberta Cross, Broken Side of Time.
What was the first album you owned?
The DeFranco Family, Heartbeat, It's a Lovebeat. I was 5-ish.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
Lady Gaga, without a doubt. WTF is that?
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Well, I never saw the Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, Sparklehorse or Flaming Lips. Still a shot at the Lips.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
I don't pull any punches with my friends. ... However, new friends at work are giving me a lot of grief for my The Best of Neil Diamond. Tsk ... kids.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Intro: Wilco, "Either Way." Outro: Sparklehorse, "Gold Day."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
A lot of local guys: Howe Gelb, Van Christian, Joe Peña et al. made me think it was possible to pick something up and play, but (the late) Doug Hopkins (of Gin Blossoms) really changed things for me. ... I happened to be living in Tempe and working on a project with Doug and Robin Johnson. Doug was very supportive (and) constructively critical, and pushed me to sing my own stuff.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
I'd almost rather take the bullet than choose, but I could live if I only had Uncle Tupelo, Anodyne.
