NEWS
1/26/12
Hi everybody! Once again, I'm overdue with this update, but it's only because I've had such a busy year....the busiest yet. For me it was another year of Night Ranger, Rock of Ages and Trans Siberian Orchestra and some other highly notable moments.
For Night Ranger, 2011 started in the studio. What we came away with was "Somewhere in California", considered by most to be Night Ranger's strongest album in years. For me it was an honor to become part of the bands recording history.
You can read some choice quotes here: http://www.joelhoekstra.com/reviews.html
and an even longer list of flattery here: http://www.joelhoekstra.com/reviewssomewhereincalifornia.html
Here's a behind the scenes video for Somewhere in California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Bh8vAuFG8
and here's the official video for the first track Growin Up in California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6CfEKIubSY
As far as Night Ranger gigs go, we started by playing the Taylor booth at NAMM in Jan. In Feb-May we played some shows of our own, as well as shows with Journey in Vegas, Reno, Mexico City, Monterrey MX and San Juan. In June, we had a headlining tour of Japan and then went straight to Europe to join the Journey/Foreigner/Kansas tour. After a couple weeks off, we toured the US with Journey and Foreigner for an amazing 4 months! Not only was that tour incredibly successful, but it also gave me the opportunity to fill in for Mick Jones of Foreigner (who was ill) for a stretch. I had all of 24 hours to get their set together and go on in front of 18,000 people. No pressure!
I actually STARTED the year playing Rock of Ages 1/1-1/9 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. Then the show took a brief break to move to the Helen Hayes Theater where it re-opened on 3/24. The show continues to thrive. During 2011 it celebrated it's 1,000th show on Broadway and recently became the 93rd longest running show in the history of Broadway (and is rapidly climbing on that list). I want to re-state that there are multiple companies of Rock of Ages (Broadway, tour, London, Australia). I am a part of the Broadway show, which stays in NYC. What a great gig to come home to!
I was also able to get down to Miami to film a cameo for the upcoming Rock of Ages movie (due out 6/15/12). Basically, they took Sebastian Bach, Nuno Bettencourt, Kevin Cronin, Debbie Gibson and me and put us around Russell Brand in a scene where we are singing across the street to Catherine Zeta Jones and her followers. In addition to the filming itself, we were able to play an impromptu concert in catering for the actors and the hang was absolutely priceless.
Here's the trailer for the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USxhXb5VC5E&feature=fvsr
So, as if 90-some shows with Night Ranger, countless Rock of Ages shows, a stretch with Foreigner and a cameo in a major movie weren't enough, I also took on the Trans Siberian Orchestra Winter Tour again. After rehearsing 10/18-10/31, we played 60 shows between 11/1-12/30. TSO is such a great group of people and really is a production that could rival ANYBODY. I had so much more fun the second time around and was totally honored to be a part of it.
As far as recording goes, Jack Blades' solo album that I played the guitars for will be out soon (March '12). I recently co-wrote/played on two songs for Jeff Scott Soto's upcoming release 'Damage Control' (also due out in March '12). I was also able to record on tracks for drum virtuoso Virgil Donati, Steve Broderick, Black Bird White Sky and Hope Sonam.
Also, keep an eye out for me for me on show Celebrity Apprentice! I'm not sure of the date off-hand, but a week or two after the Super Bowl from what I can recall.
IS THAT ALL? Well....no. I was in Guitar Player magazine's May '11 issue with an article/lesson on hybrid picking and Guitar World's Nov '11 issue in a My Playlist article.
Once again, I want to finish by thanking my family, my bandmates in Night Ranger/Rock of Ages/Trans Siberian Orchestra, all of my endorsements (see below) and of course anyone who attended a show, bought one of my cd's, or even wrote words of encouragement. I've got the best job in the world and I appreciate the opportunity!!!
Thanks to:
Gibson electric guitars
Taylor acoustic guitars
Atomic custom electric guitars
DBZ electric guitars
EVH amps
Nady wireless systems
Star Access picks
Suhr guitars and amps
Fractal Audio systems
Fernandes Sustainers
Tech 21 midi pedals
Schecter guitars
Big Bends Nut Sauce
Mono Cases
Seymour Duncan pick-ups
Jodi Head straps
G7capos
http://www.facebook.com/JoelHoekstra13
http://twitter.com/JoelHoekstra13
http://www.myspace.com/joelhoekstra
1/30/11
Hey everybody! Well, this update is long overdue. The last year has been one of the busiest and best of my life. Between Night Ranger, Rock of Ages and Trans Siberian Orchestra, I've had my hands full. I'll do my best to recall some highlights here.
For those that are new to me, I play guitar in the Broadway show Rock of Ages. I am in the NYC version of the show and play 8 shows a week. On 1/10 we had our last show at the Brooks Atkinson Theater and will re-open at the Helen Hayes Theater on 3/24. There is also a touring version of the show that I am not a part of. As with all theatrical productions, there will be many versions of this show, but if you want to see me in it, come to NY! Here are some RoA highlights from the past year....
4/7 - One Year Anniversary on Broadway! [VIDEO]
4/26 - RoA tour promo at Boston Colonial Theater
5/12 - attended Rock of Ages-Toronto opening night and jammed at the party. [VIDEO]
6/28 -RoA tour promo at Taste of Chicago
7/14 - America's Got Talent! [VIDEO]
8/9 - played in a Rock of Ages themed wedding. [VIDEO]
9/27 - Kevin Cronin from REO sang I Can't Fight This Feeling with the band
10/4 - The Tonight Show! [VIDEO]
10/8 - Dee Snider joined the cast for 10 weeks. [VIDEO]
Some other Rock of Ages links you can see me in:
The Road to Rock: [VIDEO]
Commercial #1: [VIDEO]
Commercial #2: [VIDEO]
Sizzle Reel: [VIDEO]
As if the 8 shows a week on Broadway weren't enough, I had about 65 shows this past year with Night Ranger. I also had the pleasure of playing on Jack Blades' soon-to-be-released solo album. Currently we are all in the studio working on a new Night Ranger record and are looking forward to a World Tour in '11 (US, Japan, Europe, South America). Here are some NR highlights from the past year...
2/3 - RoA tour sales event in Miami
2/4 - RoA international press event in NYC
6/26 - played 2 shows in 2 states in 1 day and took a private jet to the 2nd show...
7/10 - had a great show with Pat Benatar and REO in MO
9/11 - played NASCAR event in VA and sang God Bless America live on ABC! [VIDEO]
9/24 - had a show with Heart in WA and Deen Castronovo (Journey) played drums on Sister Christian
So, as if Broadway and Night Ranger weren't enough, I also had the opportunity to play with Trans Siberian Orchestra this Nov/Dec on their Winter Tour. A great experience! Rehearsals began 10/17 and after a couple hard weeks of preparation, we set off on the tour. Check it out!
Winter Tour 2010
| Wed. Nov. 03, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Youngstown, OH Covelli Centre |
| Wed. Nov. 03, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Youngstown, OH Covelli Centre |
| Thu. Nov. 04, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Charleston, WV Charleston Civic Center |
| Fri. Nov. 05, 2010 | 8:00 PM | State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center |
| Sat. Nov. 06, 2010 | 3:30 PM | Hartford, CT XL Center |
| Sat. Nov. 06, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Hartford, CT XL Center |
| Sun. Nov. 07, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena |
| Sun. Nov. 07, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena |
| Wed. Nov. 10, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Dayton, OH Nutter Center |
| Thu. Nov. 11, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Toledo, OH Huntington Center |
| Thu. Nov. 11, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Toledo, OH Huntington Center |
| Fri. Nov. 12, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena |
| Sat. Nov. 13, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Hershey, PA Giant Center |
| Sat. Nov. 13, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Hershey, PA Giant Center |
| Sun. Nov. 14, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Wilkes-Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Sun. Nov. 14, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Wilkes-Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Wed. Nov. 17, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Thu. Nov. 18, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Washington, DC Verizon Center |
| Fri. Nov. 19, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum |
| Sat. Nov. 20, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center |
| Sat. Nov. 20, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center |
| Sun. Nov. 21, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center |
| Sun. Nov. 21, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center |
| Wed. Nov. 24, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Cincinnati, OH US Bank Arena |
| Wed. Nov. 24, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Cincinnati, OH US Bank Arena |
| Fri. Nov. 26, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Chicago, IL Allstate Arena |
| Fri. Nov. 26, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Chicago, IL Allstate Arena |
| Sat. Nov. 27, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse |
| Sat. Nov. 27, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse |
| Sun. Nov. 28, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena |
| Sun. Nov. 28, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena |
| Wed. Dec. 01, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Lexington, KY Rupp Arena |
| Thu. Dec. 02, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena |
| Fri. Dec. 03, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena |
| Sat. Dec. 04, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Greenville, SC BI-LO Center |
| Sat. Dec. 04, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Greenville, SC BI-LO Center |
| Sun. Dec. 05, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Raleigh, NC RBC Center |
| Sun. Dec. 05, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Raleigh, NC RBC Center |
| Wed. Dec. 08, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex |
| Wed. Dec. 08, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex |
| Thu. Dec. 09, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
| Fri. Dec. 10, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena |
| Sat. Dec. 11, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum |
| Sat. Dec. 11, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum |
| Sun. Dec. 12, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Orlando, FL Amway Center |
| Sun. Dec. 12, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Orlando, FL Amway Center |
| Wed. Dec. 15, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Boston, MA TD Garden |
| Thu. Dec. 16, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center |
| Thu. Dec. 16, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center |
| Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| Sat. Dec. 18, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Newark, NJ Prudential Center |
| Sat. Dec. 18, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Newark, NJ Prudential Center |
| Sun. Dec. 19, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena |
| Sun. Dec. 19, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena |
| Wed. Dec. 22, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place |
| Wed. Dec. 22, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place |
| Thu. Dec. 23, 2010 | 4:00 PM | Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre |
| Thu. Dec. 23, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre |
| Sun. Dec. 26, 2010 | 2:30 PM | Albany, NY Times Union Center |
| Sun. Dec. 26, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Albany, NY Times Union Center |
| Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena |
| Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena |
| Wed. Dec. 29, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena |
| Wed. Dec. 29, 2010 | 8:00 PM | Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena |
| Thu. Dec. 30, 2010 | 3:00 PM | Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| Thu. Dec. 30, 2010 | 7:30 PM | Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills |
Here's a vid of me playing with TSO.
I should also mention that we had the pleasure of Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) joining us onstage at the Tampa shows!
Keep an eye out for me in EVH amplifier ads appearing in various guitar magazines!
Recently DrumScene Magazine included a couple songs from my solo cd's on their Virgil Donati compilation cd.
Finally, I just want to wrap up the last year by thanking my family, all of my bandmates in Night Ranger, Rock of Ages and Trans Siberian Orchestra, all the gear companies that support me and of course everyone who attended the shows! I'm blessed to be able to do what I love for a living and could never do it without all of your support!
Thanks to:
Gibson electric guitars
Taylor acoustic guitars
EVH amps
Suhr guitars and amps
Schecter guitars
Star Access picks
Big Bends Nut Sauce
Mono Cases
SeymourDuncan pick-ups
Jodi Head straps
2/1/10
Happy New Year everyone!
Since I last wrote, Night Ranger went on the 'Can't Stop Rockin' tour with Styx & REO Speedwagon. I had a great time and really enjoyed getting to hang with the other bands. One of the most interesting moments was when all 3 bands went to go see 'This is It' (the Michael Jackson movie) together. The Nashville show was packed with musicians ie Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Alison Kraus, Bo Bice, Kevin Christopher (3 Doors Down), Gary Burr, Mark Volman, etc. It was also great fun to wrap up each show playing 'Can't Stop Rockin' together. Good times! '09 was a great year for Night Ranger and I hope to see you all out in 2010!!!
Lots of big things happening with Rock of Ages. The show will have a separate run opening in Toronto soon and a national tour and a UK run soon to follow. As of now, I will be staying with the Broadway show. It's great to have such a fun gig to come home to when I'm not on tour. Did I mention that the show recently rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange? A cool experience. Thanks to everyone for coming to see the show in '09 and hope to see you all in 2010. In addition to taking part in the Toronto press launch, Night Ranger will be playing upcoming Rock of Ages press events, as my two worlds continue to collide in the best of ways!
2010 started out with me taking some time to record with friends in LA and then make a few appearances at the NAMM show. Night Ranger played a set at the Taylor booth that brought down the house. Eric Martin (Mr Big) and Dave Amato (REO) even came up and sang with us on a song! The following day, Brad Gillis and I played a bit at the Nady booth. Brad & I also jammed with Hot for Teacher in the Hilton lobby Sat. night. Good times!...and thanks to Miles Schon for loaning me a guitar at the last second! Speaking of Brad Gillis and me, we were in the 30th Anniversary issue of Guitar World. Did ya see it?
After NAMM, I took part in Jim Peterik's World Stage show. Jim has been putting these on for 10 years now and it gives me the opportunity to catch up with my Chicago area family/friends and jam with some great musicians. This years guests included: Mike Reno (Loverboy), my bandmate Kelly Keagy, Jimi Jamison (Survivor) and Cathy Richardson (Jefferson Starship).
6 days later, I got the chance to fill in with Nelson for a show. Matt & Gunnar are such cool dudes and it was a blast playing some of their newer material and getting to cop some of Brett Garsed's solos from their albums.
I recently became a proud endorser of Head straps. Check 'em out at www.jodihead.com.
10/21/09
Sorry, it's been awhile, but I've been a working fool!
Night Ranger had a very busy Summer. Hopefully some of you caught us on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom show. We had some fantastic headlining shows and also an unbelievable tour with Journey. It was awesome to get in a groove playing for 7,000-15,000 people a night and the Journey guys were such good dudes. It was really great to be a part of! One interesting moment of the tour came when we were in New Orleans, the BucketHead Radio show in Orlando was discussing the concert from the previous night and a caller claimed that Night Ranger was playing to track because our "guitars weren't plugged in". Someone hipped me to the discussion and I called in live to explain to them that we have our Nady wireless transmitters built into our guitars! Thanks guys for having me on to clear our name! Next up for Night Ranger is the "Can't Stop Rockin" tour with REO Speedwagon/Styx.
Amidst all of this, I am still playing at Rock of Ages, which is proving to be a HUGE hit. The celebrity train has continued there with Billy Joel, Julian Lennon, Vince Vaughn and members of Def Leppard, Extreme, RATT and ASIA all attending performances. I also got to play at Mayor Bloomberg's private residence recently with Constantine, as the Mayor entertained the Mayor of London. Rock of Ages will soon be starting a separate run of the show in Toronto and tomorrow I will be part of the press release party along with Dee Snider, Kevin Cronin and my Night Ranger bandmates.
I had a 1/4 page article on me in The New York Daily News recently when they featured some NY guitar players to celebrate the documentary film 'It Might Get Loud'.
Keep an eye out for Brad Gillis and I in the upcoming Guitar World anniversary issue! There will be an interview in the mag and a 1/2 hour lesson on the DVD that comes with the issue.
Also, a song I co-wrote is being used in the movie 'May the Best Man Win' currently playing on IFC.
7/22/09
Once again, lots happening at Rock of Ages. Since I last wrote, we played the Tony's. It was an awesome experience to walk out on stage at Radio City Music Hall by myself and have the cast come up behind me on a lift while I was playing the opening solo. Even more amazing was watching the 6,000+ light up their Rock of Ages lighters during Don't Stop Believing....Oh yeah, it was kinda cool being between Dolly Parton and Will Ferrell backstage too.
The Visa Signature Tony's Preview Concert also aired nationally on CBS. I played High Enough with Constantine and Amy Spanger from the show and got a wonderful introduction from the show's host Harry Smith.
The Rock of Ages cast album has also officially been released. Go pick up a copy!
We recently had some fun setting the world record (yes, Guinness was actually there) for most people playing air guitar at one time (810). I NEVER thought the day would come that I would air guitar to my own playing. Oh well, all in good fun.
Lots of celebs coming through to check out the show lately: Paris Hilton, Hugh Jackman, Phil Collins, Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake from Nickelback.
Night Ranger is also having an amazing year! In addition to our headlining shows, we'll be opening for Journey on their tour this Summer! In fact, we just played our first show with them a few days ago. Come out and see us rock the big stages! Also, we recently played the Rocklahoma festival and Eddie Trunk from VH1's That Metal Show joined us on Sister Christian. Again...too much fun!
Many of you know that Gibson is a sponsor at Rock of Ages and I recently did an interview with them about the show/Night Ranger. Check it out here! http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/ArtistsAndEvents/Stories/rock-of-ages-602/
I want to give a big shout out to Ryan Brown at Schecter Guitars for the Hellraiser-6. It is currently my "whammy bar" guitar in Rock of Ages!!!
I also recently became a proud endorser of Seymour Duncan pick-ups.....
5/20/09
Hey everybody! Lot's happening with Rock of Ages. After 2-3 weeks of previews Rock of Ages officially opened on Broadway. Opening night was packed with rock royalty: Neal Schon (Journey), Dee Snider and Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister), Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Kyle Gass (Tenacious D), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Jim Peterik (Survivor) and of course my Night Ranger bandmates Jack Blades, Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy. Night Ranger even played a short acoustic set at the after-party and we had a blast!!
The show got great reviews including a rave in the New York Times. You can read a few choice quotes on the reviews page.
A couple weeks after opening, Tommy Shaw (Styx) and Kevin Cronin (REO) came out and played their song "Can't Stop Rockin" with us immediately after the show. The place went nuts and it was a blast playing a harmony guitar solo with Tommy!
After that we got to work in the studio on the cast album for the show. It should be available soon! Please give it a listen!
Then we had a promo appearance on Regis & Kelly. Great fun and a silly bit complete with Regis in 80's metal garb!
Then the show received 5 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. That means we will be performing on the Tony Awards June 7. Tune in! I will also be part of a performance on the Tony preview concert which airs right before the Tonys.
When not at Rock of Ages, I've been tearing up stages with Night Ranger. We're having so much fun! Check the tour schedule and come on out and see us sometime!
Now, a few links for you....
You can see my 80's rock video lessons for Guitar Player magazine here.. http://www.guitarplayertv.com
Check out Musicians Institute's feature on me here... http://www.mi.edu/SucessDetail/523.aspx
Check out a feature/interivew on Rock of Ages with Jim Peterik and myself here.. http://blogs.myspace.com
3/22/09
Hey everybody! I am in the May issue of Guitar Player magazine giving a Master Class on 80's rock. I also filmed an online version of the lesson, which will be up soon at www.guitarplayer.com. I've wanted to be in Guitar Player since I was a kid, so if you have time, please thank them for featuring me at:
Feedback, c/o Guitar Player 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125 San Bruno, CA 94066
or at:
You can also see me in an ad for Big Bends Nut Sauce in the issue and in the May issue of Vintage Guitar magazine.
Rock of Ages has begun previews on Broadway and it's going great! The house has been full every show and the responses have been amazing! In Rock of Ages related press I recently did an interview with Spin magazine, was quoted in last week's Time Out NY, appeared on NY1 TV with contractor John Miller and from the land of the insane there was a picture of me playing the show in ABC Soap Opera Digest.
I want to make special mention of Anthony Woo, Rich Bandoni and everyone at Nady Wireless for installing a wireless transmitter into my Gibson V. If/when you see me on tour with Night Ranger this year, you'll notice that my guitars aren't plugged in and I'm not wearing a wireless pack! That's because Anthony Woo is a genius.
Speaking of Night Ranger, we recently spent some time together writing, recording, taking new pictures, etc. Then we rocked our first show of '09, with many more to follow! Hope to see you out at one of them!
1/28/09
Happy New Year everyone!
Lots happening with 'Rock of Ages'. The show closed off-Broadway 1/4 to begin it's move to Broadway (previews begin 3/20). You can read about it here http://www.playbill.com/news/article/124461.html. There is also a movie deal with New Line Cinema that you can read about here http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997084.html?categoryid=13&cs=1.
Night Ranger will be heating up again soon, but in the meantime, keep an eye out for the band on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. There are even a few shots of yours truly at the end of the segment.
I recently had the opportunity to play a couple of shows with Jim Peterik's World Stage. The guest artists this year were: Jimi Jamison (Survivor), Don Barnes (38 Special), Rik Emmett (Triumph), David Pack (Ambrosia), Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Nick Colionne and Lisa McLowry. An honor play with them all and the incredible band as well.
I also had a fun show with my buddies The Turtles recently.
Hey, I want to mention a few products that I am now endorsing.
FIrst off check out InTune Guitar Picks at www.intunegp.com!
Secondly, check out Mono Cases at www.monocase.com!
Last, but not least..Check out the G7 capo at www.g7th.com!
There is a new addition to the guitar family as well. Big shout out to Robin and Bob at Taylor Guitars for the smokin 614ce in black! Look for it on tour this year with Night Ranger!
'til next time....