First/Last-Steve Thompson

"Steve Thompson is an independent musician currently based in southwestern Pennsylvania. His music has been described as "an audio canvas for your ears to see" (Punk Globe, 2009). He has dabbled in various styles over the years from electronic music to folk rock.
After finishing God's Justice, his fourth full-length album, and playing acoustic shows for over a year, he assembled Steve Thompson and The Professionals. In addition to Steve, this group features Dave Tiberi on drums, Josh DeMott on bass, and Nick Tiberi on keys. They are currently playing gigs in the Pittsburgh area to showcase songs from God's Justice and other fan-favorites from Steve's back catalog."

Check Steve out at his official Website, Twitter, SoundCloud, Spotify, Last.fm, Facebook and YouTube. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the below mentioned Tobacco gig and want to thank him for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
My parents bought a CD player around 1990. They purchased two CDs with the player - a compilation of classical tunes and a Beach Boys greatest hits album.

Your last album bought?
I bought a copy of Black Sabbath's “Vol. 4” the other week. I hadn't owned it on CD. Tony Iommi is the master of writing riffs and, when the new Black Sabbath comes out later this year, I'll buy it even if the songs are mediocre just to hear what Tony's come up with.

Favorite album of all time?
It's probably “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles. Either that or “Rubber Soul”. The Beatles rewired the way my brain listens to music.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
“St. Anger” by Metallica. After almost ten years, I still can't find much artistic merit in that album...except maybe as an example of poor songwriting and engineering.

First concert attended?
The first that really stands out for me is seeing Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2003 at State College, PA. Queens of the Stone Age were one of the opening acts. I drove three hours and had to go by myself because I found out about the show that morning. It was like the fates aligned to let me see that show.

Last concert?
I saw Tobacco at Brillobox. The energy in the room was palpable.

Favorite concert ever?
Going to Lollapalooza a couple of years ago was a lot of fun. Festivals are kind of like sampling a bunch of hors d'oeuvres instead of eating a huge feast.

Least favorite concert?
No Doubt. Every song was exactly like the studio version and there was nothing off-the-cuff or improvised about it.

Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh music fans are both open-minded and supportive. It's refreshing to be able to play out and be yourself without fear of being run out of town. I think the local music scene in Pittsburgh has tons of potential and will only continue to grow.

Thanks, Steve. Nice meeting you and hopefully I will be catching you play sometime soon.