Name
Joe Billy
Where do you live?
Currently, I live in Clifton.
When did you move there?
I actually never remember the year, but my family moved to Clifton almost 20 years ago.
Where did you grow up?
We originally lived in Passaic and moved to Clifton when I was a kid.
How do you make a living? Or, What is your everyday passion?
I’m a musician and songwriter, I’m a drummer primarily and do a lot of freelance work for many bands and artists. I also have a solo project under my name where I sing and play guitar. My full-time job when I’m not doing all of that, however, is at the School of Rock Montclair, where I teach drums and performance classes, direct the House Band, and handle most of the production and audio side of our live shows and live streams.
Coffee, tea, or …?
Oh, I’m a big fan of tea. Peppermint tea is the best when I’m trying to relax or need to ease the stomach, with Green tea a close second for a little pick-me-up! Otherwise, I’m a big supporter of good old-fashioned water.
What’s your idea of a perfect weekend day?
Oh man, let’s see… Going to a show, playing a show, hanging out with my friends, writing or playing music with my friends, spending time with my partner, going on a scenic hike, maybe going kayaking, eating some top-notch gluten-free food or Chinese food, getting a chance to take it easy and just play some video games, doing some self-care, maybe even going to a spa to really unwind. It’d be impressive to fit all of that into one weekend. I guess you could say there are plenty of things I enjoy, haha! Honestly, though, I love spending time with my people regardless of what we do.
What’s your favorite local restaurant?
If we’re talking Clifton, Taste of Tuscany, hands down. For Montclair, since I consider it a second home to me; while I love so many restaurants in Montclair, I have to pick T.S. Ma.
What’s on your nightstand?
Not much, actually. I just have a little space to put my phone and sometimes some water while I sleep. And usually, some tissues cause I always have sinus or allergy issues.
What are you listening to?
Oh man, this is always a loaded question! What I listen to varies so much between the various bands I like, podcasts I listen to, and songs I need to get familiar with for bands I work for. Lately, however, I’ve been listening to bands like Morning Glory, The Interrupters, Escape From The Zoo and Alkaline Trio. The podcasts I often listen to are Distractible and Brain Leak.
What are your current indulgences?
Aside from writing music, I’ve recently started re-playing Red Dead Redemption II, which is one of my favorite video games, for the third time.
What talent would you most like to have?
Having a better memory! Honestly as time goes on, I’ve found I don’t remember things extremely well, or at least I have a stubborn memory that really has to get triggered by something to recount stuff clearly. I would love to be able to easily remember stuff.
What’s the worst-kept (or best-kept!) secret about your town?
Hmmmm, I’m not too sure. Now, I feel like I need to adventure around more. Haha!
What do you hope they say about you at your funeral?
Y’now, I really try to live a good life and live to the fullest every day. I try to wake up being a better person than I was yesterday. And I try to be a kind, welcoming energy to everyone around me. I try to do something, anything, to help the people around me. I try to reach people with my music and hope they resonate with it and encourage them to be introspective and consider things bigger than themselves. I’d want everyone to take what I’d leave with them as a push to carry on and seize life every day to their fullest potential and create a better world.
Something along those lines, probably.
