Stay Tuned: The NAMM Show 2025 Interviews
Stay Tuned: The NAMM Show 2025 Interviews
Stay Tuned: The NAMM Show 2025 InterviewsStay Tuned is an 80’s tribute act about to incorporate a whole lot of new original material into their set. The band has opened for the likes of Great White and Berlin, and are about to do a show with the one and only Missing Persons. Attending this year’s edition of The NAMM Show, guitarist Jacob Stibbie and bassist Josh Caddy participated in the first ever Riot Stitch Rock Wear Catwalk – modelling clothes from the amazing up and coming company! Highwire Daze caught up with Jacob and Josh after the Catwalk to find out more about the Stay Tuned experience. Read on…
Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Stay Tuned.
Jacob: My name is Jacob Stibbie and I’m the lead guitarist for the rock extravaganza Stay Tuned.
Josh: I’m Josh Caddy – I play bass and sing backup vocals in the also rock extravaganza Stay Tuned.
Jacob: Stay Tuned has been together for over a decade as an 80’s rock tribute experience – but it’s kind of been reborn as an original band that just launched now. So now it’s a new band doing originals. And in 2025, we are releasing original rock music.
Have any of the bands you’ve covered actually heard your music?
Jacob: Yeah! No joke – Great White was one of the first bands that heard us years ago – and they came and played with us – which was really cool! In my high school cafeteria – the whole band came, and they played a show for free. And they happened to be there and everyone came onstage. And then the guys from Steel Panther. Nikki Sixx has heard stuff. Jake E. Lee was at our show last month. Eric Singer, Bruce Kulick, Chris Jericho. It was very surreal and very cool!
Who are some of the bands you’ve opened for in the past?
Josh: We just opened for Chris Jericho’s Tribute Quarantine. That was really cool!
Jacob: We’re opening for Missing Persons on February 8th at The 3 Clubs/Sawtooth Theater in Los Angeles. We opened for Berlin a long time ago and we did Great White a few times. And then with the tributes, we used to play with Atomic Punks, Motley Inc, Idol X. Some of the tributes too, we would do like multiple tribute shows together, which was really fun.
What makes Stay Tuned stand out from other tribute bands?
Josh: For one thing that makes it different is because it’s an 80’s tribute and not particular to any one band. Like it’s not a Motley Crue or Van Halen tribute – it’s an 80’s era tribute. We play everything 80’s, and that helped set us apart.
Jacob: I think too – we’re ourselves. We’re not playing any characters on stage or try to portray anyone in particular. We’re just being us in larger-than-life outfits, paying homage to the greatest decade of – in my opinion – film and music history. And then us being young too – we have that youthful energy and spirit – not to rag on any of the other tributes, because they’re great! But when you claim to be an authentic tribute to Van Halen and you’re in your 60’s when Van Halen was in their 20’s – I don’t know how you could portray the energy. And we have that energy, which is really refreshing – and I think the audience gets a kick out of it.
What do you think about our local Los Angeles music scene, and how do you guys fit in?
Jacob: Oh man, I don’t even know what to say about that. We just got lucky being different enough to kind of squeeze in. We’re not from LA – we live more Inland. So, what’s cool about it is that we’ve made the impression – and simply by being authentic too. We’re playing tributes but the originals are going to be our goal too. We are being ourselves. We are being genuine – we’re just having fun. And people sense that and see that – and they’re like, “Man, I want to be a part of that! I want to catch it! I want to see it!” And then our outfits, the rhinestone guitars, and the show – we really try to do the KISS show in a small package. People want to come and see it. And it’s a show that all ages and all demographics can come and enjoy. And we take pride in that. Whether you’re 6 or 106, you’re gonna have fun!
Tell me about your connection with Riot Stitch Rock Wear.
Jacob: So, Sherri – she reached out to me about two years ago and said she made clothing and what not – and I thought it looked awesome! And then I needed a pair of pants that I currently had from somebody else repaired – and she said, “I’ll fix it, and when I fix it, I’ll show you my other things.” She fixed them – showed me her other stuff – and I was floored! And immediately she started designing and making me new pants, which was cool. And man, when you walk into a room or a stage with those on – I mean people’s heads turn. It’s awesome! We call them like our superhero costumes – it’s like you’re Spiderman – you’re not Peter Parker anymore. It’s really cool! It’s really sick!
Do you have any messages for people who may coming to your shows in the future?
Jacob: Well first and foremost – thank you for coming. And two – be ready to party hardy, because we’re gonna bring it man! We don’t have a bad night – and I don’t say that jokingly. We don’t take it lightly – we take it seriously and we bring it. Every show for us is a Superbowl and the next one is the biggest. And we’ve got to keep doing bigger and bigger!
Josh: And Thomas – our singer who’s not here. I’m telling you, if there’s any frontman who was born with just the natural charisma and talent to lead us, it’s him!
Jacob: The singer happens to be my twin brother. I’m the guitarist and my twin brother’s the singer. We look nothing alike and nobody believes we’re twins – but it’s actually the truth. We’re twins. He is the heart and soul of the band. He’s got the mustache.
Josh: He’s got the stache!!!
(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue from The Riot Stitch Rockwear Catwalk)
