Life as a rock star
Have you ever wondered what life would be like as a Rolling Stone?
Wouldn’t it be awesome to jet set from place to place, party with gorgeous people, and perform for thousands of fawning fans?
Well, we met up with a modern Rolling Stone musician that is taking the U.S. by storm.
Meet Josh Taerk
Josh flew in to join us at the MAN’edged Magazine men’s fashion week celebration hosted at the member’s only club Parlor.
You can find out more about the event by clicking here. Somewhere between back-to-back interviews and performances we were able to sit down with Josh at our event.
MAN: How was your flight to NYC?
JOSH: It was great! Really easy flight, only about an hour or so, and they had room for my guitar on the plane which was a big win.
MAN: What’s one of the first things you like to do when getting to the big apple?
JOSH: I’ve got a fairly healthy appetite and, whenever I travel, I love finding cool places to hang out and grab a bite. In NYC, my first stop is Sushi Seki. Seki’s a small place at 1st and 61st. If you blink you miss it, but it has some of the freshest fish I have ever had. I highly recommend it.
After figuring out where Josh likes to grub in NYC, we wanted to talk about his busy travel schedule. He calls Toronto home and lives “just on the other side of the lake from Buffalo New York.” Currently, Taerk is splitting his time between Nashville and London.
As we mentioned, he’s been taking the U.S. by storm by performing at various festivals/venues in Colorado, New York, Georgia, New York and Tennessee. He’s traveled everywhere from the UK, Scotland, and Wales to small cities in places like Ohio. He mentions that traveling allows for, “The opportunity to meet people, experience different foods, and do things I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.”
We’re not kidding, this guys travels often as seen here on his Instagram page.
Being an avid traveler begged some style questions.
MAN: What are some things you cannot travel without? Do you travel with your favorite leather jacket, sneakers, etc.?
JOSH: I’ve had this pair of black leather biker boots it seems like forever now. These boots are what I’m wearing on my latest album, I play all my shows in these boots, so they have become a part of not just what I do but who I am. I have a silver chain bracelet that my parents bought me that I wear it all the time onstage. I never leave home without either of these.
MAN: Do you have any packing tips? A lot of us guys can sometimes just grab a bag and throw everything in.
JOSH: I used to be the same way. Lugging a huge suitcase on and off the tour bus is no fun, so I had to become more efficient in my packing. I do have a few tips. First, if you’re packing a pair of tall boots, stuff them with socks and underwear. The boots keep their shape and you don’t need to find room for the smaller items. Second, if you are a T-shirt wearer like me, roll them up instead of folding. Pack them down the side of your bag. You’ll be able to fit more T-shirts into a smaller space guaranteed.
In our conversation with Taerk, we learned that he became serious about music at the ripe age of 13. The “light bulb” moment took place during one of his friend’s band performances as they played “Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC. He became entranced by the music and went home that night thinking, “I’m going to play guitar in a rock band.”
Here’s Josh with MAN’edged Magazine Founder Michael William G at our NYC fashion event.
Josh first learned of his natural vocal talent during his time as a summer camp counselor. He would play his guitar during his breaks and one afternoon a fellow counselor parked herself right in front of him. Josh put on his ultimate charm and mustered up enough courage to sing the entire song from start to finish. As he hit the last chord, everyone around him just stared at him in complete silence. His heart pounded as he looked at the small audience. His fellow counselor said shyly, “you didn’t tell me you were a singer.” Josh replied, “neither did I.” After that the rest was history.