From Dive Bars to Arenas: The Story of Johnny and the Distractions
Discover the rise, fall, and legacy of Jon Koonce and his iconic band
My first memory of hearing about Jon Koonce is from my buddy, Carl Hanni, around 1979 or 1980.
“You gotta go see Johnny and the Distractions. They’re without a doubt the best band in Portland now.”
At that point, I hadn’t heard of the band, but when Carl said those kinds of things, I’d learned not to ignore him. So, on our next opportunity, we went to see them, and he was right, as he is always about music. Johnny and the Distractions were a tight, rollicking, fun, intense, and damn good rock and roll band, fronted by the fierce and charismatic Jon Koonce.
Take a few moments to click “play” on the various old Johnny and the D’s tracks scattered through this post.
Johnny and Distractions had that ‘something’
Even though the band typically played on small stages in tight places in small Portland bars, it wasn’t hard to detect that the band had that ‘something,’ whatever it was, that could take them places.
Local music wags agreed that the band was on their way somewhere. To the top? To national recognition? Some felt, and I couldn’t dispute the assessment, that Johnny and the Distractions had some stark similarities to the popular Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Great story songs about hardships, small apartments, disappointing relationships, etc. The band was full-on rock and roll powered by a talented keyboardist, Gregg Perry, guitarist Mark Spangler, bassist Larue Todd, drummer Kip Richardson, and several others over their six-year run.
They were good, really good. Their first album, Johnny and the Distractions, was released in 1980 and produced two songs that received local and regional airplay: “Shoulder of the Road” and “Octane Twilight.”
“Octane Twilight” from “Johnny and the Distractions” (1980):
Being a radio DJ and Music Director, I felt the music would have difficulty fitting on AM radio then: it was a little too rocky and not middle-of-the-road. AOR (Album Oriented Rock) stations didn’t embrace it for many reasons, one of which might have been that they sounded too much like Bruce.
But the minute I saw the band, I became a big fan and danced countless nights away, whether they performed at the White Coaster in Salem, where I lived when I first heard them, or later at any number of Portland bars.
“Shoulder of the Road” from “My Desire” (1989):
Opening in a bigger venue
I remember one gig in particular: they opened for Loverboy when that Canadian band was up and coming, probably around 1980 or ’81, at the Paramount Theater in Portland. As a Music Director, I’d heard Loverboy’s first album and looked forward to seeing them live, especially with Johnny and the Distractions as the opening act.
Jon and the band came onstage, ready to do their best in a place with several thousand audience members, and put on a nice, rocking set. All of us Johnny and the Distraction fans were excited to see them break into the big time, and opening for an up-and-coming arena band that was getting a lot of airplay on AOR stations across the country was a big opportunity. They put on a great show, but the sound seemed thin, and I thought they felt out of place on such a big stage after being used to seeing them so often in small bars. Perhaps having such a wide physical platform to roam on slightly threw them off.
“In the Streets” from “Johnny and the Distractions” (1980):
Then Loverboy came out and took over the joint. The sound system kicked into high (and much louder) gear like someone had found the plug-in for the main speakers. Mike Reno, the lead singer of Loverboy, moved around the vast stage, and the band felt and looked at home as if they’d been doing it their whole life. That must have happened fast because Loverboy’s first gig had been opening for Kiss in Vancouver, BC, in November 1979, not long before. But they’d made the jump to the big time. Why couldn’t Johnny and the Distractions? As fans, we all felt it was inevitable, only a matter of time.
The band soon signed with A&M Records and recorded “Let It Rock,” produced by David Kershenbaum. The album sold between 80,000 and 100,000 copies, mainly in the Northwest. Years later, Gregg Perry told me that, for reasons unknown, A&M Records had no money to promote the album, none at all, and it just languished. Still, they did hook up with big tours in big arenas, opening for Asia, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty, and Joan Jett.
“Let It Rock” from the album of the same name (1983):
But it all came to a screeching halt. As Jon put it on the liner notes of the 1989 album “My Desire:”
The tour ended. Suddenly the band that had played every week for four years stopped. In the music biz they call it status. “You don’t go back to the bars once you make it in the arenas.” We were born to play, not sit. Pressures from this and the BIG record business broke up the band.
Al Kooper produced a second album for A&M, “Got My Eye on You,” under the name Johnny Koonce (no Distractions), which also languished. The album was made mainly by studio musicians. Speaking of Bruce Springsteen, a song on the album written by Jon Koonce, Al Kooper, and Mark Spangler (the bass player) called “Dancing in the Dark” pre-dated the Bruce hit the following year.
In February of 1986, the Distractions played their last show. Despite offers to reform for reunions, we never have. In August of ‘89, because of constant requests at retail record stores in Portland, Burnside Records’ Don MacLeod and Terry Currier asked permission of myself and A&M Records to re-release the album “Let it Rock” album. A&M declined, but allowed re-recording of the material. Burnside then asked if I would re-record selections from the first album and the “Let It Rock” album. After receiving permission from my current band, the Hawks, and ex-Distraction Mark Spangler (guitar), we said YES! — Jon Koonce liner notes from My Desire.
After the band broke up in the mid-80s, Jon played in Portland with various supporting musicians. He continued to write new music and recorded numerous albums, many of which were more rockabilly than rock and roll, but they were always top-notch and fun to listen to. I’d see him occasionally when he played in Salem, where I moved in 1994, and when I could, I’d stop by to say hello and listen.
“My Desire” from “My Desire” (1989)
Jon’s not much of a talker unless you know him, which I didn’t really. We were barely acquaintances. He recently retired from live music and moved to the East Coast, where I understand he grew up. North Carolina, maybe. Since then, he’s written and self-published two books with clever and entertaining short stories based on his early life. His storytelling is top-notch, and his sense of humor is loud and clear. As far as I know, the only way you can get his books is to email him (his email address is on his website), and he’ll get back to you with the price. Once you send him the money, he’ll mail the books back to ya. They’re worth it, and so is his music.
Jon Koonce and Gregg Perry sit in on my radio show
From early 1988 to late 1990, I hosted an evening show from 7 to midnight on KKSN-FM, an Oldies station in Portland. I did a daily music countdown at 8 o’clock called “The Top Eight at Eight,” where I was occasionally joined by local musicians, columnists, politicians, etcetera. They’d bring a list of songs and discuss why they put them in their top 8.
In March 1990, Jon and Gregg Perry sat with me on the show. They played some faves and discussed how their recent album,“My Desire” came about. Here’s an aircheck of the show (which means that the music is not included, just the chat. It’s normal in the radio world):
The 2005 Reunion
I heard that the band was getting back together for a one-off. It took place in August of 2005 at Portland’s Waterfront Park. It was the original five, as far as I can recall: Jon Koonce, Gregg Perry (keys), Bill Feldman (guitar), Kip Richardson (drums) and Mark Larue Todd (bass). Here’s a little gallery of the festivities, which I recall was one helluva nice sendoff for the original band.
Discography Beyond the Distractions
Jon has released some seven albums without the Distractions, and they’re all fun: rock, rockabilly, and related material. Check out the list on Discogs.
that was a fun read. They were a fun band.