Jonathan Anastas
| Jonathan Anastas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | hardcore punk & heavy metal |
| Occupations | musician |
| Associated acts | DYS, Slapshot |
| Notable instruments | |
| Bass | |
Jonathan Anastas is a Los Angeles-based marketing & advertising executive, and a musician who cofounded a number of influential Boston hardcore punk bands in the 1980s.
Contents |
[edit] Punk rock musician
From his teen years (recording for the first time at age 15), Anastas was involved in the American musical movement known as hardcore punk. He co-formed and played bass in the seminal Boston hardcore bands DYS and Slapshot, writing and playing on the DYS records Brotherhood and DYS as well as Slapshot's debut record Back on the Map (all re-issued by Taang! Records in various formats). DYS, with Anastas, reformed for the first time in over 20 years, headlining the "xxx All Ages xxx" Reunion festival and movie shoot in front of over 1,000 fans on August 29, 2010.
Anastas and his bands helped build and promote the straight edge movement, made famous by Minor Threat as a call for youth to live a clean, aware life, rejecting drugs, alcohol and smoking.[1] DYS is also known for their early role in the crossover movement where hardcore punk bands attempted a more commercial hard rock sound and looked toward recording deals within the mainstream major label system, recording possibly the first "hardcore power ballad" on their second, metal-influenced album.[2]
Anastas also wrote and holds publishing rights to the song "Slam" on Modern Method Record's This Is Boston, Not L.A. collection.[3] He also played bass on the song. The track was subsequently used to score MTV's Santa Claus, the man, the myth, the slam dancer holiday promo, which ran for over 15 years.
Anastas' contributions to hardcore punk were documented in the books American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steve Blush, All Ages, Reflections on Straight Edge by Beth Lahickey, and Radio Silence by Nathan Nedorostek and Anthony Pappalardo. Anastas is also featured in the film adaptation of American Hardcore (film), released by Sony Pictures in 2006 and was interviewed for the DVD retrospective Chip on My Shoulder: The History of Slapshot directed by acclaimed music video director Ian McFarland. The Slapshot movie is being released after a long distribution delay in 2012 after being accepted into the 2009 Boston Film Festival where it was the first screening to sell out. Additionally, Anastas appears in Director Drew Stone and Executive Producer Duane Lucia's movie xxx All Ages xxx, a film set for 2012 release focusing on Boston's contribution to the hardcore genre.
[edit] Discography
- 1982 - Decadence, "Slam" on the This Is Boston, Not L.A. compilation LP (bass)
- 1983 - DYS, Brotherhood (bass, back-up vocals)
- 1985 - DYS, DYS (bass)
- 1986 - Slapshot, Back on the Map (bass, back-up vocals)
- 1993 - DYS Fire and Ice - CD reissue of previous two albums (bass, back-up vocals)
- 1993 - DYS, "Wolfpack" on the Faster and Louder, Volume Two compilation
- 2005 - DYS "Wolfpack" - "Brotherhood," re-released with the band's original Wolfpack radio demo
- 2011 - DYS "More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion" - live tracks from the band's initial reunion show, featuring songs from both of their studio albums, Bridge 9 Records
- 2011 - DYS "Wild Card" - Single on Bridge 9 Records
- 2011 - DYS "Sound of our Town" - Single on Bridge 9 Records
- 2012 - DYS "Unloaded" - Single on Bridge 9 Records
[edit] Advertising executive
Following his career in music, Anastas entered advertising and became an early leader and innovator in the field of digital marketing,[4] holding executive positions at Mullen, Saatchi & Saatchi, Omnicom's Think New Ideas and Tribal DDB holding Red Urban, where he was president. Additionally, Jonathan ran marketing at Atari, the legendary video game publisher. He is now an executive at Activision. Anastas's work in the field has been recognized by the Silicon Alley Reporter, The Industry Standard, Adweek[5] and Ad Age, among others. He has also spoken at dozens of conferences such as OMMA Social and Mobile Summits (2009/2010/2011), the Mobile upfronts (2010, 2011), CTIA, CMJ, Digital Hollywood (2006, 2010),[6] iMedia and Association of National Advertiser's (the ANA) events and panels (2010).
Anastas also restored several mid-century architectural homes in the Los Angeles area, included Richard Neutra's 1941 Bonnet House, which has been featured in the Los Angeles Times,[7] Men's Vogue, California Home and Design, Remodel magazine, and the coffee table book High Style.
[edit] References
- ^ Beth Lahickey, All Ages: Reflections on Straight Edge, Revelation Books (1997).
- ^ Steven Blush, American Hardcore: A Tribal History, Feral House (2001).
- ^ http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=10487905&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID
- ^ Named to the Silicon Alley Reporter's Digital Coast 50" (1999),
- ^ Profiled in Adweek's "IQ Quarterly" (2000),
- ^ Panelist, Digital Hollywood: "The Future of Enhanced Advertising: Addressing Brands, Message, Technology, Media and Entertainment" (2006),
- ^ Ruth Ryon's "'Hot Property'" column (January, 2004),
