All in the family Like his bosses the Jonas Brothers, Hopkins High grad Ned Specktor knows about the notion of a family business.
A music manager with the Jonas Group, Specktor was in Minneapolis Monday for opening night of the Fashionably Late Tour by Honor Society, the first act signed by Jonas Records. The tour kickoff was at the Varsity Theater, which Specktor's great grandfather owned back in the 1930s. His grandma, Idele Vinokour, used to work there. "Tickets were 10 cents for kids when she took tickets," Specktor said of the old movie theater.
It cost $15 to see Honor Society, who opened for the Jonas Brothers earlier this year at Target Center and just released their debut disc, "Fashionably Late," last week. Like the JoBros, Honor Society attracted lots of young girls on Monday -- and at least one grandma. Specktor held her hand while they watched the show together. Grandma actually got to watch Ned onstage earlier, doing what managers do in an emergency -- killing time by tossing T-shirts to the crowd. Honor Society had taken the stage, strummed the opening chords and discovered that their sound equipment wasn't working properly.
So, without explanation to the fans, the four musicians retreated behind the drum kit and huddled with a sound engineer while Specktor, in the family tradition, made sure the show went on with the T-shirt giveaway. Then Honor Society, 9 minutes after they'd arrived onstage, started their performance fashionably late.
JON BREAM
