Most people let loose on the weekends, but Peter Kay parties like a rock star. Literally.
The 38-year-old vice president at Wilson Commercial Real Estate in Brentwood spends his weekends in an afro wig and jeans as a drummer for a ’70s rock tribute band, headlining shows in high-profile clubs all over the state.
He started the band four years ago when he and friend Justin Farar, who plays bass, talked about their love of music at a mommy-and-me group for their kids. They recruited three others and began playing shows … and picking up fans.
Today, the band, Wayward Sons, has played nearly 150 venues, including House of Blues and Key Club. Instead of paying tribute to just one band, the group plays songs from several ’70s and ’80s rock groups, including Journey, Queen and Cheap Trick. All members dress in costumes of the era and do generic impersonations of rock stars of that time.
“We’ve taken it from a weekend hobby to a successful, income-producing venture,” he said.
Kay declined to say how much he makes from the gigs, but he doesn’t plan to quit his day job.
“As a full-time, hard-working real estate broker, it offers a creative outlet and escape, if you will, from the real world. But I’m doing something that is certainly a passion of mine and brings joy to a lot of people.”
Face Time
Marcela Martin is camera shy, so it was something of a shock to the Fox International Channels chief financial officer to see her face on two giant electronic billboards in Times Square last month.
The 41-year-old executive was in New York to ring the Nasdaq closing bell to promote the launch of Spanish-language broadcast network MundoFox, based in Century City.
The event was managed down to the second. Minutes before the close, Martin and the network’s ad sales team were photographed. They were then told to begin clapping with a minute to spare, until a giant clock ticked down the seconds to when Martin was able to press a button to signal the end of the trading day.
She also thought she knew what to expect in terms of camera exposure: an Internet video stream and maybe some shots on a financial news channel.
But she got a shock just after being photographed when one of the directors at the stock exchange pointed out the window to one of the world’s busiest intersections, where Martin saw her image displayed on the two enormous screens.
“I had no idea that that was going to happen,” she said. “I prefer to be behind the cameras rather than in front of them.”
Staff reporters Jacquelyn Ryan and Jonathan Polakoff contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
