Custodian Joe Todd has rock and roll past

Nerisa Olomua
Staff Writer

Expressing his love for music since childhood, Sandy High School janitor Joe Todd has been playing the drums since his father started teaching him at the age of 2. Musicians run in Todd’s family, “so it was kind of a natural thing to get into music,” he said.

Todd’s passion for music continued throughout his childhood. “My first real experience with learning to read music was in the 5th grade,” he said.

Todd drew inspiration from various rock bands, “I enjoyed listening to, also influenced by, The Beatles, Elvis, Run DMC, Rush, Korn and the list goes on and on,” he said. 

Stepping into music even more, Todd joined his high school’s marching band and continued playing music into adulthood. “I joined a band in my 20’s, but I am also a band geek and proud,” he said.

Performing live with his band throughout his 20’s, he cherishes the memories and their achievements. “I’ll never forget the shows we did, maybe forgetting the name of the venue or a date, because we did so many, but I’ll never forget doing them,” Todd said. 

The rush of performing for thousands of people was an unforgettable experience for Todd. His band, Late on Thursday, opened for a number of different bands. “Korn was our biggest, although we did play with Clutch and a show with Schwazey,” he said. 

His band opened for Korn in 2010 with an audience of 15,000 people. It was something he had never experienced before. Performing for their largest audience yet, the excitement showed through. “I enjoyed every minute of it! We hung out with them after the show and I still keep contact with those guys to this day!” Todd said. 

Todd still enjoys having his drums set up and is always ready to play. “Pop in my headphones and pick some music on Spotify and jam,” he said. 

Todd enjoys the scenic views of Mt. Hood and Sandy River and often visits from Gresham when he’s not working. Working at Sandy High since 2019, “I absolutely enjoy the campus and all the staff, especially all my teachers in Water,” he said.   

Still loving music to this day, Todd continues to play even if it’s not in a band. “Although I wouldn’t mind being in one,” he said.