Joshua Kantor (born November 3, 1972) is the organist for
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
home games at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
and plays keyboards and organ for the bands
Jim's Big Ego
Jim's Big Ego is a Boston, Massachusetts-based band formed in 1995 under the leadership of singer/songwriter Jim Infantino, who was named as the best new artist of 1995 by the National Academy of Songwriters.'' Eugene Register-Guard''"Jim's Big ...
, the
Split Squad, and the
Baseball Project.
Early life
Kantor grew up in
Athens, Georgia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...
, where he began taking piano lessons at age "four or five," and developed an early interest in baseball through following the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. He moved to the Chicago area when he was thirteen, and soon discovered
Nancy Faust
Nancy Faust (born March 11, 1947) is an American former stadium organist for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox.
Biography
Early life
Faust grew up in the Chicago area, and began playing the organ at age 4 by learning from her mother, Jac ...
, the renowned organist for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. Kantor has repeatedly cited Faust as a major influence in his musical development as an organist.
Kantor continued to play music through high school and college. He attended
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, pro ...
, where he honed his improvisation skills playing piano with a campus sketch comedy group. After college, he remained in the Boston area and began to focus seriously on playing the organ, performing with local bands and comedy groups while supporting himself by working in libraries at Boston University and Harvard Law School.
Boston Red Sox
When the Red Sox were looking for a new organist in 2003, Kantor was able to get an audition through the help of a friend who was working for the team. After two auditions in which he was asked to play a variety of popular songs and asked to improvise based on specific situations within a baseball game, he was hired. As of 2015, Kantor had not missed a single home game in twelve years.
During Red Sox home games at Fenway Park, Kantor plays organ music before and after games, mixing traditional favorites with current popular songs. During the ballgame, organ and recorded music alternate. Kantor works closely with TJ Connelly, the DJ for the Red Sox. Kantor takes requests from fans via his Twitter account (@jtkantor) and often plays songs suggested during the game by fans at the ballpark. Sometimes he learns those songs in advance so he can play them for the requestee, a process
Steve Albini
Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
called "incredibly charming."
Kantor has said that he got his idea in part from
Yo La Tengo's live request fundraising shows on
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, in ...
.
Bands and other performances
In addition to his work with the Red Sox, Kantor plays regularly with
Jim's Big Ego
Jim's Big Ego is a Boston, Massachusetts-based band formed in 1995 under the leadership of singer/songwriter Jim Infantino, who was named as the best new artist of 1995 by the National Academy of Songwriters.'' Eugene Register-Guard''"Jim's Big ...
, a Boston-based rock band;
The Split Squad, a so-called "super group" featuring former members of Blondie and The Fleshtones; and
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project is a supergroup composed of Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon formed in 2007. The performers came together from discussions between McCaughey and Wynn at R.E.M.'s March 21, 2007 induction i ...
, which writes and plays songs about baseball.
Kantor's high-profile job with the Red Sox has led to other notable performances including a program of ballpark music at Boston's Symphony Hall after the Red Sox's 2004 World Series championship; appearances on ESPN's SportsCenter, where he has played background music on the opening day of the baseball season for several years; and at the Todos Santos Music Festival, a multi-day arts and music festival founded by REM guitarist Peter Buck, at which Kantor plays keyboards and accordion in support of a variety of bands.
He was the organist for the
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (199 ...
"Streaming Outta Fenway" show on May 30, 2020.
7th-Inning Stretch
On March 26, 2020, with the baseball season cancelled, Kantor began livestreaming a daily show called the ''7th-Inning Stretch'' on
Facebook Live
Facebook is a social-network service website launched on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. The following is a list of software and technology features that can be found on the Facebook website and mobile app and are available to users of t ...
.
He plays requested songs, shares baseball trivia, and participates in Q&A with viewers.
The show, which is produced by his wife the Rev. Mary Jane Eaton (and Chloe Jr. a very small hippo), always includes the 7th Inning Stretch, a sing-a-long version of "
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
" with one changed lyric: "I DO care if I never get back."
Kantor and Eaton encourage their viewers, who come from all around the world, to make donations to their local food banks in addition to being good to each other and washing their hands.
The show has had a number of "secret surprise special guests" including
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons (born April 9, 1945) is an American sportswriter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted ...
,
Bob Kendrick,
Joe Castiglione
Joseph John Castiglione (born March 2, 1947) is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team,[Joe Castigl ...](_blank)
,
Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...
,
Kelly Hogan
Kelly Hogan (born January 11, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, often known for her work as a member of Neko Case's backing band, as well as for her solo work.
Early and personal life
Hogan was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of ...
,
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band ...
,
Ted Allen
Edward Reese Allen (born May 20, 1965) is an American author and television personality. He was the food and wine connoisseur on the Bravo network's television program '' Queer Eye'', and has been the host of the TV cooking competition series ' ...
,
Gary Louris
Gary Louris (born March 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band the Jayhawks and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the ...
and
John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to:
Entertainment Art
* John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist
* John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter
* John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver
* John Richardson ...
,
Ira Kaplan
Ira Kaplan (born January 7, 1957) is a co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. He is married to the band's co-founder Georgia Hubley.
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Kaplan formed Yo La T ...
,
Haben Girma
Haben Girma (born July 29, 1988) is an American disability rights advocate, and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School.
Early life and education
Girma was born in Oakland, California in 1988 to an Eritrean immigrant family. Her fath ...
,
Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy (born March 12, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) (–), he played as an outfielder, catcher, and first baseman for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphi ...
,
Ben Gibbard
Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums, and as a membe ...
,
Dave Davis,
Steve Gorman
Steve Gorman (born August 17, 1965) is an American musician and sports talk radio host. Gorman is best known as the former drummer of the American rock and roll band The Black Crowes He spent time as the drummer for British rock band Stereophoni ...
,
Kathy Valentine
Kathryn Valentine (born January 7, 1959) is an American musician who is the bassist for the pop punk band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and ...
,
Nate Query
Nate Query (born September 5, 1973) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the Portland, Oregon indie rock band The Decemberists. He plays electric bass, upright bass, banjo and cello. He makes appearances on many albums by Portland ...
and
Jenny Conlee
Jennifer Lynn Conlee-Drizos (born December 12, 1971) is an American musician, best known as the accordionist, pianist, organist, keyboardist, melodica player, and occasional backup singer and harmonicist for the indie rock quintet The Decemberists ...
,
Shirley Burkovich
Shirley Burkovich (February 4, 1933 – March 31, 2022) was an American professional baseball infielder, outfielder and pitcher who played from 1949 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at and , she batted ...
,
Maybelle Blair
Maybelle Blair (born January 16, 1927) is a former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. Listed at and , she batted and threw right-handed. Madden, W. C. (2005) ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Leagu ...
, and
Nancy Faust
Nancy Faust (born March 11, 1947) is an American former stadium organist for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox.
Biography
Early life
Faust grew up in the Chicago area, and began playing the organ at age 4 by learning from her mother, Jac ...
. When baseball returned, Kantor and Eaton moved the show to a weekly one on Monday afternoons.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kantor, Josh
Living people
Stadium organists
American male organists
Boston Red Sox personnel
Musicians from Athens, Georgia
Brandeis University alumni
21st-century American keyboardists
21st-century organists
Baseball people
1972 births
American organists