North Brunswick's Steve Fekete is Avril Lavigne's right-hand man
He's not quite a "Sk8er Boi," but North Brunswick's Steve Fekete plays a mean six string. That's why he's playing lead guitar for Avril Lavigne and her band, which comes to the Izod Center in East Rutherford on Sunday.
"This is a great experience for me," Fekete said. "I'm use to traveling in hotels so that's not hard for me, but I've never done anything on this level."
Fekete, who moved to Los Angeles about six months ago, got the gig after
auditioning.
"They told me to learn four of her songs, and I ended up doing only two. The funny thing is I'm a fan of her music and I knew most of the guys in her band before they joined," Fekete said. "It makes it a whole lot easier."
"Everyone in the organization made me feel welcome right way."
Canadian rocker Lavigne was a little demure at first.
"She's pretty shy," Fekete said. "She didn't talk too much during the process because she's really sitting back, evaluating the whole thing. They want to see how you conduct yourself."
Fekete is rocking with Lavigne on her "The Best Damn Tour," so named for her album, "The Best Damn Thing." The band started out in Canada, comes the area this weekend and crosses the rest of the United States before going to Europe in the summer. Lavigne is known for pop-punk hits like "Complicated," "I'm With You," "My Happy Ending," "Girlfriend" and "Sk8er Boi."
It's a big show, complete with dancers.
"Her live show is lot more production with dance
numbers," Fekete said. "I love it. If you're going to see a show and you're sitting in the back, you have to rely on the wide screens and the dance numbers. There are a lot of kids who are fans and really there's a lot more for everybody to be involved with."
Fekete, son of Steve and Mary Fekete, was raised in North Brunswick, studied music at the North Brunswick School of Music in Milltown, and acted in local theater. He eventually went up to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he put down roots.
"Staying up there really got my feet wet in the business of music recording," Fekete said. "I made most of my living as a sideman. There's a lot of talent up there who do their own thing."
Fekete hooked up with the roots-rock band Virgil Cain and the group opened for rockers like Cheap Trick, Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Davies of the Kinks and Levon Helm of The Band.
However, Hollywood was
calling.
"I needed to be in a different place where there's a lot more networking at a much higher level," Fekete said. "You do increase your chances, but the pool is bigger and it's a lot more competitive."
While excited to be on tour with Lavigne, Fekete does note that the tour keeps him away from his wife Jenn Oberle for extended periods of time.
"Video conferencing has made life easier," Fekete said.
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