Joe Bernstein was born and raised in Union Grove, Wisconsin, where he began taking piano lessons in the third grade. Although he had a preference for outdoor activities like baseball, he swiftly adapted to music. By fifth grade, when percussion became an option in the school band, Joe seized the opportunity, leveraging his piano skills to play the bells. A few years later, he received a drum kit for his birthday and started taking lessons.
The musical landscape of his youth was shaped by his parents' classic rock and Motown records, as well as an oldies radio station from Chicago. This exposure inspired Joe and his brother to begin purchasing their own music. The rise of Nirvana made the prospect of forming a band feel attainable for two kids from Union Grove.
Their first band, Steel Lizard, featured Joe on drums, his brother on guitar, and a friend on bass. The trio engaged in countless jam sessions, much to the delight of their parents, who never expressed any complaints. During this time, Joe attended a Little Blue Crunchy Things concert in Milwaukee, which left a lasting impression on him. This band would later include three founding members of The Kissers.
As his college plans and music major came into focus, Joe became more serious about his music studies. He resumed his piano lessons and began exploring Afro-Cuban drumming. Eventually, he enrolled in the music program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he performed at house parties and on campus with Wicked Chicken, one of the many iterations of Steel Lizard. In a noteworthy coincidence, the chair of the music school at that time was Lowell Youngs, the father of Kevin Youngs, a future co-founder and mandolinist of The Kissers.
At university, Joe studied under Josh Ryan, who introduced him to traditional African drumming and encouraged him to pursue graduate studies, which he did at UW-Madison. There, he met Jamie Ryan, who had taken over drumming duties in The Kissers. When Jamie relocated to Pennsylvania for a job, Joe stepped in as the band’s new drummer.
The Kissers soon embarked on extensive tours, spending eight to ten weeks on the road. During a brief period when the band was based in Boston, Joe's wife, Jackie, secured a job there. Eventually, both Joe and Jackie, along with the band, returned to Madison. After more than a year of touring, Joe transitioned to driving a cab while seeking a more stable day job.
In the fall of 2007, Joe began teaching jazz history, history of pop/rock, and music theory at Madison Area Technical College, now known as Madison College. He learned about an opening at the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, and his extensive orchestral experience, combined with his logistical skills from touring with The Kissers, helped him secure the position. Today, he serves as the Director of Operations and Education for WYSO, providing hundreds of children with invaluable opportunities in music performance across four different orchestras, which travel biannually to perform in diverse international locations.
Joe’s interest in the bodhrán, a traditional drum of the Celts, predates The Kissers' shift to an all-acoustic sound and aligns with his lifelong passion for exploring drumming from various cultures. "I was pretty self-taught on the bodhrán, which is quite different from any other percussion instrument I've played," Joe reflects. "Recently, I've taken lessons from some notable bodhrán players, which exposed some bad habits I had developed and revealed the instrument's full potential."
He adds, "Playing the bodhrán with The Kissers has been incredibly rewarding. It blends the essence of all the music we've played over the years with a more nuanced and delicate approach. The process of learning and rediscovering this music on the bodhrán has been both enjoyable and challenging. This fusion of The Kissers' history and new musical elements is exactly what we needed as musicians and as a band."
In addition to his work with The Kissers, Joe plays drums and glockenspiel in El Valiente, an instrumental trio drawing inspiration from Spaghetti westerns, surf music, and various other influences.
