Group Therapy

The house lights dim, the crowd gets loud, and phones go up in the air. For Robert Becton, that moment has never gotten old. He's a rock drummer, a concert audio and lighting tech, a radio personality, a DJ, and a club manager and promoter. In his own words: "I am a working musician trying to stay relevant in an ever-changing music landscape."

How did you start playing music?

I started playing drums in my junior high school marching band.

When my father and I arrived to sign up for school one summer morning, the marching band was practicing in the parking lot. I was blown away the first time I ever saw an actual drum line perform. I signed up for marching band immediately and have been hooked on drumming ever since.

In my senior year of high school, we formed a garage band (Myth) with other marching band classmates and social outcasts, quickly leading to playing private parties, amusement parks, and eventually bars or any place that would let us play.

Surprisingly, because of all the marching band practice over the years, we were a pretty good band despite our age, and we got even luckier having the opportunity to watch and learn from the older musicians playing the bars that would let us in.

That experience would later come in very handy on our journey and lead to some decent gigs from the connections we made as kids.

What's a story most people don't know about you?

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop." Something my mother would always say.

Music saved my life many times over the years.

For whatever reasons in the moment, when I wasn't playing my drums or strayed from music, my life always turned upside down and I was unhappy where I was headed.

Music has opened so many doors for me. I am blessed.

Radio, club DJ, limousine service, business deals, and so much more opportunity. I needed to learn how to correctly deal with it and harness this gift in a positive way, keeping all the outside destructive influences away and living a healthy lifestyle.

Music saved my life many times over the years.

This is something many people in entertainment struggle with, especially when you are young, as I was. Everything is in excess and is coming at full speed to seduce you. In the end, to have a long career, you recognize this, come to terms with it, and take care of yourself to survive this crazy ride, or lose it all and possibly your life in the process.

Which song of yours means the most to you, and what's behind it?

Though I have played in many cover and original bands, most of my contributions to these bands are drumming related. However, I do have a home studio and play multiple instruments to make demos for other artists or future use.

One of my favorite songs I wrote is called "Everyone." It's an anthem that came about from all the effort bands go through to reach people and encourage them to come to the shows.

So much goes into a typical show day, from early morning getting to the venue, to sound checks, social media posts, radio, plus meet and greets.

We do it all for "Everyone" to enjoy our show.

What's it like being in the room at one of your shows?

Group therapy! We want people to come to a show, leave the entire world's problems behind for a few hours, and let's scream, make fools of ourselves, and have a great time while we entertain you. We want people to remember that there's more that binds us together. Let's try to celebrate that.

Keep in mind, it's all mutual. We feed off the room's energy and do our best to give it right back.

We feed off the room's energy and do our best to give it right back.

The anticipation of the show starting, the loud applause as the house lights are dimming, people holding their phones in the air. Nothing compares to experiencing those moments.

The Man at the Board

Every band has somebody the crowd never sees. For Robert, for a lot of years, that was Ed Vertuno: head of production at Club LA in Destin, and the reason this story can't be told without him.

Who was Ed Vertuno?

I first met Ed when I briefly lived in Tallahassee, Florida. I was there jamming in a band with "Cookie" from ELI. During that period there were some really hot bands coming out of Tallahassee, which is a college town and the state capital. Cookie's band ELI had opened for KISS; that's how big ELI was. Creed hails from Tallahassee, and there was also an incredible vocalist and guitarist for the popular Tallahassee band Hooker: Ed Vertuno.

Years later, while I was playing in a band, I reconnected with Ed, who was now an audio engineer in Destin at Club LA. This was the beginning of a wonderful journey and a new chapter.

He was a mentor, patiently taking the time to work with me. Ed was someone you could really trust, or go to with a problem. Everyone in life should be so lucky to have a friend like Ed.

One day Ed started not feeling well and was in pain as he tried his best to power through our hectic schedule. After seeking answers, tests confirmed cancer.

We rallied around him and tried making his workload easier as he sought treatment. The hope was this was something minor. "You got this." Club LA was his happy place; doing shows and working with artists brought him so much joy. I truly believed this was a fight Ed would win.

Club LA was his happy place.

Sadly, on August 29, 2025, Ed passed away. It was a tremendous blow to me and everyone who knew him.

What's next, and where's your next show?

My next "big" show will be at Club LA in Destin, FL, on November 6th. I will be drumming with Password Reset, opening a multi-bill show for Pensacola's Gun Shine with Spread Eagle from Los Angeles.

But before then, we are entering Festival Season along the coast (Bike Week, seafood festivals, fairs). Another band I play with, The Rowdies, will be playing a few shows this Bike Week in Panama City Beach at The Bike Rack on Front Beach, and at a new outdoor venue, The Hideout on Hwy 81 in Red Bay, outside Ponce de Leon.

Where can people find you, and what's the one thing you want a reader to do after reading this?

Follow me on social media, or even better yet, come to a show and say "Hello."

That's the biggest thing someone reading this can do for all bands: support live music in your market. There are so many great bands out there that need your support, and basically all you have to do is show up, give them a listen, and maybe buy a shirt.

If you make the effort to share your evening with me, I will welcome you with open arms.

My promise to you.

Robert's website: robertbecton.com · Facebook: facebook.com/robert.becton.16
The résumé: The Velcro Pygmies, David Goldflies (former Allman Brothers Band bassist), Carnival Cruise Lines, Password Reset, The Rowdies, Sons of Saints, Vegas Hell. Featured artist, Chauvet DJ.