CRACKED ACTOR was one of the best bands I used to go see back in the day of great raw rock music and heavy metal bands. Their shows were energetic and they could take on the stage. I hope you get to know them some from this interview and decide to go see them at the KIX FAN FEST if you’re close by. You won’t be disappointed, I bet my life on it…
MARCY: What year did CRACK ACTOR form? What was the original line-up? Did you go through many line-ups?
JEFF: The band began unofficially in 1982. There were 3 of us playing with the intention of acquiring a large P.A. system, a light show and a truck to haul it all. That took about a year and a half to complete so that in 1984, we added a 4th person and officially launched Cracked Actor. The original lineup was Jo Rothenberg on guitar, Joe Poe on drums, Jon Artherholt on bass and keys and myself on guitar and lead vocals. We had a different lineup from 1985 to 1987 with Doug Eichelberger on Drums, Kenny Miller as lead vocalist along with guitar, Al Mason on guitar, keys and violin, Mike Spinoe on bass and myself. 1988 was the year we switched to Petra as the lead singer and Billy Jones on Drums. Mike and I stayed on with the new lineup. We had several guitarists from 1988 to 1990 including Billy Alexander, Billy Andrews, Drew Andriani and Gene Dixon when Dave Berry joined and stayed with us until 1994 when the band broke up. Also, Mike Davis joined us on Drums from 1993 to 1994. The current lineup includes Petra, Mike Spinoe and myself along with 2 drummers, Rob Raifsnyder and Geoff Burrell.
MARCY: How long were you together before you played all original songs?
JEFF: The band always had original songs mixed in with covers throughout all 10 years. The last several years from 1990 to 1994 became much more focused on original music producing a new album most every year.
MARCY: Is there anywhere online where people can hear your music or watch videos? I heard you were releasing a new CD??? Tell us about that???
PETRA: Yes! Our remastered Cracked Actor material is being re-released September 10 on our album entitled UNLEASHED,and it’s available for pre-sale now. It’ll be available across all the major streaming platforms, so a whole new generation of listeners will finally be able to hear these songs the way we always wanted them to sound.
What’s really cool is how much the industry has changed. Back then, you depended on record labels and the recording industry to get your music distributed, make quality videos, and get your product in front of people. Today, with all the digital tools and platforms available, we’re essentially our own record label. We can open the vault ourselves, bring this music back to life, and reach people all over the world.
And we’re not stopping with the old stuff. Our upcoming Cracked Actor show will be professionally videotaped, so there’s new live content coming too. With the resurgence of ’80s, ’90s, and early-2000s rock happening right now, it feels like the perfect time to introduce Cracked Actor to a whole new era of listeners.
MARCY: When did CRACKED ACTOR break up? What was the main reason for that???
JEFF: Our last show was at the Network by Baltimore March 31, 1994. We broke up as friends in very good spirits. We had been on the road gigging full time and recording for 6 years with the last lineup. We had seriously shopped record deals and had some interest with several labels and producers. However, when Nirvana and grunge music hit, it unfortunately made our type of Rock music less interesting to the record companies. It was frustrating for us back then, but presently, it is very exciting to be experiencing the resurge of interest in our work. We hope to continue.
MARCY: Did you write any new songs specifically for your upcoming show at KIX FEST? If so, how many and what???
PETRA: We didn’t write any new songs specifically for Kix Fan Fest. After 32 years apart, being asked to headline Kix Fan Fest 2026 was really about bringing Cracked Actor back to life and doing these songs justice.
The music may not be overly complicated, but there are a lot of intricate guitar parts, layered arrangements, and five-part vocal harmonies that have to lock in. And with everybody scattered from Florida up to Pennsylvania, just getting us all in the same room took some serious planning. We’ve done two marathon rehearsal weekends—basically 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, Saturday, Sunday —to get this thing where it needs to be.
So no new songs for this particular show, but in a way, we’re hoping these songs are new—to a whole new generation of listeners around the world. We’d love to reignite that fire for the people who were there with us 32 years ago, while also introducing Cracked Actor to younger rock & rollers who may be hearing us for the very first time.
And I will say this: during rehearsals, a few riffs have definitely been thrown around and we’re testing the waters a little bit. So the fire is lit again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some brand-new Cracked Actor music comes out of all of this.
MARCY: I’m sure you all are psyched to be headlining the KIX FEST??? What’s your line-up for this show? Any original members playing besides yourself??? I heard you have two drummers…who??? That should be something wild to witness!!!
PETRA: Oh, we are absolutely psyched to be headlining Kix Fan Fest 2026. When we were first asked, none of us really knew much about the event, so naturally we looked it up and thought, “Wow, this could be a blast.” Then reality set in. We’re all living in different states, we hadn’t played together in 32 years, and we knew exactly how much work it would take to come back and put on the kind of show we wanted to give people.
We kicked around the pros and cons for a minute and finally said, “What the hell. Let’s do it.” That whole Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia area was such a huge part of our history. We played places like Wayside Inn, Gadsby’s, Mountain View, Slammers, Shiley’s, Network, Hammerjacks…and so many other great local venues, and it really did feel like going back to family. And then, add in our history with Kix. We worked alongside them and shared quite a few shows back in the day, and it just made sense. Once we committed, we decided to pour our hearts into it and have some fun.
The lineup includes Petra on lead vocals, Jeff Key on keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals, Mike Spinoe on bass and backing vocals, and Hallie Hust on guitar and backing vocals. Hallie is a new addition to the crew for this show, and we are incredibly excited to have her joining us. Petra, Jeff and Mike are the three surviving members of the original-music-era Cracked Actor lineup.
And yes—we do have two drummers! Rob Raifsniderwill play the first part of the set. Rob was one of Cracked Actor’s drum techs back in the day, so having him behind the kit is also a way for us to recognize our history and pay tribute to Billy Jones and Mike Davis, Cracked Actor’s two original drummers, both of whom are no longer with us.
Then we’ll make a little lineup change and bring up Geoffrey Burrell-Sahl to take us through the rest of the show. Geoff is a longtime, well-established musician in the Baltimore/DC/Maryland scene. He’s played with bands including Tube Freaks and Funny Money; and Jeff Key Geoff, and I also worked together on a Cracked Actor side project called Herman Doesn’t Care.
So there’s a lot of history on that stage—history with Cracked Actor, history with Kix, and history with that entire music scene. It really does feel like the right group of people coming together for the right show at the right time. And yes, two drummers should make it pretty damn fun to watch.
MARCY: All the live CRACKED ACTOR shows I saw in the distant past were AWESOME!!! So I’m sure this one will be and maybe even better!!! Do you think you aged like fine wine and this show will be one of you best???
PETRA: I’d like to think we’ve aged like fine wine, but I think it’s more like piss and vinegar.
Back then, we had youth, energy, and probably a little bit of recklessness on our side. Miraculously, we’ve still got energy, but we also have a much deeper appreciation for the music, for each other, and for the fact that we even get to do this again.
Will it be one of our best shows? I certainly hope so. We’ve put a tremendous amount of work into it, but I think there’s also going to be an emotional element to this show that we couldn’t have had 32 years ago. We know what these songs mean to us now. We know what this band has meant to our lives, and walking onto that stage together again is going to mean something.
So yeah, it’s probably more like piss and vinegar. We’re a little older, a little wiser, but we’re still kicking ass, and we’re looking forward to making some noise and having one hell of a good time.
MARCY: Will this be your only show you guys will be playing or do you plan to do a few more for old times’ sake??? I bet you would sell out if not close to it!!!
PETRA: Well, first of all, thank you for having that much faith in us to still deliver a high-quality, entertaining show all these years later. That means a lot.
Right now, Kix FanFest 2026 is the show we’re focused on. When we first agreed to do it, I think we all saw it as an incredible opportunity to get back together after 32 years, reconnect, bring the music back to life, and have some fun.
But something happens when you get everybody back in a room together. We’ve already had conversations about what could come next, and I think the more we rehearse and play together, the more that old chemistry starts kicking back in. So are there more Cracked Actor shows in the future? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.
We’re not making any big promises yet. We want to get through this show, give it everything we’ve got, and see where it takes us. But I’ll put it this way…the door is definitely open, and I don’t think any of us are quite ready to close the vault again.
MARCY: Is there anything you’d or anybody else would like to add before we part??? ANYTHING??? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!
JEFF: It has been an incredible experience to make music again with these talented musicians and wonderful old friends. The harmonies still sound great, the groove is still there, we still are enjoying rock music.
MIKE: I’d have to say getting back together with these guys has been incredible. It shines a light on how really good we were. I’m looking forward to writing some new material with them to see what our ‘30 year older-selves would say .’ Things are different. The world is different. It’s a different era for this band. How cool is it to be able to create music and have a voice again
PETRA: For me, this has been about so much more than just getting a band back together. It’s been about reconnecting with people who were such a huge part of my life, rediscovering something we thought we had left behind 32 years ago, and realizing that maybe we weren’t quite finished after all.
There’s something really powerful about getting another shot at something you loved this much. We’ve all lived a lot of life since then, but when the music starts, there are moments when it feels like no time has passed at all.
I’m incredibly grateful that Kix FanFest 2026 gave us a reason to open that door again, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Whether you were with us back in the day or you’re discovering Cracked Actor for the first time, I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
The vault is open. The fire is lit. Cracked Actor still has some unfinished business. So get your ass to the show. You don’t want to miss out and be the one everybody looks at afterward and says, “Where were you?”
And don’t forget our Cracked Actor Backstage Pass event on Friday, September 18, 2026, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., at the John Allison Public House, 155 S. Antrim Way, Greencastle, PA, 17225. It’s a reunion event hosted by WRGG Radio’s Chris Palladino, a radio personality and rock historian with a passion for the music and the stories behind it. Meet the band! Take photos! Get autographs! Visit the Collector’s Corner! Exclusive Merchandise! Digital Music and More!
