Joel Kenyon is a Val’s Halla alumnus. While attending college in the early 90’s, he wandered into the store one afternoon and basically never left. As a former manager of the store and a longtime friend of Val and Shayne, he credits his ever expanding library of musical knowledge and passion on the tutelage of Val herself. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri and currently residing in Rockford, IL, he is a published author, former assistant editor of ‘The Creepercast’, an artist, musician, an entertainer and a veteran podcaster. He began his podcasting career in 2006 with the legendary ‘Awful Show’ and since then, has worked steadily in the community with multiple shows being produced on a weekly basis. To call it a hobby would be an understatement. He currently is a part of the four man comedy nostalgiacast, ’40 Going On 14’. It’s a weekly pop culture podcast discussing things then and now including film, television, books, games and their own personal lives. He also produces his own solo musical mixcast called ‘The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour’. It’s a show filled with music and musings and a little bit of self-help for good measure. It’s an outlet that allows him to share his passion with anyone who wants to listen. He believes that music is something that bonds us all together in this life and he’s constantly on the lookout for new artists to fall in love with and to share with the world at large. It’s another way of carrying on the gift that Val gave him all those years ago.