 Matonis started attending concerts in St. Louis in the late 1970s, and by the early 1980s had become a recognisable figure on the local concert circuit.According to one local musician, Matonis came to be considered a tastemaker, and his attendance at a concert meant that the band in question was "cool".Among local audiences, "there's a saying that if Beatle Bob is there, you're at the right show".