V.A.S.T. stands for Visual Audio Sensory Theater, and is the brainchild of
Los Angeles,
California-based singer-songwriter and musician,
Jon Crosby. The musical outfit began in rather minimalist fashion when Jon was only seventeen, with the other members of the outfit being a
drum machine and a
bass player. Always wanting to be more than a simple a rock band, V.A.S.T. has attempted to live up to its name through making its live shows a full-on sensory experience, employing display monitors and other visual gimmicks onstage. Their real rise to fame began when a local radio station granted consistant air-time to their demo tape, after which Crosby sent demo tapes to New York recording companies, eventually signing with
Elektra[?].
Thomas Froggatt[?],
Steve Clark[?], and
Rowan Robertson[?], made up the hastily-assembled band along with Crosby. After touring
America and releasing their first album named simply
V.A.S.T. (
1998), they began work on a second album, entitled
Music for the People (
2000). Before it was finished, Robertson left in pursuit of a solo career. After auditioning,
Justin Cotta[?] was chosen to replace him. The new quartet began another US tour. In
2001 Froggatt and Clark decided to leave the band to form their own, named
Ether.