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On This Day In 1999: I saw 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' AKA 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Slow and Carefree Decline of the Movie Franchise'.  The first 'luxury' item I bought for my apartment in the mid-90's was a nice pillow from Pier 1. That brought the total to a couch, 13" tv, mattress, stop sign, and a nice pillow. The retailer announced that it is closing all 540 of its stores in the US and Canada in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in February, but was unable to find a buyer. 
I'm always looking for new 'soundcheck beats' or intro ideas so I made a list on Spotify and it's over 900 songs now. It covers a lot genres and types of intros from a one bar of toms Phil Collins-style to a Questlove flam that has a ton of attitude.
I recommend listening on Shuffle mode to not only get inspired but also discover some new music... or relove some once familiar ones. Send me a message if I forgot that one song you need to have on there... One drummer who definitely deserves more recognition is Budgie from the ever evolving Siouxsie and the Banshees. His drumming was always a bit left of center by staying away from by-the-numbers rock beats and creating actual parts for songs. He wasn't incredibly technical but he played drums like a producer... never worrying about licks and tricks... just enhancing the melodies and creating a bed for it all to lay in.
I've been 'the internet voice of Pearl Drums US' since starting our MySpace in the late 90's and eventually progressing to our current social media platforms. If you've ever received a Comment, Like, Follow, Reshare, or Message from Pearl US, then that was (and continues to be) me. It's a complete joy to interact daily with the worldwide drum community. There's always something new to learn and it's a huge plus when I can assist someone in furthering their passion and knowledge for drumming. We recently hit the 500K mark on Pearl's instagram and I'm thankful that we have such a loyal group of followers who love our product... we certainly think it's the best!  R.I.P. DRUM! Magazine... Stringletter Media, who purchased it in 2016, recently announced that they have ceased the publication founded by Andy Doerschuk & his team. I was onboard way early on and read them front to back... especially in the pre-internet era. Thanks to Team DRUM! for all of the contributions you made to the industry 👍🥁👍🥁  If you were expecting demonstrations of exercises that allow you to play different rhythms, without having to individually focus on each limb.. then you're very unfamiliar with my playing.😁 I'm talking about last weekend's gig with the fellas in Independence, KY to a little-under-10k-crowd...! It was a complete blast and everyone there was so incredibly nice... this won't be my last gig of the summer but most likely the biggest.      Thanks to the companies I use (and prefer)... Pearl Drums / Vater Sugar Maple Fusion Signature Drumsticks (the stick the saved my elbows from disintegrating) / Zildjian Cymbals / Evans Drumheads / Shure Microphones / Woodshed Stage Art / Reunion Blues Cymbal Bags / Big Fat Snare Drum / Ultimate Ears / and Roc-N-Soc (this gig was the introduction of the Red Throne). And of course, big sloppy X's an O's to Shawn, Sean, Joseph, Joe, Billy, and TK.
Being able to be completely comfortable on any type or size kit has served me well through the years. Sometimes you have to play an odd house kit or use a certain type of kit because of the visual aspect... but when you can dictate your own gear, ask yourself if the music really needs all of the voices you're bringing. This would also be a good opportunity to fill a space with an 'x-factor' voice that you usually don't use like a crasher, cymbal stack, cowbell, small tom/snare, etc. I promise you that your gig won't implode if you don't play that same 'falling down the stairs' fill every other song.😁
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