Coming to you from crash studios in Music City, USA. Nashville.
This is the rich Redmond show
Yep, it's that time. It's never an exciting episode of the rich
Redmond show. This one's long overdue. Of course I say that
all the time because I have so many musician friends. But this
one is long overdue because today's guest we moved to
Nashville. This is my Nashville family. We're going to talk
about that today. The drumming family will all move within a
couple of weeks of each other. And I get this gentleman all to
myself today. Usually I'm joined by Jim McCarthy, my co host co
producer Jim McCarthy voice overs.com. We'll get into that
because we have that in common with our guests today as well
some voiceover action, but let's get into it. Hailing from
Concord, North Carolina, calling Nashville home since 1997. And
since 2019, has been the touring drummer with Hank Williams Jr.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He's also played with
Gary Allen Mark chestnut, Heidi Newfield Kelly Pickler, get your
breath Loverboy Slidell, Texas Jeff Bates Erin tip and Chris
Knight Trent Tomlinson, Shannon Lawson, Ricky van Shelton Mitch
Malloy, Marty Reid, the list goes on and on. Our friend Lee
Kelly, what's up pow.
Yeah, can't keep a job. That's the joke of people who've been
here this long, right? You've been way too hard on yourself.
And that's great. It's an amazing, Ed's amazing resume.
You and I are sitting here catching up in a public forum.
You got your boom, boom drum room. I got crash studio here.
I'm sure you're staring at piles of drum kits and snare drums
sourced from around the world. Same as me. We did the thing,
man. So I know that from reading your bio, you moved to Nashville
on a very specific date January 11 1997. Is that right? Yep. Now
for me, I knew it was February or March. And I don't know I'd
have to ask Jim rarely, because we that is our grad. This is our
graduating class. Me, you. Jim Riley, who went on to Rascal
Flatts fame. Pat McDonald, who went on to play with Charlie
Daniels. Guy versus old Charlie Daniels. And was there someone
else in the mix there? Like, you know, William Ellis was kind of
coming up a little bit with us. But that was about the Big Four
right there. I think William was already here. Oh, yeah. And
playing I can't remember the band he played with but the band
he played with us to come to Charlotte. I never saw him. But
I remember the band name like playing in our neighborhood,
neighborhood clubs or whatever. So yeah. Taylor, man. So yeah,
so So we, you know, we took that first step, which is, you know,
the big step. And that is the biggest step. And that requires
the most bravery and conviction. And it really is, you know, you
could do anything in any chapter in any season of your life. But,
you know, when you're in your 20s, or your 30s, you know, you
still have that, like piss and vinegar, and you're like, I'm
gonna show them I'm gonna do the thing at the watering hole. What
was your background? And why did you say, Alright, it's time for
Nashville?
Well, I
grown up playing drums. But it wasn't really a vocation that my
parents are saw as a vocation. Right? So my education with it
kind of stopped at high school. And then I still played to
records and stuff in college if I had a chance to set my drum
kit up in a band room or in a dorm room or something I would.
And then toward the end of college, a friend of mine, there
was a band, I followed around called Sugar Creek for a few
years, when I was a teenager, and they were they had done Star
Search.
You know, they were kind of local, you know, local regional
heroes. Yeah. It would, you know, put out their own records
and stuff. So they do a combination of originals and
covers and do it. hour and a half set break an hour and a
half set. And it was like seeing a an arena. Uncertain a club
every time you saw these guys. Well, they broke up the keyboard
player putting together a new band called too much Sylvia. And
I was the original drummer. Actually, the drum heads right
there. Now was it. There's too much Sylvia or it too much. So
there's too much Sylvia.
Where does the emphasis go on the syllable? Well,
we started as a melodic rock band. So we were writing late,
right? Exact well, right as right before Nirvana hits. We
started in 89
or 89 and 90
wrote 10 songs. And Monica said, did a bunch of covers like Black
Crowes Mr. Big Yes.
And some other stuff.
Played a few gigs like that Nirvana hits and changes the
Landscape completely. It sounds like that bale of giant
rail. I'm telling you that was a big fan of, of those guys as
well. Yeah, you know, and it just changed the landscape as
you remember as well. And so in his genius, Rick Lee, the leader
of the band, who had been running band since 1968.
Is that let's make it a variety band. So we still played rock,
but it became like, it led toward the beach band circuit,
and playing some of that stuff, the Carolina Beach band stuff,
the variety stuff, stuff that was sequenced with horns, and
percussion, that he had played with a clique and all that
stuff.
Triggering pads, you know, like everybody does now, but back
then it was just an octopath to just triggering silence. He
then spent about four years in that band as the original
drummer. And so it was like, Okay, I got to change and then I
played with a few blues bands and other bands around that
area.
And then
played in one band that was kind of like a Jimmy Buffett variety
band, so it was everything Jimmy Buffett Little Feat Allman
Brothers, all that stuff.
And but that band wanted a singing drummer. So they wanted
more harmonies, and they had three part harmony and four part
harmony. Sometimes it's the bass player of champion, but they
wanted to singing drummer so they wanted to make a change.
And a friend of mine went, Hey, our buddy that used to live here
bass player named Ron cheek. Now rest is so he's been past a
while.
He had already moved to Nashville, this drummer friend
of mine,
named Frank, surreal. He goes, Let's go to Nashville for a week
and check it out. And that was like August of 96. Very smart.
Yeah. No, okay. Sure. You know, we came in on a Sunday
afternoon, and the first place we went was the Boardwalk Cafe.
Ah, which is which? Came 16th Avenue Shoe Warehouse. And now
it's something else right. Now the Boardwalk Cafe was the one
Oh, no one's Ville? Oh, yeah. That was the first place I
played to at a gym session with Casey Lutton. Posted by Cassie
Lutton. Yeah, remember the soundboard was over there in the
corner next to the popcorn machine. Yeah. The one you're
thinking about, which is where you and I actually met was 16th
Avenue cafe. That was owned by owned by Rick enjoys Tiger.
Yeah, so we watch Mike Kennedy play all the time, God rest his
soul. Well, and funny enough, the first band that we saw at
the boardwalk on that Sunday in August of 96 was my bridge shard
and the starving hounds. But instead of Kennedy playing
drums, it was Steve Cummings on drums. Steve Cummings is still
here kicking it around town and I haven't seen him in 15 years
as he Have you ever run into him? I just follow I see what he
does on Facebook and I keep meaning when he does those.
Bowen shows that Jimmy Bowen things Yeah, out at music
Valley. I need to go drop in on him because he was a big, you
know, like a big cheerleader. You sat in and how you work that
kind of thing. Yeah. And Frank and I sat in everywhere we went
we sat in there we sat at the Broken Spoke. We sat in at
Barbara's with Steve, me some more was playing there. Steve
was a cheerleader. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Saturday games, it will be Saturday games. There was a
baseball game Brenda Clark, who, you know, went on play with some
other people she played with older artists. Back then. Yeah.
After we after I played one song with her a shuffle on old
country shuffle. She looks at me goes, Do you live here? And I
said no. But I'm thinking about moving. She goes, gave me your
number. He goes, Okay, when you move here, call me. Let me know
you're here. So I'm hiring you. I was like, okay. Don't even
live there. You got work? Well, yeah, it's always encouraging.
And then also, along those lines at bears had done that thing in
Modern Drummer, where somebody asked him to critique his plane.
And he said, Well, I really can't though his answer, and his
answer was I really can't critique it without hearing you.
So send me a tape and he graciously opened it up to all
the readers of Modern Drummer where it was if you want to send
me a tape for me to critique your playing send it to Money
Pit studios in Nashville, we owned I remember that. Yeah,
that's cool. Yeah, it was somewhere in the mid 90s. So I
put together a tape of like, you know, pulled audio and video
stuff. I'd had a couple of things and sent it to him and he
was nice enough to write you know, you're
Write back up a little note and a side note that basically said,
Hey, if you move here your work makes you able to get a day gig
like we all had to Yes. And you can use me as a reference and I
went, Okay, that's, I'm going green. That is correct. Because
I did the same thing. I didn't do it through monster drummer.
But somehow I got Eddie's information. And Edie and Lonnie
got a rich Redman cassette. And it had me covering all styles
for Motown diffusion and everything in between, and he
did the same thing. A kid, you'll do fine. Be part of the
community support the community. And let me know if you need a
reference. How cool he took this. Yeah. So yeah, and then we
ended up, you know, January 96, and February and March of 96. We
all show up.
Okay, so what are you been doing since and go?
We're just talking about how to 25 years, come and go. But I
love this story of a shuffle because I've been consuming some
of the interviews that are out there that exist your you know,
the working drummers podcasts and stuff, because I was like,
there's 25 years have gone by long periods of time. Well, I
won't see Lee let me kind of bone up on some of the things
that are happening in his life. And you're telling me about the
story with Gary Allen. And how you went to this audition, I
remember going to that audition and thinking to myself now if
we're going to do shuffles, they probably want like aggressive
like, like cheap trick like shoulder on the ride cymbal,
like rim shots. And And anyways, I don't know if it was the right
approach. It wasn't because you your shuffle. Got you. The gig
was Gary Allen, your first job. Was that the first job you got?
It was the first artists gig. Yeah, you're shuffling. That's
you the job, buddy. Well, honestly, I'm glad we get to
talk about this because I didn't think I'd get the gig because I
knew you were auditioning, I'm like, Oh, rachel, get it.
But and also, when I don't know if you remember when you listen
to Gary's first album, it's so country. So yeah, I mean, even
that to the second album, it would be you was the change. And
then of course, the smoke rings was a drastic and fantastic
change for him. Yeah, musically. Yeah. But I was in the first
record and listen to that song that you're talking about the
one that we all started with, I'm sure sitting back my heart
that
and I remember Gary had us all bring our drum sets in, which
was weird. Where were you playing at the time because I
was I was probably over the top with my black smoky black Yamaha
kit with the gold turrets you know the wack.
Oh, yeah. The white the maple customs maple customs? Yeah, I
remember you still you always played one up into down? I
remember that. Yeah. And I was playing an AR kit at the time to
up and well, two up and two down or two up and one down. Yeah. On
a rack. Which, after I got the gig, it quickly went away
because Gary's like, that's not really the lookup looking
forward. I'm like, I get it. That's cool. You know? So switch
back to modular stands from that. But the shuffle thing it
is funny because
we played the song.
Yeah, set up. Nobody says much of anything to each other
because they're sizing you up. And you're over there trying to
get your stuff together. You know? Okay, he'll be right
public fast. Guys. Hold on a second. Yeah. Crazy.
Gear. Yeah. Yeah. And you're putting your erector set
together. And also, even if you do one with a house kit, you're
having to move the erector set around to get it close enough.
And it's kind of like dead air on radio. You feel like you're
just all manases you know, this is like forever.
And we played the song and nobody said a word. Except for
Ali O'Shea the federal player who always kind of equate him to
Kramer from Seinfeld. Is he still around? He's he's not
around Nashville. But he is in Taos, New Mexico. Oh, artsy
scene, man. Yeah, yeah. He's he's been out there for quite a
while. And I know he plays with Michael Martin mu Michel Martin
Murphy. Quite good. So ah, he says busy out there. He was very
wiry, skinny looking dude. Almost like a Kenny G meets
Kramer right.
Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. And kind of wore the same kind of,
you know, like slacks and stuff had the same kind of vibe.
And all it was the guy who was responsible for introducing Jim
Lauderdale to whoever he introduced Jim to to launch
Jim's career. Like they were working together somewhere in
Chicago and Ollie knew somebody's like you got to check
Lauderdale out, you know that kind of Oh, wow. But nobody says
a word at all. He just looks at me goes Hey kid, nice tits. And
I'm like, What? What does that mean? To this day? Do we know
what that means? No idea. So, so yes, Brian Arsenault that wonder
Arsenal knows I just had lunch with them after not seeing him
for like six years the other day. Oh, cool, man. Yeah, it was
cool. He's still there. I mean, he was hard. And I was still in
the band. Yeah.
And actually, I saw them in 2017. Yeah. When I started
playing with Kindle, Marvel, and Kindle had co written right,
ready to be his current outlet just up at Kindle became an
artist at that point. And we opened for Gary.
And they sounded so great. Like, back when we all auditioned for
him, and I played for him. It was a guitar band. There were no
keyboards, right. In fact, John Lancaster passed. Yeah.
On this gig, John asked me goes, so were you in the band? Would
Mike Webb was playing keyboards. I said, No, I was in the band
with Gary hated keyboard players. There wasn't any.
So all the guitar players were doing, you know, keyboard parts.
But then when I saw him in 2017, I think I told Jeff Jackson and
I told Gary, I said, that was amazing. I said, that was the
band I always wanted.
I'd say interesting was that when Larry Bab was playing
drums. Yeah, Larry, I think Larry is still there. Dude,
Larry is
a secret gem, and an aerated gem of Nashville. Like I saw that
dude play with big and rich and they've had a lot of great
drummers, and like Kitt. You know, he'll, he'll leave in a
minute. He's like, dude, that guy played that gig perfectly.
It was like
it was just perfect. I mean, he's just like, that is flawless
drumming. You know what I mean? Where and where are you? He
never gets out. Because he's practicing eight hours a day
still in his 50s. You know what I mean? Yeah, we had dinner one
of those dates back then. And he's like, yeah, man, I'm still
practicing. Oh, my gosh, please stop. And Gary's like, hey, come
by the bus, you know, the gig. And so as I'm walking out of the
door, there goes Larry, he's gone.
It's gone. Yeah, yeah. That's crazy. But hey, Kendall, Marvel
was the only name I really wasn't familiar with on the
list, but okay, so he was a writer that got a record deal,
but he would do these Honky Tonk nights it was it was kind of
like a was it like a variety show? We had guests and things
are? Well, his thing started before I joined him is it's
called the Kindle Marvel kindled Marvel walkie talkie experience
that he started at the exit in. And he was a rider that was
around the time he moved to town. In fact, his first co
write was right where I need to be
like, second day in town, he wrote that song, and that was a
hit. That he gave a lot to his dad. from it. Yeah, yeah. For
you know, helping him out. He said, Man, if I write a hit, you
know, we'll settle up. And he happened to write it the day
after he moved to town. Yeah, but he was a writer throughout
the late 90s and 2000s.
Mostly recently, he's written a lot of stuff with brothers
Osbourne. Okay. Yeah. And well, and was Chris Stapleton. In
fact, either way,
that's him. And Kendall is Stapleton, Kendall Marvel. So
that's won a Grammy. And then what was the one with brother's
eyes when they just did? Oh, younger me. But that's Kindle
Marvel cut. Right? Nice. So he's still in the mix? Oh, yeah.
Yeah, and Kindles out playing. In fact, he opened three or four
shows for us with Hank last year. Yeah.
And he's kind of the reason I got the Hank gig because he
would hire if he augmented the four piece band.
He would hire a steel player. And if he hired a steel player,
it was either cowboy Eddie long from the Bama Vadera, or Mike
Daly, who's been there now. 27 years. Mike Daly first steel
player I ever shared a stage with I had never met a steel
guitar player because, you know, coming to Dallas seen a lot of
saxophones a lot. You know, a lot of electric guitar rippers
you know what I mean? Not a lot of steel guitar. Well, no.
I take that back. I did play with a cat named Milo Dearing,
who is the fiddle mandolin steel king of Tao.
was Texas. And that's him playing on the theme song to
Motel Six, you know, we'll leave the light on for you. That was
like some of my experience but you know, in Dallas was all
about the saxophone, you know, like Sergio the shirtless
saxophone player a lot. And now we don't play with any saxophone
players in Nashville. It's all steel guitar. Yeah, it's one of
the most beautiful instruments, period. It's a weapon. It's a
weapon in the wrong hands. But a beautiful instrument if you know
how to do it and tell me if I'm wrong. I don't know if you
noticed this, but most steel guitar players are advanced in
age because it is a mature person's instrument. That takes
some time to figure out. Oh, yeah, it's you're wrestling an
alligator. Kinda on a piano? Yeah. Yeah. It's, but it's it's
wonderful when it's in the right hands. Yeah, man. Yeah. In fact,
yeah, it's in. So us leaving a Kindle Marvel rehearsal, or
Kindle was also changing a couple of band members. So I was
kind of calling the shots of what we were running throughout.
Okay, back to the guest thing. His hockey talk experience
was an is whenever he does it, he's doing it sparingly now
because of, you know, he's busier on the road and stuff
like that.
But it would be playing Kindles originals off the first record
at the time now he's got three albums out. But at the time, it
was just off the first record that he did with God rest his
soul, Keith Gaddis. We're talking about a lot of people
that have passed on today, right? It's Oh,
yeah, there's another one today. Ronnie Stoneman, you know,
passed away today. I was Ronnie stone when the banjo player from
the Stoneman family and also she was a she was on E Hall. Oh,
wow. The lady with the gap teeth. Oh, wow. Okay. She was
one of the people on here.
But can we play Kindles, originals? And the Kindle? What
have guest singers come out? Like he'd have Randy Houser come
out, he'd have a main guest, and he'd have other ones peppered
through the night. But the main guests would do like three or
four songs, maybe four or five. And then the other people
sitting in
everybody had to do country covers. That was the criteria.
You couldn't do originals of Gary did or when Gary said in
Gary did originals because of the CO writer right where I need
to be.
And he didn't I think one of the I think he did watch we did
watching airplanes.
And then he did country covers other than that, but he also
brought half of his band.
And then when he said his his own drums his Leaguers, that's
fine. I he'll know my stuff, right?
So we would be sometimes we rehearse it the day of the show
with the exit em. But this particular time
when we actually got to rehearsal room,
and went to the tunes that had the guests come over and sit in
and we were changing band members changing guitar player
and bass player.
And I'd also started road managing Kindle by that as well,
by that time as well. For the little extra cash. Oh, for sure.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, gobble. I love that. So you just got to make
sure that everybody gets fed gets to bed and it's paid. Yeah,
pretty much make sure you put everything you said everything
about you know going into it that way. The day runs smooth
because you've already put it all together it just has to be
set in motion and do that but I'm fires him. Right. And you
you worked a great road managers and you look to them why okay,
they know what's going on, you know, so you weren't
but this particular one, I was kind of calling the shots Okay,
let's run this. Let's run this blah, blah, blah, Kendall,
whatever else you want to run, and being steel and drums and
steel guitar and drums and having all the gear that we
have. Mike and I were the last ones out. And Daley turns to me
and said hey, would you consider playing drums with Hank? And how
did another didn't know they were even looking? I had no idea
the other gig you've shared with Keo right it's
it's this town is it's gotten more insular.
Where the last actual cattle call audition I remember even
hearing of was Gretchen Wilson when she blew up which was about
2003 Right? But everybody either head is now Hey, I know a guy
let's take this guy out and see if he works out see what kind of
hang they are. Yeah, very much relationship based. Not a lot
auditions happening.
For sure, you know, which is fine. That's just the way it's
work worked out. And yeah, it gives us more power actually to
create. Because if we are doing the right things, checking all
the boxes, we're a person of integrity, we know how to play
the drums. We just keep showing up. Our group of friends that
mix business and pleasure continues to grow. And then
people vouch for us. And we're not having to deal with a
management company.
You know, putting their paws into like, we got to hire
musicians, right. But in 1997, it was very much like, I call
those management companies. Hey, I'm rich. Redmond has moved
here. Are you auditioning? I'll keep your name nothing right
now. But I'll hold on to your number. Okay. Yeah, and even
back then the reason you and I got an audition for Gary is
because of Jim rally. But yes, they saw Jim play
movies at wolfies. I think wolfies. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, they
saw him play and asked him, Hey, would you consider playing with
us? And he had just gotten the mark chestnut gig. That's right.
And then he recommended us. So going back even that far, and
you got the mark chestnut gig as well. So there is a theme to
this episode is already showing its ugly head. It's all about
relationships. Well, yeah, it is for sure. Because then if you
have bumps in the road, as long as you as you said, keep showing
up and doing a good job. It'll smooth back out, you know, and
everything will be fine. Yeah. So Mike asked me if I'd consider
joining Hank and, or, you know, giving it a thought or giving it
a shot and
went home and talked with my wife at the time and was we get
we're like, ya know, you're invested with Kindle, but it's
hate fucking Williams Jr. That you didn't.
You didn't even see it coming. And then over the next two or
three weeks, we get to the secret from Kindle. Just I
didn't want him to know it. I wanted I wanted to get it before
I said anything to anybody. You know, you don't want to, you
don't want to start going, Hey, I'm up for this, you know, and
then it not pan out. Yeah, that does. It rather, let's make sure
it works before we say anything. And by the time I got to play
with Hank, the band and crew had set it up so well. That if I
didn't get it, I saw it.
So what do you mean? Yeah, well, I knew everybody in the band,
except for Jimmy Hall.
So when my daily went to them, they're like, Oh, yeah. Lika do
that. And, you know,
I let other people say that stuff. I'm uncomfortable saying
that stuff because I have a problem looking outside of the
drum kit and playing. It's like, oh, that sounds okay. Sounds
great.
But inside you're dissecting it anyway. Oh, yeah. And over
analyzing the crap out of it.
And then I had gotten to know the crew over
they had me come out and watch two shows with Keo playing.
And so the first show
thing I watched on the side of the stage and watched Hank,
watch his mannerisms. And a big thing with me with singer
songwriters, and whoever's front, the band, especially if
they're playing guitar is
what foot did they tap with, they tap with their heel, watch
their feet. Because that'll tell you where it's going. Especially
somebody who's good at a competent musician
that plays either great rhythm or pretty decent lead that that
foot is going to be in time it's not going to be jumping all over
the place. That is the first time in 170 episodes that
watching and analyzing the it's essentially the EAC to slack of
a conductor of a symphony, the baton, no one has mentioned
watching the foot. Exactly. And you can watch
like when Hank has kaleida and I have to have his fiddle up
really loud to follow his tempo changes.
But there's a couple people in the band that somehow they can
watch his forearm and get it
you know, it's a little too jerky from my point of view to
do that but like Bart our guitar player, he can watch his hand
and see where it's gonna go. Is there a setlist?
A lot more than there used to be. Every night is like going
into battle. It is some sort of a musical experience that will
be completely different from the previous night.
A lot of the steps are the same. It's kind of like being on a
football team and hate calling the plays which is really
weird analogy considering how long he's done the Monday night
football thing. But if he says a certain thing we're gonna do
this. If he says is we do have the first seven or eight songs,
there is no click.
I count off four songs, the whole gig. And then he's got the
wrist. Amazing. I like that sometimes where it's like, hey,
I really have no responsibility for starting the tempos. I just
have to fall in perfectly with whoever this person starts.
Yeah.
Well, that and also the fact that the person starting it, if
it's not us, it's usually the person whose name is on the
marquee. Yeah. And the fact that they trust us enough with that
foundation of the song, and to hold it together, while they do
all the other stuff on top of it is pretty cool that they trust
us enough to go. Alright. I don't have to worry about that
behind me because it's gonna be there. Yeah. So. So what a fun
experience. So you get that gig in 2018. Then the entire world
changes in March of 2020, is an international global pandemic.
And Fauci is is printing money. And then what happens? Do you
guys stop for a year? What do you do? We stopped
March 16th. I think I went and did a fact I know I did. I went
and did a
video thing. And everybody was starting to do that from their
homes. Yeah. And I went and did one with Vince Moreno and
gagemaker.
I'm trying to remember I want to say Shawn Bailey might have been
on fiddle. We did it at Vince's house. Yeah.
And he had
you know, his, his wife and a friend of his wife was watching
from the living room while we were in the kitchen, where he
was shooting it for like the long haul look, or whatever. So
just playing go home and stuff like that. And turns out like
three days later, the friend that was watching in the other
room had COVID. And that was early on.
And then what a week later, Joe Diffie passes away. Was that
right? That made it even more real scary. Oh, gosh, hey, you
need to gauge Baker is that the gauge that's incredibly tall
bass player that played on lower Broadway. So when I played my
days and my eight months that I played lower Broadway in 1997
played a lot with that cat, man. He's fantastic. As he's still
doing that down there.
I don't know how much he's doing down there. But he went on to
play get some artists jobs. Yeah. No, he didn't. I tried to
pull him into the chest. That gig at one point when when there
was a talk about making a change there. Yeah.
And I think his thing I've came to find that knowing him for for
that many years, is, you know, by even our height, and I mean,
I'm six foot six foot one now.
But we're still touching the top and the bottom of the bunk and
he can't fit in a bunk so he'd have to sleep in the back of the
front. Right. So I don't know about that. But even at six foot
eight, he feels like he'd be crushed in there. Yeah. And he
carved out him a nice little cottage industry playing in town
and now he still goes out and does like row dates with Vince
Marino, you know, doing the doing some of the honky tonk
clubs across Texas and New Mexico. I would like to see him
again. And he was he was literally in my paper Rolodex
and I have not seen a lot of technology has come and gone.
flip phones, blackberries the first hour on the iPhone 14 or
whatever the 15 who whatever the hell it is. Haven't seen him
since. So if you see him, please say hello for me. And I'd love
to just Yeah, I'd love to just say hello, what's crazy? I'll
send you his number. I still have it. Awesome. Yeah, he's
great. We spent four years together on Monday nights in the
front room of tootsies
with Ray St Germain Jr fronting it gauge on base John Scott on
fiddle and keyboards and me on drums that for you that you did
the Tutsis front room it's like how much for that drummer in the
window. Now that's that's the only room I haven't played down
there. I've played the upstairs Tutsis but never the front room.
That the last time I played tootsies was the front room. And
that's the last time I'll play the front row but it's just so
claustrophobic the early the older you get at that place is
just I don't know how they get away with it, but it's
perpetually a fire hazard.
They're in there, you know? Yeah, whenever I played it I
mean, I haven't played a regular gig down there in years but I'll
still sub if somebody calls that I know is I Oh, that'll be fun.
Yeah, you know, and of course you do make a lot more money
nowadays down there than we used to. Hey you remember when we
would party we it was free to park in Nashville, you'd go do a
shift on lower Broadway, you'd bring all your stuff to your
load in you might leave with like $8 Yep.
Now you can now you can leave with $408 Yeah, it's insane.
Yeah, crazy that boom as become senses become the it city. Yeah.
But I was like playing the Sandersons clubs a lot like the
stage and legends second fiddle and crossroads, which is now
ain't juniors bar.
Now
they redesigned the entire inside it looks nothing like
Crossroads did so. Wow. Incredible. So So you're working
for this legend. So you guys take 220 And maybe art at 21
off? When do you go to we started, we started back our
first games. We did two shows that Billy Bob's in Texas on in
April of 2021.
Everybody had to get vaccinated, which was fine with me. Yeah.
It was just part of not only Hank but also vector management.
You know, that's which, I'm sorry. Yeah, vector management
can levitate and that whole bunch which has a huge, you
know, bunch of artists to watch out for and so we, you know, and
hates only usually does about 20 to 25 shows a year. It's what we
all call it's the best part time job ever. You can go do whatever
else. So not to be nosy big, but people we talked about a lot on
the show.
You get a check all year or you just paid handsomely for those
25 shows handsomely for the 25 shows like it's you. It's gonna
be great because then you don't feel like you're so locked in.
There's a lot of freelance and going on, which is great. Now,
there's no and there's been a couple of times where like I
haven't subbed out. But what Jimmy Hall being there for 37
years and him being Jimmy Hall, you know, Willie, and all that
stuff. Jimmy has carte blanche to go. If he has something he
has to go do like when I joined he was still touring with Jeff
Beck. So he Yeah, so Yeah, he'd have to deal with either me or
Vinnie Colaiuta amazing, bro. See you're in the mix in a major
way. Well, the funniest thing he ever said to me and I posted it
on the national drummers thing once was, he walks up to me he
goes, Man, Lee, you and Vinnie have something in common. I went
really Jimmy was said he goes y'all both trestle like
that. He's, he's a great, he's a God loves you. And he's just
what it was. He was actually the first band and act. I saw the
day that I moved to Nashville. Was that with Tommy wells, the
prisoners? It sure was and I met Tommy that night. I rested. So
Oh, and stole the idea. You remember how all the metronomes
had the mount for the civil stand then? Yeah. But yeah. And
they'd break. Oh, yeah. Because you hit on it. So the plastic
would snap. Yeah.
I'm watching the presence of Love.
And I'm watching Tommy's got his on a board. Yeah, but had you
walked into even met him? I knew him from modern stadium monitor
drummer and say, Well, hey, man, I just moved here. How you
doing, man? Yeah. And I stole that idea from him. I was like,
I'm totally stealing velcroing the metronome do the thing I
still do to this day. If I had the belt the velcro and I'm on a
wood plank is is a fantastic thing. And I will say this about
Tommy. He was also another incredible encourager, and I'm
so happy that you that was one of the first people you met as
well. I ended up in 98 Taking a like six week country. Sorry
studio drumming class with Tommy theory crew. Oh, wow. And so
they would talk about setting up clicks on the SR 16 They would
talk about mounting your metronome reading the number
system tuning house kids playing styles, it was cool man.
Yeah, if you got to learn go to go to the right place like go to
source Yeah. Yeah, like when I had to learn when I got into
country like we all did in the mid 90s or early 90s What drums
became more prevalent, you know, with bands like you know, Black
Hawk and little Texas and mark the mark chestnuts and the Tracy
bar
Words
are getting louder and louder and there was a picker of snare
drum in the mix. Thanks, Lonnie. Thanks, Eddie.
Thanks, Brian Brown. Thanks, Paul. I'm
Yeah, you got everyone had a piccolo, do you have a piccolo?
Piccolo in this room right now? I do now because Mark Neymar
funny enough. Last year, slim Yamaguchi from the mark chestnut
band called and asked me this, they were changing drummers.
Darla was going to come off the road. And as he said he has some
guys you can suggest. Mark was one of the guys that suggested
Mark got the gig. And as a thank you Mark gifted me a three by 14
Piccolo. Look, I have in the other room. You know, I'm gonna
get one I'm not gonna beg DW for one just to have one one of the
probably one of the carbon ones that got the carbon fiber
piccolos. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, the snap has to come back
the kit. The snares can't be Tubby the whole time. And we've
been wearing the tub factor out for about a decade now. I'm
telling you, man.
I'd rather have a little more wide open and honking. Yeah,
yeah, I heard somewhere that you know, if you if if at all
possible live, you'd like to tune your drums completely wide
open with as little muffling as possible. And let the front
house engineer have a complete Mona Lisa to work with
creatively, you know, absolutely. Yeah, a little bit
of muffling in the kick drum. Maybe a piece of duct tape on
the snare, maybe small jail. But I'll work with Billy. And he'll
tell me since I used to 16 inch floors, one on each side. I
turned one of them higher than the other one. If it gets a
little close rocket hear that in the in ears. You know how
that'll give you a false sense of, of tuning. You know, he'll
tell me and then I'll pull the ears out and fix it. Yeah, but
I'll work with him well enough that I don't have to deaden
anything else. All the times are wide open. Yeah. I love that
did. I was on a session exactly one year ago, and I brought in
my wide open DW drums. 2413 1618 and I had they were wide open
and the engineer goes I love how
you know how brave you are. These are so wide open. Man. i
You want to try to go for that today. I was like, Yeah, sure.
Let's go for the wide open drums. Isn't that what we want?
And it turns out as soon as the client showed up, and as soon as
we started going through running through the song, he's like,
man, we got to break up the tea towels. Man, you know, so sorry.
But that's another current trend, right? You got to have
the tea towels and you get the you get the little clips on the
edge and you get to move them as far far in or just on the edge.
It's crazy. So like the whole bad data covers the whole head.
Yeah, get her with her call. But she queues that's it? Yeah. You
gotta have them because the routine queues and the big fat
snare drums and the drum dots and the drum tacks and the moon
gels, the Evans rings and all of it. They've all got a different
vibe.
You just don't need the Dead Ringers. Remember those? glue
into the heads? Yeah. I remember seeing seeing Merle Haggard and
Biff had glued dead riggers into his drums. Oh, yeah, I want
drums but I don't really want to hear him that well.
So what do you think are the skill sets that got you the job
with Hank? And are as are keeping you there?
Oh,
because it's a unique gig. Right? I mean, yeah, it's a you
very unique gig. He's an icon. And
I don't want to say potentially there's a reputation where he
may not be easy to work with. I mean, I worked with Hank
Williams the third and he was not easy to work with now we
shared that gig meet you and Jim earlier I believe there's you do
it when he was still doing his granddad's 99 Okay, so he was
still doing the old country stuff. Yep. And he did not want
to rehearse. He wanted to sound very loose. I was like, I
couldn't wrap my head around it. I was like, wait a minute, you
don't want to sound good. He does not want to sound good, but
not tight.
Just jump in when I start that kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. Which
is fine. Because, you know, pick one of three or four groups.
They're just gonna change tempo. And oh, so who did you play
with? I mean, Jason Brown was on base back then. Yeah, for sure.
Yeah. Who was a guitar player from like the Jesus Lizard? Oh,
wow. I remember that. That kind of like iconic rock band, like
very odd around.
I don't remember the cat's name but have you I'm sure everybody
can get into the wiki. There was a band called The Jesus Lizard.
Yeah, absolutely. Well, when I went and subbed for Jim on that
gig, it was just for a weekend in Colorado somewhere. We played
above the, you know, above the slot machine.
scenes on the gaming floor mazing
first time I got on the bus and Shelton walked out I did a
double take because he looks so much like his granddad. Sure. It
was just like holy crap, like see a ghost really. But on that
particular run, I had read a book card on guitar. Jason Brown
on doghouse Vernon Derek on fiddle, who was also part of the
Bama band at one point. And Jim Murphy on steel who had played
with Johnny paycheck for years. So all I had to do was sit back
here and keep time and listen to these guys just quote great
country music.
And then go eat with them and sit there and not let say a
word. I just listened to them tell stories the whole time.
Amazing. Yeah, it was great. So but shelf was very honest. He's
like, I'm doing this for palimony. I'd rather be playing
this and he played me the you know, the heavier stuff that he
liked. And so, but yeah, fun stuff. You know, it's crazy.
Yeah, like he had he had recently done an interview with
Rolling Stone back then.
And when it when the art when the interview came out, like
three or four weeks later, after I'd played with him, it was
essentially everything he told me. Because it was so fresh in
his mind. He was still talking about what they had talked
about. So he couldn't make any money with the heavier stuff
like the ash Jack stuff. Or what was the band he had with PhilaU
samo from Panthera. I don't remember that heavy shit. Yeah.
So he couldn't make any money doing that it was so
underground. So he but he could go out and sing his granddad
stuff and make a lot of money. Yeah. And then pay for other
stuff. Yeah, ya be sitting at home, being competitive at video
games for money back then, which was crazy. Yeah, but this the
skill set to play with Hank is like, just listen,
know, the stuff now will kind of play most of the same songs
every night.
You know, and they're usually in the same spot at this point. You
know, it's not as crazy as it was, you know, in years past.
There is 10 or 11 songs he might do.
And he's in six years, whether he's pulled three of them out.
So anyway, I've got those on a chart, but they all kind of
start, you know, just grab hold. They'll avail themselves real
quickly. As long as you jump in before he's were full on. He's
not going to care. It's gonna be fine. You know, we're all gonna
be there. And then, but and then it's just making sure you're
there on time when you're supposed to be there being a bus
call on time being at the airport on time. Yeah. We had a
few instances instances last year with a crew guy that you
know was missing flights or bus call or whatever, you never want
to be late. Never want to be late because he traveled with
you guys or is he separate from the organization kind of guy. He
is a separate from the organization kind of guy he
actually flies in an hour before the show. Wow. Yep. And kind of
takes over the band bus. You know, we kind of take our
clothes and stuff into the dressing rooms anyway.
And watch you know, whoever else is on the, on the bill with us,
you know, hanging out with those guys or whatever catering and
all that stuff. You know, I'll see Hank, if I have to go get a
shirt off the bus. It's just you know, stays a few pleasantries
with him or some Hey guys, how you doing? You know that kind of
thing.
And but most times, I'll see him first time I'll see him for the
night is when he walks out or when he walks out and Billy the
front of house guy tells me to go we're behind a curtain. I
don't know if we will be this year.
But we're usually behind a curtain when we start. And then
we inch they intro him inside and we go yeah, and man I'm so
excited this year. We are on two shows together. I'm very very
excited. Is this the Kid Rock stuff in the small towns the
seven shows that we're doing in the world two of those with
y'all wit and is are you on are night or kids night.
Oh, we're gonna do the same. What's crazy? We'll never see
Kid Rock. He's always on the other night. Oh, I thought you
guys were together. That would be one word. I'd love to see
that. But apparently it's like we're on one night with a bunch
of support a rotating door of support like 30 different bands
that are going to be the support over the seven shows. So what
I'm hoping is that you guys are on one of our one of them. I
didn't know that. That's how it was working. I thought it was
you guys were co headlining it. And then the rotating acts were
like us and everybody I'd love to see you play the gig. I
really really would man it'd be so Oh, and I haven't. I haven't
Seeing you play Jason's gigs since Nora, Roswell, New Mexico,
which was about 2007 or 2006 or seven. Hit town was new.
That would have been that was. Yeah, that was it hit town was
the single. That's crazy. So I've been doing it non stop
touring since 2004. So we're 20 years of non stop touring. That
would have been the first year and a half. Yep. Who really wish
there were more just wow. A lot has changed buddy we we've gone
through so many in our incarnations of the band. So at
that time, we were a ragtag group of like space pirates that
would be hanging out in moss Isley, you know, and then we
became, we became like a motorcycle gang after that. And
then we started, you know, paying attention to like, Hey,
wait, maybe we're gonna do skinny ties for two years. We'll
be like the neck and then we'll do the then we'll do the all
black with the sports coat and the rock T kind of thing. And
now we're that we're it is evolved man. Gonna like when the
Foo Fighters did the whole craft work, look? Yes, the red, the
black and the red and the black. Yeah, man. Well, I know why you
got to gig. That's incredible. But you mentioned to two, I know
why you got the gig and while you're holding on to the gig,
but you mentioned two things, listening and watching the tow.
That's great.
That's amazing. And that's probably something you've
carried through. Now I've heard in another interview. It's also
a similar technique you've used with Chris Knight. Now. Now
Chris Knight's music is bright and true, like dirty. Americana
music, you know? And
and it's the same thing. You got to watch his hands. You got to
watch his feet.
Yeah, but like everybody else you watch it lands all lands on
the same plane. And you're right. He's planning. He's Yeah,
he's somewhere in between there and it moves. So I spent about
eight months on that gig. And just it, I was afraid it was
going to start to affect my playing.
Like, in a bad way. And you start second guessing yourself.
Playing with people who
aren't second guessing themselves, but maybe they
should be.
So I don't know. But it was a good experience. I love I still
love Christmas music. He had written a couple of things for
Gary, that we played in Gary's band, so that was cool. And I
mean, he's still out there doing it. Doing the thing gosh, oh,
yeah. He's not I think shaky folks is that they're playing
with him. Shaky folks, but
but also, but also through that through the the Chris night gig
is originally how the Kindle Marvel gig came up because the
guitar player was the same. Yeah. Mike macadam, who was part
of Steve Earl's original, you know the the exit Oban way, way
back then. So once again, about relationships and who's gonna
trust you? They got to know you. They gotta like, yeah. And they
got to trust you. And you just got to rinse and repeat. And
hope for repeat business in this town. You know, and I've been
here 25 years. That's incredible to hear. Like if I'm looking at
some of these other names, Gary Allen gets you going. And then
somewhere along the line. I mean, we're talking about all
these shared gigs me you Jim Riley all do and Hank, the
third. Jim passes, or puts in a good word or something you do
that you're doing the mark chestnut thing. And then along
the way, some of these are subbing things. I don't know
Shannon Lawson. Trent Tomlinson, I was looking at some video of
that Shannon Lawson. My claim to fame. I went to go see the Lord
of the Rings with the guy in 1999. We sat next to each other.
He was a great singer. It didn't pop for him. You know, it
doesn't. Kelly Pickler. So, Heidi Newfields so you got male
artists, you got female artists, you got bands, the work you did
with subbing for Matt for net, there's videos floating around
of the Loverboy drum cam. I think you're playing you might
be playing his kid three up to down. immaculate, immaculate
work, man. So a lot of stories, a lot of cross pollination, a
lot of tentacles. How did the subbing for Matt fernet come
about?
Well, I've known Mike arena for a long time.
I mentioned Ray St. Germain Jr. earlier. Well, Ray comes from a
Canadian family.
Both the St. Germain and his dad is a like a venturi icon up
there, like had his own TV show in the 60s. Kind of like Porter
Wagner did. And Ray lived in our lives down here. He doesn't play
music anymore. Or doesn't play out live. Well actually. He does
play out live. He had a brother friend of ours still does a duo.
But we did those four years at tootsies, well,
about 2002 Or three. He goes, Hey, I want to get a band
together to back my brother in law and I said really?
Who's your brother in law? He goes migraine. Oh, and I went
really?
So we ended up doing a private gig with my engaged Baker played
by San Diego Cooper played kit. Bo Cooper played keys.
Bo Cooper, and then my God. Yeah. And out of that Beau ended
up subbing for Doug Johnson with Loverboy for a while at one
point. So well, then, fast forward about 10 years later,
and unrelated. Jim Magothy that used to work at Zildjian got in
touch with me and said, Hey, I've got a friend of mine, a
drummer friend of mine who's thinking about moving his family
to Nashville, because their kids are in ballet ones in Florida
ones in New York at the Met us okay, who's that he was mad for
net? I'm like, from Loverboy. Yeah.
Matt and I became fast friends. Yeah. And
for about a year, we talk every so often about five or six years
and still do.
And he took some time off for about a month. And there was
five gigs booked.
And he said, go sit in a spot
that did the work and no rehearsal except for a
soundcheck and shorts and went and sat in the spot and
had a had a ball. I'd already known Mike.
And I had drum tech for Matt a time or two, when his guy
couldn't make it. Yeah, he's like, Hey, will you come fly out
and take care of me? For sure, man, no problem. You know, nice.
I mean, I grew up growing up as a teenager, I also hung out with
crew guys and helped set up stages and swap that band Sugar
Creek I like, I remember one time honeymoon suite came in
from Canada when they were I got a new girl now. Yep. And the hit
they had when they came through was feeling again. And so I'd go
with Sugar Creek, who were the regional guys and you know,
they'd open up for him and swap and say that. So I have no
problem. wrap my hands around gear and stuff like that. You're
a smart man. You know, you're a smart man. And then the fact
that you wouldn't be like too precious to be like, No, I'm a
drummer, not a drum tech, of course. Of course, man. Go out
there and set it up, shine it up, make sure everything's fine
tune. You know, give the guy a bottle of water and a towel
touching you travel, get to hang out with your buddies. You make
some cash. And then you start start this relationship and you
got to go grass, grass, grass.
Grass, grass grass. Yeah. Yeah. So it was it was a lot of fun
because they were the first video I ever saw on MTV letters.
Yeah, very surreal. And, but they they're great
to hear and it's still four of the five original members. Now
that's very rare in a legacy rock band. And the whole reason
it's not five is because Scott Smith passed away. Well, this is
seems to be the theme of the show today. Death.
There we're gonna search about AI like you talked about,
there'll be depth to music. This is why everyone's like, well, we
don't listen to Redmond's podcast because he just gets
just old people on the talk about death. Sorry, guys. No,
this is just this is just what happens. We're here to help. We
can't help the world. I'm 56 year old today. So today's your
birthday. Yep. You're still doing this interview? Man. I
would be somewhere with my face and a bigger sugar pie cake.
No, I got my coffee right here. Me too, dude. Like Happy
Birthday, brother. 50. That's awesome. So you could be getting
your AARP literature to the house. It is it was doing a
casino gig with little Texas a year or two ago. Yeah. And we
had some time. You know, we did it for two days, or we had some
time. And so I went to the movie theater in the casino. They
said, Would you like a singer discount?
Like,
I was like, wait a minute, how? How do you have to be with the
senior discount? They said 55. And I was like, Okay, I'll take
it. So how deep was it wasn't very deep of a discount, was it?
Oh, it was only a couple bucks. But I was like, Okay, sure. I'll
just keep forgetting to ask now. That's incredible. Oh my god do
that is nuts. Okay, so you're subbing so you're subbing for
del gray as well. I did for I did for two and a half or three
years almost. Dale was diagnosed he had cancer. I did not know
that. Wow. Yeah. He kept it pretty quiet. They said health
is going okay. He's doing great. In fact, I was texting with him
yesterday and today, talking to Dwayne and procfs a couple of
days ago, but he's, yeah.
He's doing great. He's beat it. It looks like he started coming
back out riding the bus. A couple of
Hobbs Wow played
and then he took back over in December. They did a couple of
rehearsals and
he's all good. He's back at it. Yeah, man. You got to play that
God bless Texas just like me because I was in that band Rush
slow. So we had a little Yeah, we had a little Texas medley in
there. We had to do you know, I'm sure great songs back. Yeah.
Great songs stand the test of time.
And we did a show with the frontman. Oh, with Hank. The
frontman open. So it was Larry and Oh, Richie. And, and Tim was
pat my back. Matt Cross playing drums. No, he wasn't Matt had
moved on. I can't remember who's playing. I've met the guy. Blake
was playing guitar. But yeah, Matt had they had just changed
drummers and Matt had just come off the road. Crazy. Yeah.
Crazy. Now how long were you with chestnut? Man? That's a
nice song cat. That's a nice
body of work that he has. It is I was with Mark for five years
from 2003 until 2008. Nice started. They had the package
store going on. I think it was him. Joe Duffy and Tracy,
Lawrence.
Joe and Mark tried to get me on that. But it was Tracy's turn to
pick the drummer. So I went out and tried it. And I wasn't
really Tracy's bag. Even though I would have, you know, hey, you
could fit some gigs and you won't fit other ones. Sure
happens to everybody. Yeah. And if it doesn't happen, it's going
to happen.
And so I wasn't really a fit for Tracy, as much as I would have
been a great fit and was a great fit for Mark and a good I was a
good fit for Joe, if that would have come up, which it did. And
I kind of since I've known Mark longer, and he kind of brought
me to the party. US stayed with Mark out of that. That three
three frontman and one band thing breaking up. And Mark is a
drum hobbyist. He played some drums suddenly, like well, he
that's he grew up playing drums before he switched to fronting
when he grew up in Texas. And so he can keep a B for sure. Every
once in a while he'd throw me off the kit to play. But it
would drive him nuts because our height difference is so
different. And also for me being tall, I sit really low.
And so he was like I'm playing like this.
Mantis. Yeah. But there was a couple times he's like, oh, man,
I want to play him. Okay, go ahead. And one time when in the
early days, we had a double bill with him and he came up on the
bus and ElDeen didn't have his cowboy hat on and he looks like
a completely different human being without his cowboy hat,
right? Because that's like his caricature. That's his look. And
Mark kept saying, Now guys, when you see our dean, you tell him
such and such, and for me, he was telling our Dean this, and
when you when you see Jason tell him I love that song. And then
we were just like, do we tell him right now that he's talking
to Jason? Oh, gosh. Hilarious.
Oh, yeah. Mine was awesome. He's another one. Glad he trusted me
with these music. And yeah.
It was with a bunch of guys that I had made friends with because
we'd already been on the road when I was playing with Gary. So
yeah, all the guys that Jim had played with when Jim had moved
on to Rascal Flatts. So there's this theme here like between me
you?
Jim CIO. Just sharing gigs, man passing things back and forth to
each other. You know, a lot of incest going on.
Not only if you want to I am out of the loop. Today's your
birthday. Happy, happy, happy birthday.
Your personal life. Did you have kids? Did you were you married?
Are you married? What happened? I never say yeah.
Where do you live? What burr Are you in? I'm out Lebanon. I'm
about? Yeah, I'm on the west side of Lebanon on a hill, or I
can see completely across town to 12 miles across town to the
east side of Lebanon. So I can see the city lights and all that
stuff. It's great. Oh, it's fantastic.
I was married for a little while.
I was with DNA. My wife DNA for now ex wife for about 15 years.
That's good, Ryan. Oh, yeah. Seven year riches.
Yeah, I do. But you know, COVID has a lot to do with it. You
know, us being you know, on top of each other. Yeah, yeah. In
the same space for a while and
then
We also have a student we have a son named Dylan who? Great.
Yeah, he says he will turn 14 in April. And he and I FaceTime and
text every day. They live down in Hello, Dallas, Texas, which
is close to where she's from.
And she has a little more of a support system with family
there. My ex in laws still live here at Gallatin. And in a
couple of weeks, they'll come up for his spring break, and he'll
hang out here a good bit, and he's with me through the
summers.
Does he play? What's his thing? He does? He does not, in fact,
not sadly. But he did come up to me when he was smaller. And he
goes, Dad, kind of he's very sensitive. He's very sweet. So
we have raised him, right. And my ex wife and I are very
amicable. So that's all good, right? Oh, yeah. That, you know,
we still text to talk. Hey, what are you coming up? What's going
on? Blah, blah, blah.
And he comes me goes, they're gonna tell you something without
hurting your feelings. Secure me anything is, musics really not
my thing? And I'm like, that's fine. It wasn't any of my
family's thing, either. Except for me. We are the black sheep,
my friend. Yes. Well, yeah, for sure, you know, tattoos and all
that stuff.
But his thing is more art and video games.
And
right now, instead of action figures, they now get poseable
figures. You know, they're, you know, it's like the action
figures we were had, but they have a lot more poseable ways
and stones and stuff. So they take pictures of them and pose
them and, you know, send pictures to their friends. Is
that interesting. So he might go to art school or something like
graphic design or? Exactly, and I he plays video games a lot,
which is, we were kind of in the gray area of video games, where
now it's, I mean, even I play a few things on Xbox, and I'm
blown away by the graphics. It's so immersive. I had to get rid
of my ex box because I went through a period of of the Duke
new comes in the dooms and the Resident Evils in his life. I
like first person shooters. But next thing, next thing you know,
you're like, you've been on the couch for seven hours, your butt
sweating, and you ate a giant bag of m&ms. And you're like, I
did nothing with my life for seven hours. Now. Yeah, I can't
sit that long. But I can get a couple hours into like Red Dead
Redemption or cyberpunk or something like that. I like the
the roleplaying storyline stuff. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but I keep
explaining the deal. And I'm like, you know, the people that
make these games make a lot of money. Right. And it's through
art. That was the one thing about the pandemic that really
bothered me, is the way that not only musicians, but artists as a
whole are treated. Yeah, because everything that you touch,
everything that you use on a day to day basis, at one point is
touched by an artist
that had to mock it up, draw it up, come up with how it looks,
come up with how it works.
So you know, and I'm sure we all have the big wins. Like before
we were actually making a living at this and you get the question
that family get togethers of. So how's that music hobby going?
You know, or stuff like that. Yeah. So it's
hopefully it's getting better. It's, I am really pleased to say
that once the floodgates opened back up that lob music is
extremely alive and well. No matter what market you're
playing it, whether it be arenas sheds,
the smaller outdoor theater outdoor venues that have popped
up yeah, the even smaller ones that are in
like community areas. Yeah. And then all the I'm doing some
sub dates this year with the the tribute act 20. And Lynn, which
is the grandchildren of Conway and Loretta. Oh, nice. And
someone tells me they're going to play. Every small, even small
town has that downtown square where there's a historic
probably haunted theater that sits between 502,000 people.
Exactly. And that's exactly the ones they play. Little Texas
have been playing some of those. Yeah, and it's really cool to
see some of the smaller theaters get new love because a lot of
them are now being repurposed. And the downtown areas of the
smaller towns are coming back up and it's fun to support the
economy. You know, the bus pulls in front of the theater. You
could go next door support the local coffee house buy a t shirt
from them you go to soundcheck after the show, there's a
hanging at the martini bar across the street. Exactly. It's
cool.
And it's a blast. It's a lot of fun. So, but it's really cool to
see all the different levels of lob music.
what looks to be coming back stronger? Of course, it is the
main revenue stream for our industry now. Pretty much. So
I'm pretty hopeful for things in the future. And I'll be with
Hank until he's done. You know what one yet some thing is, once
you find something I tell all the kids that, you know, I did a
lesson slash consultation yesterday, these guys will come
into town like, Hey, can I book an hour of your time over at the
drum pad a drum paradise. And we do some playing, but usually a
lot of talking, they ask questions and, and I'm like, you
know, the one thing that you really need to try to happen is
to try to get a steady job in the music business, something
where you have a W two where you can buy a home, where you know,
just have that home base. Do all the freelancing you want work in
as many fun side projects, do as many Music Row sessions, home
sessions as you want, keep the calendar full, but have that
home base where you can your home base is you can count on 25
well paid gigs per year with that one act and you could
sprinkle everything across the calendar, which is amazing.
And it gives me a lot of freedom as I get older. Yeah, no, I've
I've had a job of some kind since I was 12 years old. What
was the day job when you moved to Nashville? Like I parked cars
waited tables and was a substitute teacher. What did you
do? I worked in the warehouse at Pearl drums. Very practical job
because you're meeting other drummers? Well, it was hey, you
know, you know Rick Murray, our buddy. Yeah. Okay. Well, Rick
was a big influence on me, playing country and coming to
Nashville.
I work for Rick at his drum shop called drums and company in
Charlotte. And of course, would go out and watch him play at
coyote Joe's when he was the house drummer.
But oh, and when was
coyote Joe's? I mean, that's a rite of passage. Man. We used to
play there with ElDeen. And I instead of instead of us being
the headliner with that mentality, like, Hey, you're the
opening act, you should play on my drums. I ended up playing on
the house guys. Drums a lot. Did you really I played on his
drums, they're all falling apart. And I'd had the duck take
the legs of the hi hat to the stage. And every it's like, oh,
boy. And that would be after Rick because I know Rick's drum
kit was fabulous when he played there because I played on it a
few times.
But because of Rick, and working at his drum shop, when he knew
people in the pearl, you know, in Pearl, so when I moved, we,
you know, we worked it out for me to get a job in the warehouse
and work part time. So if I picked up a gig, I could call in
and go, Hey, I'm not coming in, over if I had a late night from
hanging out trying to get gigs, I could call in and go, Hey, I'm
not gonna be in, you know? Or if I went out on the road with
somebody, I could come back and the gig would still be there.
Nice flexible job. Yeah. Well, yeah, it was flexible. I mean,
there was no benefits because I was part time. But if I'd gone
full time, I couldn't have left and gone and played gigs and
stuff. So that's right. That's right. Well, you know, so and
then the, you know, the best thing that ever happened was not
having to work those day jobs anymore. But I substitute Todd
it was like, you know, with my master's degree back in
1999 2000. It was
75 bucks a day, man. You know, the thing is, is that we played
in the clubs till 230 In the morning, and by the time we got
home and decompress. It was 330 in the morning, and I was
supposed to be standing in front of that classroom at seven in
the morning. And that was rough. Oh, at least I could you wander
in at night at Pearl and yeah, well enough to fill out orders.
You know, it's so funny. You're you if you go to your website,
it's a beautiful website, very robust. Got a lot of information
on you leak Ellie on drums and ladies and gentlemen, it's k e l
l e y li Kelly on drums.com. Taking a look around. Every
drummer has got this interesting little thing that nags at them
throughout their lifetime and and it seems that for you, it
was voiceover and on my website. I have a voiceover demo. I heard
your voice over demo. When did you start experimenting with it
sounds great man. Oh, I haven't messed with it in years. I just
tried a course with Joe lash. Joe less lives six houses from
me. Oh, so you still live over there? I didn't know you were
still over there. Yeah, I'm here and but yeah, I've been here 14
years crazy. Okay, yeah, you're because I remember passing your
house going to his Yeah.
I tried it.
Just out of curiosity. There you can really
Also my dad was in broadcasting. My dad was in NASCAR
broadcasting for universal racing network in the 60s and
70s. And my older brother Winston, he was on MRN radio
motor racing network for 33 years, from 1988 until
2021 is when he stopped being a regular pit reporter for MRN
radio, and he just does his day job which is run the NASCAR Hall
of Fame.
Oh, yeah, my, my family goes back or my dad goes back to
NASCAR predating the sanctioning. Like my dad, my dad
came out of World War Two, as a
gearhead a little bit,
which it kind of rubbed my grandfather. I haven't gone to
ancestry.com and done this, but my grandfather was a moon
shiner. Wow. Yeah, my grandfather was a moonshot or
BAFTA moonshine. Well, I don't know if he made it or if he just
ran it, but the story I've heard is he died running it. Oh, man.
Yeah.
And you know, it wasn't a great household. So I don't guess it
was a great household to grow up in. Yeah. So my dad and his two
brothers after Pearl Harbor, and they were old enough, which at
that time was 17. They all three went into the service. My dad
went into Navy, my uncle went into the Marines. My other uncle
went into the army. So when they came back, dad tried and he
actually tried racing did five races and said that was enough.
You know, that's enough. You know, that could get me killed.
I can't handle that kind of speed. No way. I was insane.
I've been a passenger in one of those cars to go around, you
know, 170 miles an hour. You have been? Are you crazy? I've
written Yeah, they
like it the tracks that have cars that you can, the ego take
driving classes at that kind of thing. They have passenger seats
in the in the cars, even though it's got full rope roll cages
and just like a stock car.
So with too much Sylvia, we played Charlotte Motor Speedway
in 2000. I'm sorry, in 1994 when the Final Four was there. And we
played Charlotte Motor Speedway, they were taking people around
in the cars and we made I jumped in one of my buddy jumped in the
other one. You could feel the G forces jerk your head back. Wow.
And I had already been around it through my dad and stuff for
years and already knew they were athletes. You know, being from
Carolina. That's kind of our sport. Yes. So. So my dad ended
up in broadcasting at one point, my my brother did it. And we've
got this voice. You know that if you get rid of the southern
accent, it comes out a little more robust. And sounds like my
brother, when I met you. When I met you, you know, I mean, I'd
spent a lot of time in Texas, but the Texas Southern accent is
different from the Carolina southern accent. I had never
heard an accent so thick. When I met. I was like, wow, this guy
is getting six syllables out of one word. Yeah, we'll do that.
And even my family says it got a little thicker when I moved to
Nashville. So Wow. It is what it is. Yeah. So you did. So you did
your demo with Joe lash. I did. And then I tried pursuing the
pay to play sites or whatever. Voices 123 and all that. Yeah,
just kind of
something came up great. Yeah.
Do it full time li are that I know some people that have had
some success with with those pay to play sites. And they
literally they get up super early. So they could be on West
Coast time. And they answer the they respond to all the ads
immediately. And then they literally are in front of their
computer all day. And if the job comes in then there's a
deadline. They got a knock it out. They are tied to their home
studio. All day. Yeah, all day.
And I want to have a life. Yeah. So you're in Lebanon. I was
just, I was the emcee for the Bach to rock awards at the
Capitol Theatre. On Saturdays go to Saturday, because yeah, so
Oh, so there's Sunday. You are a big influence to me. Just so you
know. I remember coming out of shoulder surgery in 2016. Yeah.
And you were doing your weekends.
During your drummer weekends, and I had never I remember
texting you God. I'd never seen your spill. Let me come by. And
you were gracious enough. Hey, come on, drop in.
One I'll never forget when I walked in, you stopped whatever
you're saying and introduced me and told about the class of 97,
which I thought was fantastic. Our history and I meet Troy
McKenna. And I'm like, Oh, my gosh, hero of mine, you know,
Tesla night, so. And just your enthusiasm, which has always
been like, just all over you. Your enthusiasm is infectious.
Oh, I take it as a big compliment. Thank you. Oh,
please do and but you talking about being the positive guy in
the room?
That was a I mean,
I've never thought about it. Yeah, just kind of been me and
things have worked out. But that sticks in the back of my mind
all the time. Wow. But it really does. It's like yeah, just don't
Don't be the downer. Don't think Debbie Downer? Yeah, exactly.
Man, you want to have a good job? Well, you've Oh, I've never
seen you have a bad day. Like you are like a high energy
person like so if you get me and you in a place for one or two
hours, it's going to be like a earthquake. Yeah, you've got a
lot of a
lot of energy, man, a lot of energy.
Is your son like that?
A good bit of a like, I mean, he really It's funny how when we
were growing up, everybody went outside and played. And, you
know, you're not in until you hear the dinner bell ring two,
three blocks away. And now they are on their games on their PS
five. And they're still playing with people. They're all you
know, they're online. But it's changed. I mean, COVID showed
that anyway, but that was because they had to. But I think
that's out. That's how it is now. Yeah, I did ask him if he
wants to do anything special. He likes to shoot basketball. So
we'll go down here to
Floyd, the Oh, the whatever, the basketball courts here. And
he'll play for a couple hours every day. So killer man, that's
killer. So yeah, so yeah, I get the family thing happening. You
got your in your boom, boom drum room, and people are sending you
the files and you're knocking them out for people. You have
fun doing that? Is it pretty consistent? Oh, somebody I
haven't pushed it real hard. This version of it. Like the one
I had Mount Juliet, you know where I was in the bonus room. I
promoted it a little more.
And funnily enough, Pat and I would talk about, we'd look at
you and Jim and go in. They are just getting it. They're all
over the place. And Pat and I finally realized we're just
lazy.
Y'all were y'all have a lot more motivation where Pat and I just
like, go to the beach. Right, you know.
And, and also COVID
Except for playing gigs and doing what I had to do
kind of took the wind out of my sails.
So I'm honestly really just getting back to really wanting
to do this here. Yeah. I mean, you're saying that COVID had a a
negative impact on your mental health. Oh, for sure.
Absolutely. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I had to fight it
every day with everything I had. Oh, because I miss people. I
miss people. You know.
It was it was having just drummers or anything like that.
Like I taught good. bandmates. I've played with forever.
They're like, yeah, I just don't feel like doing it, man. Because
it was the first time in our lifetime that the rug was pulled
out from under us. Yeah. So and you couple that with, even
though it was an amicable, amicable divorce? You couple it
with that, as well. So that was 2001 2001 to 2002. Gotcha. Kind
of got finalized last year, but that was just legalities. And so
you mean 2000 22,021? Yeah, 2000 21,000 tweeted, sorry.
And that was just legalities and stuff like that, but it's still
good.
If
going and doing stuff that's booked is easy. Like, okay, I
have that goal there. You know, I could walk in here and let the
kid just go and don't feel like it. Yeah, I don't have to. I
don't feel like it. But now I kind of feel like a lot more
good at a friend of mine come over and help get my, my, my
channeling or my routing correct. So I could have control
over logic when I needed it. signal path. Oh, for sure, man.
And at that point, I just play drums a lot of times and great.
Great. You looks like
Yeah, high ceilings there like nine to 11 feet or something.
It's great. It's one of the reasons I wanted to make sure I
kept the house in the divorce was this room and also just the
views and got an inground pool outside. So keep Yeah, so get
that make sure to keep that for Dylan when he's here during the
summers. So you got this beautiful house on the hill
overlooking the city like that you can have all your new
girlfriends out to
whenever I feel like dating here, we'll see how that goes.
And yeah, but but yeah, I'm feeling like doing so I've been
in here messing around with camera angles and stuff. And
since my education, unlike yours in gyms, like
going back to my parents not seeing it as a viable vocation.
And also, I didn't want to do like, drum camp during the
summer when I was in high school, because we had a place
in North Myrtle Beach in Cherry Grove, South Carolina, that we
would go and spend three months at, um, like, beach or a parking
lot with drums, which is going to win a beach beach or I'm
working at an arcade on the beach. I'm there. I can
appreciate a beach more than anyone because I worked so hard
in the early years of my life that at least once a year. I got
to you know what I discovered? It's only six hours away is not
Myrtle Beach but Alabama. Orange Beach. Orange Beach. Yeah.
Yeah, Mexico Beach is. B Kindle. Marvel's got a place that his
family has a place in Mexico beach. That's gorgeous. Wow.
Yeah, I just, that's a gorgeous place. So
North Myrtle Beach is about 10 hours away. So yeah, the six
hours of Orange Beach is it's a little secret. It's like oh my
god, I because every time I want to take a vacation, I'm
thinking, Well, I gotta fly to LA then I gotta get then I gotta
go over water. I got to get to why it's so expensive. You need
You need those two extra travel days, you know, six hours to
Orange Beach. The beaches are nice. It's affordable. There's
tons of great restaurants. I like it. Right. And also, my
brother has a place over in Blowing Rock, South Carolina,
which is booed in Blowing Rock.
And occasionally, I'll take off for there. But
it wasn't a vocation. So my education back to that main
education start in high school. Yeah. So what I did before the
pandemic hit and the wind was taken out of our sails. I had
bought Todd Zuckerman's rock drumming masterclass. Oppa
dremio. Cool.
And so what I'm planning to do is record the play alongs that
he has in there.
And along the way, it's going to do kind of like an old dog
learning new tricks thing for me. Yes. You know, even though I
have enough vocation and enough tools in my shed to do the gigs
I'm doing. I want to have a few more tools in my shed. Yeah. And
it'll be fun for me to do it. And now I want to get in here
and put headphones on and play to stuff and
and
I don't get red light fever hear that stuff? It's like turn it
on. Let's go. Yeah, to me, I'm just playing with another band.
So oh, man, that's that's that's really, really exciting. And you
know, speaking of which, who were some of your Mount Rushmore
drummers coming up that Yeah, your car? Oh, yeah. I could be.
Oh, absolutely. I can hear that time because there's, there's
definitely a focus on like, there's a serious intention and
focus on groove and pocket with you, man, and that's why you get
gigs and keep gigs. You know, on YouTube. We're playing songs,
whisper song drummers. And if we didn't start out a song
drummers, Nashville made a song drummers. It gave us a shirt HD
and song drumming. Yeah, and luckily I grew up loving songs
so like my earliest drumming influence were fluences were Ron
Bushi from iron butterfly Lee Kerslake from Uriah Heep. To the
years before Ozzy
Neil Smith with a with Alice Cooper.
Whoever was playing drums with parliament on Chocolate City
mothership connection clubs with Dr. Frankenstein strong ones. Oh
dude.
Oh yeah, clown in the one baby clown in the one big Freddie
White from Earth Wind and Fire Nice.
Later on the near the needle drop moment for David Garibaldi
hearing ebony jam for the first time and the in the slot record.
later on, somebody brought back waiting for Columbus to our
Camelot music I was working at as a teenager. And one of the
guys wait, you'll like this the minute I heard
Oh, oh Fat Man in the bathtub. I was hooked. Richie Rich. He's
big. Jim Keltner Jim Gordon. Can I have? Oh gosh, Jim Gordon's
got a book out now. I believe there's this coming out. Yeah, I
saw that on John did Christopher site. Oh, Floyd Sneed from three
dog night. Oh, yeah, come on.
And then obviously, Alex Van Halen, James Bradley Jr. from
the chuck man's journey live at the Hollywood Bowl. Man, that is
still a life changing record for me. Yeah, I still listen to
that. Yeah, we love it so much. We're pals on Facebook. Not
super tight. But I remember you know, and you would hear you
would hear that, that Flugel horn, Chuck Manzoni in,
in supermarkets and elevators every day. And then he went on
to be that one hit wonder band called Crazy Town. Come come a
lady. Come a lady. That thing. Oh, yeah. I remember when he
popped back up. And I was that the same guy. Same guy was Yeah.
I mean, the main squeeze out, which was Gad, that was great
stuff. And then everything my brothers listened to because
they were 10 and 11 years older than me. Doobie Brothers, blood
rock.
And then I would find stuff and go backwards, like when little
feet hit me.
I was like, Okay, what, when did that change from it being the
first two or three albums to Dixie chicken. You know, there
was a change in band members and a complete seismic shift from
being a country rock band to being a, like almost a New
Orleans bass second live band. Yeah. Which led me to Okay,
here's the meters. Oh, well, I was already hit to think of
Neville Brothers. Oh, Willie green. And those guys. I was
already hip to that stuff.
And so going back, and that's how I learned country two. So
when we moved here, when you and I moved here, and we were
listening to Eddie and Lonnie, and Jamie croon, and all those
guys, I went backwards to learn the old country stack like I
would go to skulls with a skull was still alive and watch Johnny
barber play. And so then I learned and then Gary Allen was
like, how much Buck Owens Do you know? And I'm like, well, he
hauls stuff. He goes nah, go listen to books stuff. And of
course Willie can't do becomes a huge influence. Yeah, you went
to the source, man, you're like, I'm going down to schools man,
I'm gonna live it and experience it. I went down to the Great
Escape and bought everybody's greatest hits on cassette so on
its Greatest Hits and goes Greatest Hits and, and I was
like, as I just knew that, you have to learn the rules so you
can break.
Right? You can't just come from Yeah, if you're gonna play the
Grand Ole Opry and sit on Eddie strums and that person is going
to be singing in that spot right there we're Patsy everyone's
saying you better know the rules. For sure. Is an acrostic
Is it a stick in a brush? When do you go to the snare? What
fills are appropriate?
Do they use the ride cymbal and cut like that early stuff? You
got to know the rules? Yep. Yeah, man. Pretty interesting
study. Yes. It's not as easy to play old countries it looks or
sounds Yeah. Now much older room to this day. I don't know if you
tell me people probably hit you up all the time, man to like,
hey, you know in this Nashville's the city I want to
come and experience do the thing. I say man go to Robert's
Western world. It's my favorite place because you're gonna hear
those rockabilly bands and there's gonna be those geometry
that Brazil Billy's with their Pearl snap shirts and the
upright bass and they're just doing it right. Yep.
I mean, the that's one rendus still keeping the older stuff
alive. Yep.
There Aj is across the street, I guess.
And I just did a gig a few weeks ago at Music City Bar and Grill
out a music rally. Yeah. And that was with Jeff Garrus. On
guitar JD Myers fronting it and Robbie Turner on bass. Wow.
Which of you if you if you ever get a chance to play drums with
Robbie Turner playing bass. I know he's known as the steel
player legend that he is
But playing drums with him playing bass is a treat. Nice. I
mean, I know he's a great musician, but I'd never knew him
as a bass player. Yeah. And but wow. Yeah, well, that's cool. Is
it all? And what do you you do anything special and as we're
aging with your nutrition and fitness anything? Oh, not really
broken probably sadly. I have I'm trying to cut alcohol out
honestly. Nice because it's kind of time. It's, you know I'm
having some success with it. It's just but it's you know, as
we get older you don't recover as easily. And it's just better
than longer and you get more stuff done.
And better for me. Now when you're doing doing the alcohol,
a D discriminator. Or are you like a when in Rome guy? Oh, I'm
at a wine bar is wine. I'm
mainly just a whiskey guy. That's it. Oh, that's nice.
Well, that's really sophisticated. Especially if you
can couple it with like a cigar or something like that. Oh,
can't do the cigars
incredible. Yeah, but
fortunately, drumming is enough
of enough exercise that I'm you know, I'm not 300 pounds or
anything like that.
I do get out try to it's a mile around my block. So I'll try to
get out and walk that it was nice out like I got out and did
it
this morning. Nice before the rain started. Yeah. So just try
to get out get nature a little bit. Always try to go out walk
around. Yeah, you know, there was every soundcheck. sure
everyone's like throwing this term grounding around where you
got to take your shoes off, you got your bare feet, and you got
to put your feet on the earth in some grass. And apparently,
there's some sort of a physiological metaphysical
transformation that happens when you do this on a regular basis.
And I'm like, All right, cool, you know, because I try to check
all the boxes, you know, hydration, supplementation,
flexibility, mobility, you know, muscle tone, heart health, like
I work at it like a frickin job. So like, sometimes if I do, I
got a choice between sitting down on a practice pad. And I
know how to do paradox, right, we've got the muscle memory. But
if I want to still play rock and roll drums, the way I play, I
want to make sure that I can go work out.
That's why I just kind of ask because you know, we're, we're
now Men of a Certain Age. Hey, listen, I can't I can't kind of
get behind the the feet in the grass thing. Yeah. Only because
the feet on the beach thing has always gotten me since I was a
kid. Yeah, it still does.
So that's, I can get that I got behind that big time. So my
version of experimenting with VoiceOver was, you know, going
out to Los Angeles and studying acting, I figured like, well, I
can go out to a strip mall and Smyrna and take an acting class
with a bunch of kids. Or I can go to Hollywood where everyone
is a waiter. And people actually want to get on Grey's Anatomy,
and I'm probably going to get much better. So I you know, me,
if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it 100%. So I go
out there, I do that grind for six years. If I had a day where
I was just I needed a break, I drive my ass to Malibu park the
car along the Pacific Coast Highway and get my foot in the
sand and then the sun would set there'd be this beautiful. The
waves are crashing your feeder in the sand, cotton candy
sunset, you're looking at the topography there of Malibu and
all those stars in their glass and Adobe homes and then use the
city lights come up and it was just like, so relaxing and cool.
Yep. You know? And then you would go back to the grind the
next day. Yeah, you know, little less less for where, you know.
Yeah. A little bit less of aware. So listen, I like to end
here. We didn't talk about Pat McDonald. But
that guy, he was kind of he was our graduating class and he
right away. We're like, God, who's the weckl that just who's
the bald wacko, you know, he was so precise. Every time I would
describe pass playing as like, let's wait for this guy to come
up and play. He is a surgeon. He is surgical. Yep.
Yeah, I remember the first time he sat in it 16th Avenue. I
don't know if you were in the room or not. Or Jim was, but I
remember the room stopped. Yeah, like,
holy shit, you know. And he's like, blown over a vamp or
something. I believe, you know, yeah, they gave him a chorus,
which, you know, I would get lost because I you know, and you
guys can count your heads that stuff. Yeah, the form. Oh, yeah.
It just
floored me. He was the perfect drummer for Charlie.
He was I mean, honestly, if you don't get a guy play with Troy
Daniels, that's the guy. Yeah. And then Ron Galloway came after
me did a great job too. Yeah. Oh, Ron's awesome. Like Ron was
awesome. I haven't seen Ron forever. He was a I'm sure if
same as you but he was that just very another supportive guy was
like, Yeah, welcome to town kid, dad. Good luck. Here's my
number, you know, and I'd already known who he was from
seeing him on TV with Steve Warner. Right. Oh, that's that
guy. You know? And, you know, he had already made his bones by
the time we already we were here. Yeah, man. Hey, so usually
we'll end this thing with the favorite five and I'll ask you
five of your favorite things. Your favorite color? Every color
blue. Okay, that'd be good. To get some some blue and greens
man do you ever have.
Even though I do not have a blue drum set. I did have a blue
marble AR kit that Ray made me in the 90s. That was black and
blue marble. They had the red marble was in the ads.
And out of the blue marble sight unseen. I still had the snare
drum. But I traded that kit for my Yamaha absolut hybrid maples.
And that's when I went to like black and dark drum sets like
you. Yeah, they go with everything. It's like wearing a
tuxedo on stage. It's never gonna get old classic. So that
I've got the classic walnut for the recording customers back
beautiful maps here and I'm staring at a set of cherry red
long turret. Dave Weckl era recording custom drums. Oh,
yeah. Oh, they're not set up. But they're, they're stacked up.
And so if somebody wants that sound, you know, I could drag it
over and mic it up. But everybody's got to have one of
those drum sets, you know, and the good news is they will keep
their value. They do they really, really do, man. So
that's your favorite color.
Blue is my favorite color. Yeah. Favorite food or dish? Oh,
probably steak. Yeah. steak or seafood.
So you'd be set in Vegas at the you know the buffets? Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Or any surf and turf places halfway decent. I like me
some surf and turf man. favorite drink? It could be you know,
you're trying to get off the hard stuff. So
either coffee or probably for soda. Sundrop Sundrop. Yeah,
yeah. Now that's man.
Well, it's not as much as Mountain Dew. And the guy who
taught me how to play drums that lived next door to me. His
family owned the independent barley company in our town.
Yeah. So it was around Sundrop Okay, that's very good, man. How
about what about your now this is?
This is difficult for a lot of people could your favorite song
if this comes on the radio without fail? during your
lifetime? You're gonna crank that sucker up? Oh,
the one that just I don't know why it jumps forward so quickly.
But just because it always makes me feel great. Rock and roll
doctor by little feet. Okay. Yes. There's something about
that song. And there's something about that band. That if I was
ever in a bad mood, or something was going weird. I could put
little feet on and I'd feel better. There's just something
up about that band. Yeah, you know, man, and favorite movie.
You're gonna watch it.
Even if it's in the middle. Oh, God, Your God the last 20
minutes. You're like, sorry, sweetie. I got to finish
watching this. Oh, oh, you've opened up a because that's one
of my other loves is movies and books. And you know, there's
music. Like I was listened to. One of my favorite things with
Apple music right now is the Discovery Channel. You know,
like you have the your favorite mix or whatever. There's the
discovery mix, which is stuff you've never heard on but it's
based on your, your timeline or whatever. Yeah, I've heard so
much stuff that I've never heard before that I love.
So that's, you know, sidenote favorite movie.
Oh, gosh.
Recently in primary killers of the flower Moon, I got to see
it man. I'm such a Scorsese Tarantino
Christopher Nolan. You know big big visuals fan? Yeah, so
Oppenheimer's. Great. Oh,
there would be blood is a good one. Oh, it's so dark.
Yeah, but I like
I like stuff. That's art. Then on the other side, you got like
Anchorman and walk.
Hard, or hey, tap Anchorman through a period where we knew
how to quote every line from that movie. Oh, for sure. Office
space was another bus movie that same way. Yeah. You know, so I
can't wait for Spinal Tap to which they're, they're filming
now. I can't wait to see it there because everyone is so
much more advanced than age. They're like Philippe 30 or 35
years older. Yeah, but
somehow friends was, you know, people were friends on Facebook,
even though they've never met. But your friends by association,
the music? Yeah. So I'm friends with CJ advanced and the
keyboard player from there. And he's,
yeah, hilarious.
And he posted something about them during rehearsal. And I
wrote under his timeline that hey, if there's ever if there's
a bid for tremors, auditioning
inspired asset I want in Yes, I want the original to explode.
Oh, because the original God did pass away. Rick Parnell did pass
away a couple years ago, rest his soul. I had actually written
him back and forth being a fan of that movie. And, and
honestly, he's playing he played with a bunch of different
people. And Todd
has done it. Yeah, I think it'd be a funny bit to have that in
the movie. And then all the drummers have to sign a release.
You know, if they're gonna die, right.
My family will not sue Spinal Tap Inc. If I die. Yeah, yeah.
That's a good. That's so many different specialists. Favorite
Movies, Robo cops, another one. Okay, that's probably what
they're gonna remake any time now because it's easier for the
studios. They own the rights to these movies, it's cheaper for
them to remake them then buy the access to new content. Right?
Yeah. Which I get the economical side of it, but I'd rather see
the artistic side. You know, I know Petey Anderson's making
another movie. And of course, Tarantino has got his last one
coming in whatever that is. Yeah. There's another one once
upon a time in Hollywood, or Jackie Brown, strong. Oh, I'm a
movie. I'm a geek.
Well, they all we've all got that thing happening that you
mentioned books. Now. You're talking like fiction,
nonfiction. I'm a little bit of both right now. I'm reading
Geddy Lee's book my epic life. Getting through the third shot.
Have you read it yet? At all? Not yet. Okay. The third chapter
is all about his family and the Holocaust. Oh, wow. So and and
their time in the concentration camps of Germany. So that was a
little Yeah, that was a little tough to get through. Having a
dad who fought in World War Two. And I have visited Dachau before
any battle yet. And it's really eerie. You know, there's like
the smells still there. Stuff like that. Boy.
So I'm reading that. I've got
the Jeff ACARA book on my table. That Robin flans did yeah, she's
already got a second one coming out. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah. The
Rick Rubin book, which was pretty cool. Okay. And then I've
got to ask our book I keep meaning to finish called. He
crashed me. So I crashed him back.
That's a funny. That's a funny title. Oh, that's true in
NASCAR. I mean, if you watch any race, you know, somebody bumps
one other one. Rabins racing, and they're gonna or if they
wreck them, they'll get revenge next week. Yeah. So Wow. Okay,
so this is the moral of the story is I've got some books to
read. And yeah, don't don't forget about reading rich. You
know what I mean? You can just get back into it two man.
degrees by degrees in English. So I didn't I read a lot during
college. Yeah. English literature, right. English
literature. Yeah. Yeah. And then almost taught high school until
I went observed. And I went, No, I do.
Take it from me as someone who, you know, has taught K through
12 as a substitute teacher.
Patience is a virtue, and you spend 90% of your time doing
classroom management. And you know, it's it's very it's very
difficult very frustrating. Teachers don't get paid dear and
my god Oh, they do not. And it's it's not a good thing, man. No,
that's not
let me tell you what, man I am so proud of you. And likewise,
man, we're all right. That's incredible to be looking at you
and be you know, 26 years down the line and you've got this
body of work here. You played with all these people and
brought help them bring their dreams to fruition, help their
you know, bring their music to the people and music changes
lives. And
you did it and you bought it.
House and you've got a balanced life and you're happy and it's
awesome, man. Well, your thing like what was your focus to be a
studio guy when you moved? No, I just wanted to take any work and
I knew that I loved teaching. I loved it. I loved recording and
I loved touring, so I was just gonna say yes to everything.
Okay? Like my thing was, I want somebody to pay me for me to see
part of the world.
Oh, yeah, my Yeah, my mantra was I want to hear myself on the
radio see myself on television and travel the world on someone
else's dime I wrote that down as a purpose statement. And that's
a great one too. Man did the same thing bro.
Just in my head. Yeah. I was like a pinball bouncing off his
shit like Okay, let's try this. Let's try this you know? Yeah,
it always landed and you just stayed busy and you're still in
the game and still learning the day that we stop learning is the
day that we we die. That's that's for sure. freely. really
true. Yeah, man. Incredible. So we'll have to do is we will have
to get finally get into the same room at the same time in real
time. And break some bread man. I hope we get to do it this
year. Y'all have gotten to be on one of those dates, I hope.
Well, I don't even want to do it backstage one of those things. I
just want to go somewhere where you and I can have two hours and
we could just like just be in each other's presence. Well, let
me know. I'm around Powell. I will make it happen. We'll make
it happen this year. You know, like I said, it's pretty pretty,
relatively late schedule for this first six months. Our new
model is that we tour every June to October so we do about 50
shows between June and October. You guys are paying through the
year that right? Thank you Jesus.
Thank you sweet Jesus.
Awesome, buddy. We'll have to get together and to all the
listeners out there. You want to keep in touch with li li le
that's ke ll e y on drums li Kelly on drums.com great
website. You're on your socials. It looks like this. I just got
things from Primark. Oh, that's your sig stick. Look at that.
Well, it's their forward five A's with with my name on them. I
liked I liked the forward balance as well, man. Yeah, I
do. And you're in Evans guy as well. Aren't you? Know, I've
been a remote remote guy to 1995. Okay, grazie. I couldn't
remember if you were both or if you were Remo and I know you're
a pro Bart. Well, I knew I wanted to go, you know, and when
I ended up hooking up with GrowMark it was because I had a
friend there that I knew my calls would be answered. So
it was a regal tip guy and then a Johnny rap guy and then a
PROMAR guy,
Johnny Reb six. This was good stuff though. That was good
stuff, man. Yeah, he his office what used to be where the drum
pad is now, which is the teaching filled facility
connected to drum paradise, which is pretty crazy. So are
you open to do some teaching or consultations or people moving
to town, they want to ask questions. How do I do it like
you did it? Lee? I'm open to that. I mean, I don't know what
I would teach as far as drumming goes because of my limited
education in it. The only thing I can do is go here's what I
did. That's great. Sometimes that's all you need the past.
Make sure you play in time. Make sure you can play a shuffle.
Make sure you're not late. She show up. No it rehearse at home.
Yeah. Well, the Shuffle was the key for your key to entry into
the castle. That's how you got the Gary Allen job and all you
need is one job and then people start to talk and then before
you know it, you've had 20 jobs. So great work. Learn the shuffle
kids. Oh, Lee, thanks for being here, man. Thanks for having me,
pal. It's been a joy. So casually pleasure to do this.
Oh, God, man, you really, really inspired me as well. And to all
the listeners out there, and to my friend Jim McCarthy, Jim
McCarthy voice overs.com. Maybe he'll be along for the ride on
the next one. Until then be sure to subscribe, share rate review
and helps people find the podcast and we'll be here. We're
always here. We'll see you next time. Thanks, Lee. See you
later. This has been the rich Redmond show. Subscribe rate and
follow along at rich redman.com forward slash podcasts.