Drummers on Drumming

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum... In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Jared Shavelson (Joyce Manor, The Bronx, Seal) and Mike Robinson (Say Anything, Slayyter, Oliver Tree). In this episode: Playing festivals - yay nay or meh The pefectly “sized” tour The backline details that matter most when you’re trying to play your best How each of us thinks about success, growth, money, and career momentum Why big milestones can feel surreal in the moment and strangely empty right after The pressure of chasing goals in music when the target keeps moving What really makes a gig feel worth it, beyond the size of the stage --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this episode of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City, La Armada) and Kris Mazzarisi (Founder of BFSD / Winnetka Bowling League) - In this episode: Why prep pay still is not standard, even though most drummers are expected to show up overprepared The weird state of touring right now, from DIY scenes disappearing to arena tours barely breaking even The last breakthroughs we’ve each had in our own playing, from posture to vocabulary to control Easy things that make a drummer more effective on stage The difference between playing quietly with sticks and changing the whole sound of the kit Whether traditional grip has any real practical use in modern drumming --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week, we’re celebrating the release of Mike Robinson’s new Food on Tour Guide. Mike has toured with Say Anything, Oliver Tree, K.Flay, and many more and this guide is built from years of eating on the road. It’s a curated digital map with more than 2,000 spots across three layers: food, drink, and tiki. It gets updated regularly and helps save you from wasting money on bad meals while touring. To celebrate, Mike, Eric, and I each share five spots that have stood out to us over our combined decades on the road. Once you download the guide, you can find links to all the places mentioned in this episode by searching Drummers on Eating. But in the meantime, here are the picks: Ben’s picks: Slick Rock Burrito – Spokane, WA Decibel Sake Bar – New York City, NY Molinari Delicatessen – San Francisco, CA Thai Station – Carrboro, NC Ichiran – Brooklyn, NY Eric’s picks: Kopp’s – Milwaukee, WI Aqui Con El Nene – Tucson, AZ Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles – Los Angeles, CA Nicoletto’s – Nashville, TN Terry Black’s BBQ – Texas Mike’s picks: Brat House – Milwaukee, WI Sotto – Cincinnati, OH Rossi & Sons – Poughkeepsie, NY Nong’s – Portland, OR Mai-Kai – Fort Lauderdale, FL --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming...a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. In this segment of The Drum Panel, I’m joined by Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Ralph Alexander (Poppy) for one of those conversations that goes everywhere. We start with life on the road and the physical reality of playing demanding shows night after night. From there we get into practice routines, creativity, and the strange balance between working hard and actually allowing yourself to rest. Eric also brings in a few spicy listener takes, which sparks some fun debates about jazz vs rock, whether technical drummers lose their feel, and the never-ending argument about electronic drums. Somewhere along the way we end up talking about confidence, why most drummers struggle to say they actually like their own playing, and how your influences slowly shape the way you hear the instrument...who'd have thought? In this episode: Ralph shares the story of the Slayer shirt he’s carried to every show for over twenty years The first drum parts we learned that actually felt like a real breakthrough A debate about whether learning jazz really makes you a “better” drummer Why some drummers worry that learning more might ruin their feel The role rest and downtime play in creativity Whether electronic drums should even be compared to acoustic drums A rare moment where drummers admit they might actually like their own playing --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. I decided to move this episode toward the top of the feed and revisit it. Last weekend, Tim Very, the drummer for Manchester Orchestra, passed away. While we weren’t super close, we stayed in touch over the years. He was kind enough to be part of my first book, and he also came on the podcast to do a Big Fat Five. That’s what you’re going to hear today. Going back and listening to this conversation was a real gift. Tim was such a creative drummer. Powerful, playful, and always deeply respectful of the song. He knew exactly where to sit in a part. You can hear how thoughtful he was, not just as a musician, but as a person. Quick heads up about the audio. He was calling in from the back of his tour bus over Zoom. The Wi-Fi was rough. There’s some generator noise. The first half isn’t perfect, but what he says is worth it. About halfway through, the connection dropped completely. And just to show you the kind of guy he was, he re-recorded his final three picks as voice notes and sent them to me so the episode could still come out on time. That’s Tim. I first saw him live at The Fillmore in Philadelphia in 2018. I didn’t buy a ticket. I was playing upstairs at The Foundry with my band. To get to our dressing room, we had to walk along a path overlooking the main room. Manchester Orchestra was sold out below us. It’s either motivation or humiliation, depending on how your tour’s going. But I remember watching him and thinking, this guy really understands how to serve a song. So with that said, this is Tim Very’s Big Fat Five. The five records that helped shape his playing. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it inspires you the way it inspired me revisiting it. TIM'S BIG FAT FIVE: - Artist - Foo Fighters Album - The Colour and the Shape Release Year - 1997 Key Track - "Hey, Johnny Park!" Drummer - Dave Grohl / William Goldsmith - Artist - AC/DC Album - Highway to Hell Release Year - 1979 Key Track - "Highway to Hell" Drummer - Phil Rudd - Artist - Wilco Album - A Ghost is Born Release Year - 2004 Key Track - "At Least That's What You Said" Drummer - Glenn Kotche - Artist - The Refused Album - The Shape of Punk To Come Release Year - 1998 Key Track - "The Deadly Rhythm" Drummer - David Sandström - Artist - Colour Revolt Album - Plunder, Beg, and Curse Release Year - 2008 Key Track - "Ageless Everytime" Drummer - Len Clark --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠Click here to order now!⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Big Fat Five, a segment of Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a first for the show. For the first time ever, Big Fat Five has two hosts. I explain it more at the top of the episode, but today Eric Urrea is joining me as a co-host. Eric’s someone I trust musically and personally, and having him in the room added a different kind of energy and flow that I really loved. It felt natural, and honestly, it raised the bar. Our guest today is Patch Mahoney. Patch and I share the same lockout facility, and I walk past his room all the time. I’ve wanted to have him on the show for a while, not just because he’s a great drummer, but because he’s genuinely one of the nicest dudes around. Patch plays with Hilary Duff, Bebe Rexha, and many more and has built a career rooted in taste, feel, and adaptability. We sat down and talked through the records that helped shape him into the drummer he is today, and along the way we got into things like practice habits, recording yourself, restraint, gospel influence, drum tones, and how a drummer’s voice actually develops over time. And with that, here’s Patch Mahoney’s Big Fat Five. PATCH'S BIG FAT FIVE: - Artist – Tower Of Power Album – Tower Of Power Release Year – 1973 Key Track – “What Is Hip?” Drummer – David Garibaldi - Artist – Steely Dan Album – Aja Release Year – 1977 Key Track – “Aja” Drummer – Steve Gadd - Artist – Phoenix Album – Bankrupt! Release Year – 2013 Key Track – “Entertainment” Drummer – Thomas Hedlund - Artist – Young The Giant Album – Home Of The Strange Release Year – 2016 Key Track – “Titus Was Born” Drummer – Francois Comtois - Artist – Transformation Worship Album – Overflow: The Album (Live) Release Year – 2024 Key Track – “Impossible? (Nothing At All) – Live” Drummer – Tony Taylor - Honorable Mentions: Glory Sound Prep – Jon Bellion Random Access Memories – Daft Punk The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum This week’s Drum Panel has me joined by Mark Stepro and Kris Mazzarisi for a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when gigs fall through, routines get shaken, and you’re forced to rethink how you want to work and live as a drummer. In this episode, we talk about: How to respond when a major gig disappears Why direct, personal outreach still beats mass posts Aging, touring, and shifting priorities Social media’s role vs real relationships Practicing vs working, and why confusing them stalls growth Tracking progress without over-measuring Onstage anxiety, depersonalization, and mental spirals Balancing family, business, touring, and sanity Letting go of shame around how your brain works Building a career that isn’t dependent on constant touring --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. Happy New Year. This week’s Drum Panel features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside George Martinez (aka @skinnygeorge) and Eric Urrea from Marina City. In this episode, we talk about: Burnout as a signal, not a failure, and how to tell when you actually need to step back The success trap of linking worth to being busy, and how scarcity thinking keeps you stuck Dependability, kindness, and the invisible parts of your reputation that shape your career Grace under pressure, and what tech failures and bad shows reveal about who you are on stage Confidence without arrogance, and how to take your craft seriously without taking yourself too seriously --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week features a few of my favorite clips over the past year. Let me know if you agreeeee. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week features me, Ben Hilzinger, alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) & Zack Albetta (Working Drummer podcast, & Juliet Broadway tour) Inside this episode: When to chase a stable gig and when to walk away How Broadway touring shapes your mind, body, and playing Staying confident when you’re surrounded by people who could change your career The honest math behind consistency vs freedom --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This week’s panel features Eric Urrea, me, and a new friend of the podcast, Brian Blake from Real Friends. Brian shares his experiences making a living in pop-punk, dealing with impostor syndrome, and finding ways to keep joy alive when your passion becomes your paycheck. Eric and I explore the feeling of "faking it" on stage, the tendency of drummers to overthink their playing, and how small mistakes can ruin your night if you let them. In this episode, we discuss: The journey from feeling confident to realizing how much there is still to learn. Brian's experience with the moment he thought, "Maybe I'm not good enough to be doing this," and how that thought motivated him to move forward. Eric's nightmare scenario of being asked to "play a drum solo" in the middle of a set. The ways stage banter can feel scripted and how bands should acknowledge it. The idea that filming every show can help combat perfectionism, but also damage your ego. The unglamorous yet essential skill of honest communication within bands after difficult performances. --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. We’re back with my bestest mouse, Chance Famighetti, aka Free Arlo. Last week we covered how he bluffed his way into the drum chair for Nicky Youre only to be replaced by me :) This time, we go deeper. We discuss self-worth tied to art, the stress of carrying your own project versus the ease of being a hired gun, and why chasing fame can warp the very reason we make music in the first place. Chance opens up about struggling with persona-over-songs culture, learning to let go of the algorithm, and building a career that actually feels good. We also get into: • How live gigs shape your sound more than the practice room • Eye contact on stage and the strange intimacy of being watched • Pocket aces, missed opportunities, and knowing when to shift plans • Free Arlo’s new music and finding pride in the work again --- Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today! 🎯 ⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠ Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit. For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices