A Brief History:
Just out of high school, I could no longer resist the urge to start learning drums. There were a few bands in that early time, like The Funkin’ Drunx, Castrato, and some others I don’t even want to name. Upon re-entry into DeKalb, there was an art and music scene that I had only kind of experienced the first time around, and now my chops were less erratic, so I was ready to jump in.
The first opportunity was a quick recording gig with the Felt Pilotes. Their normal drummer was not able to travel into town for it, so I got tagged in, and learned a TON in one day. The biggest lesson was that John P. is a stellar human (something I’d relearn many times over the years).
While practicing for that, I met the fellas who ultimately became Rod Almighty. They were in a band something more like Phish, but we bonded over a love of all things heavy. Once we got into playing, though, we were more about speed and aggression than low end. Alas, as with so many before (and after) us, our dreams were dashed just as we were picking up steam.
That’s when I fell into the loving arms of The Magnificent Ambersons. I had seen them at our local open stage and fully enjoyed their music and obvious rapport. They didn’t have a drummer, and I didn’t have a band. Kismet. I started showing up at practices and kept letting them know that I was in search of the heaviness, so not to get too used to this new arrangement.
We kept going, playing all over the Midwest and making 2 records along the way. On the side, I dipped a toe back in the heavy pool with a couple of comrades and we started Ploop. This was silly, impulsive, smart, irreverent, and lots of other things that were difficult to market and/or monetize. I think we rocked some folks, though. After a while, another unceremonious end to another medium-good band, before it could get to great.
The Ambersons marched on, but eventually there was enough of a distance between where we were and where we were headed that we (well, everyone but me, apparently) called it quits over tacos. I started that night excited for a band meeting with tacos, ended it not liking tacos as much. (Who am I kidding, I could never hate tacos.)
The core of the band reformed as Big Drag and we still practice to this day. Get a Horse was sort of an interim thing while one of Big Drag was in California for an extended stay with work. Great fun paring things down and staying productive.
Supercush came about during a hiatus. Brad was without a band, I was in a hiatus, and we kept spending full days and nights at family events (our wives were friends) talking music. We called in the Crafty Squirrel to play bass and sing and we were off and running. Mostly, I remember the janky recording studio setup under the Fargo – we spent lots of time there. I might have brown lung.
Ultimately, I never made it as a rock star, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of the experiences I had doing this stuff. So many fun times, and I don’t think I could be in a happier state of mind (musically speaking) than watching people reacting to the stuff I’m dishing out (on a clear and clamless night). Dreams.
<3 to all my current and former band mates.