Not much to say when the groove says it all. This holiday is full of stress, just like all the holidays. But it can be fun too. Drumming with people is an intense experience. It blends psyches and souls. I get to know people, even if I don’t want to. That was the essence of being in a band. A local older woman came into the shop,
“Are you still drumming?”
“Twenty eight years, three times a week.” I said.
She told me her daughter was going to bring in her father to drum.
“He’s visiting from Allentown, Pennsylvania.” She explained.
“I was born in Allentown.” I told the mother.
That blew our minds. He is also a drummer. He had been drumming since college when his buddies went out and the band in the bar did not have a drummer.
“Is there a drummer in the house?” The lead singer intoned over the PA in Allentown.
“Yeah!” He can play!” All his friends got him to go up and suddenly he had a gig. His first gig was drumming for an exotic dancer. He even got paid.
“I wanna do THIS!” He told me, still enthusiastically.
He drummed within a 250 mile radius of Allentown, so that he would get back to his kids every night. He did not tour in order to be a father. He’s about my age. We had a good time family drumming with some regulars also. An eclectic mix that always gels into something good, just keeping the downbeat steady and laid back in the pocket. That’s where you can dump the holiday blues and feel better. He could play, so I kicked up the tempos just for fun. Strange to see someone from what I call, what? My roots? Okay. Thanks Billie Joel for making my hometown famous, even though I was there for only a few minutes, kickstarting my groove.