News and Events
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
James Gadson, Legendary R&B Drummer and One of the Most Recorded in History, Dies at 87
Born on June 17, 1939, drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter James Gadson grew up in the Kansas City music scene. He was greatly influenced by his father Harold, who was a well-known drummer. James later moved to Los Angeles, where…
Guitar Center Reintroduces OCDP Drums
Modern Drummer is proud to bring exciting news to the world of drumming. Guitar Center is announcing the relaunch of Orange County Drum & Percussion, also known as OCDP. With this announcement, Guitar Center is reviving one of the most…
INNINGS FESTIVAL FEATURES BLINK-182 AND SUBLIME
Tempe, Arizona’s Innings Festival combines baseball and music with the stages laid out like a baseball diamond, baseball activities, and appearances from various baseball legends. The festival corresponds with the beginning of Arizona’s Spring Baseball season. The festival comes from…
Gary John Burke April 9, 1948 – January 17, 2026
Gary John Burke died at home in Port Ewen, New York, on January 17, 2026, after a long illness with his wife by his side. He was 77. Born in Troy, New York, Gary built an accomplished five-decade career as…
Montreux Jazz Festival Miami Expands Festival, Adds Two Additional Nights of Music for 2026 Lineup, Celebrates Miles Davis Centennial
Miles Electric Band, Kind of Blue Acoustic Band (Feb 25) and Makaya McCraven (Feb 26) to Kick Off Festival at Miami Beach Bandshell PJ Morton, Tank (of Tank and the Bangas) & La Reezy to Join Jon Batiste & Trombone Shorty…
A Christmas Miracle at the Opry: A 3-Year-Old “Drummer Boy” Takes the Stage
Earlier this month, for KING + COUNTRY invited fans to submit audition videos for a chance to perform “ Little Drummer Boy” with them live at the Grand Ole Opry. Out of many of entries, the winner was Remi —…
Almost Acoustic Christmas
On December 13th, KROQ’s legendary Almost Acoustic Christmas (AAC) annual concert celebrated 35 years of shows at the KIA Forum, which has been the home of Almost Acoustic Christmas since 2014 (except for 2019.) Previous lineups have included No Doubt,…
Ludwig Launches Its First Electronic Drum Kit with Guitar Center Exclusive Verse EX
The collaboration marks Ludwig’s entry into electronic percussion and reinforces Guitar Center’s leadership in developing exclusive products for today’s players Ludwig has entered the electronic drum market with the Verse EX, a Guitar Center exclusive designed to bring the brand’s…
AFTERSHOCK
Danny Wimmer Presents’ record-breaking 2025 festival season concluded on October 2–5 with Aftershock in Sacramento’s Discovery Park. The festival drew over 164,000 fans and is the West Coast’s biggest rock, punk, and metal festival. Aftershock ran for four epic days,…
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG
The When We Were Young Festival began in 2017 in Santa Ana, CA and was revived in 2022 at its new home at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Since 2023, When We Were Young has been a two-day festival of…
Jack DeJohnette, Legendary Jazz Drummer, Dies at 83
The jazz world bids farewell to Jack DeJohnette, one of its most influential drummers, who has passed away at the age of 83. His family announced the news on October 27, stating that he “died peacefully at Kingston Hospital in…
Voting is Now Open for the 2025 Modern Drummer Readers Poll!
The time has come! We’re excited to announce that voting for the 47th annual 2025 Modern Drummer Readers Poll is officially open. This is your chance to join drumming fans from around the globe and vote for your favorite drummers…
Rush Announces Fifty Something Tour: A New Chapter and Tribute to Neil Peart
Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are making a BIG announcement. They have announced that Rush will be embarking on a new Fifty Something Tour performing old songs, new arrangements, and possibly some new songs that they have been working on together.…
Ringo Starr at Yaamava Resort and Casino
Ringo Starr has been one of the biggest names in drumming world-wide for 60 years. For the last 36 years Ringo has been touring with his All-Starr band. Starr celebrated his 85th birthday July 7th with current and former members…
