April 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 4

David “Pick” Withers

Conjuring Mood Grooves with Dire Straits Called “the biggest British rock band of the ‘80s” by Classic Rock magazine—and with sales of more than 100 million albums and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018—the story…

April 2021 - Volume 45 • Number 4

Matt Chamberlain

Changing Things Up with Bob Dylan After joining Bob Dylan’s band in 2019, and playing on his latest album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, Matt Chamberlain was supposed to be spending much of 2020 on the road with the legendary singer-songwriter.…

Remembering Scott Asheton

The Stooges’ Punk Rock Pioneer The Stooges first burst onto the national stage roaring out of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1969 with a cutting-edge and revolutionary debut album, and the music world has not been the same since. At the…

How It Feels to Be Something On

Sunny Day Real Estate From the cover art alone, you get the sense that something was burning at Sunny Day Real Estate’s core when they released How It Feels to Be Something On in September 1998. The sun image on…

Ed Shaughnessy

September 1992 For those fortunate enough to have grown up somewhere between 1965 and 1991, whose parents allowed them to stay up until 11:30 at least to hear the famous downbeat to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, drummer Ed Shaughnessy had…

Zildjian, Latin Percussion, GrooveTech, DW and more

Zildjian Armand’s Personal Collection In celebration of what would have been Armand Zildjian’s 100th birthday, Zildjian is releasing vintage cymbals from the Zildjian family vault for the first time. This release features 200 hand-selected vintage 20" cymbals from Armand’s collection.…

Realistic Reggae Rock

Hi-Hat Patterns, Part I Starting with this month’s issue, Modern Drummer is offering a three-part series curated from Carmine Appice’s brilliant book, Realistic Reggae Rock . Get those hi-hats grooving, gang! Part I consists of hi-hat patterns that apply to…

Give the Drummer Some!

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the April 2021 issue of MD. I was hoping by the time I would be writing this editorial we’d be back to some sort of normalcy. Unfortunately, such is not the case yet. Fortunately, day-by-day, it’s…

Applying Musical Concepts to the Drumset

By Thomas Lang. Presented by Drum Channel. In order to take what you are practicing and apply it musically to the drumset, you have to develop facility, technique, and independence first. Then, you can transition to playing more freely—almost like…

Fred Armisen

The Multitasking Marvel ofLate Night with Seth Meyers If Fred Armisen was “just” the band leader, drummer, and former guitarist of The 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers, it would be a pretty monumental accomplishment. But Armisen is…

Hendrix Drums - Player’s Stave Series 6.5x14 Rock Maple Snare

The big, beefy sound you’d expect from a thick shell and then some. Hendrix is a Houston, Texas-based company specializing in crafting premium stave and ply-shell drums that provide professional-grade sound and performance at working drummer prices. The flagship line,…

Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault

Tico Torres’ 1984 Bon Jovi Pearl Drumset By 1984, Tico Torres and his band Bon Jovi had worked their way through the ranks of the New Jersey bar scene, had recorded their first album, and were opening for established acts…

Sheila E - Modern Drummer, July 1991

A lot of percussionists—and drummers, too—have that problem of overplaying. The way you overcome it is by developing discipline. I learned all about discipline when I became a session player. I’d go into the studio and the producer would say,…

Who Are the Hippest Drummers to Watch in 2021?

We reached out on our socials to see which drummers the Modern Drummer community is most excited about this year. Here are some of your thoughts… It looks like Daru Jones is the right answer. — Sam Brewer Ruy Adrián…

“Rocking with a Radio King”

Calgary teen isn’t precious about gigging with his 1960 Slingerland kit. Taylor Miles is just 15 years old, but he has already earned veteran status with his band, Exit Division. The Calgary, Alberta, alternate-rock group has played tons of gigs…

Pat Petrillo Music - The Practice Station

A simple, sturdy stand to keep your woodshed space organized. The Practice Station by noted New Jersey–based drummer/educator Pat Petrillo provides an easy solution for arranging all of your daily practice tools into one tidy place. All of the components…

Mono - 24" Cymbal Bag

Simple, comfortable, and durable—everything you need to transport your prized pies with ease. For most of us drummer, a cymbal bag is a necessary piece of gear but one of simple utilitarian nature. Most of us skimp out and go…

Paradiddle Combinations

We’re taking a little trip into the past to revisit a fantastic paradiddle lesson from Joe Morello’s essential book, Master Studies II . The following exercises are great for developing control. Practice each one slowly at first, and remain relaxed…

“Gaucho”

Transcription and Text by Joe Bergamini In It’s About Time: Jeff Porcaro, The Man and His Music, author Robyn Flans relates the story that the title track to Steely Dan’s Gaucho album was nearly cut when the musicians couldn’t get…