Dave Weckl Clinic Tour

Oct 01, 2008

I am a lucky man as I have been able to turn my passion for music into a career. Like many of you I started out life with an insatiable desire to play the drums. There was no obvious inspiration for this life quest, but I knew this is what I wanted to do. Playing the drums ultimately changed my life in many ways. I my early 20's I was what I would consider to be the typical drum guy. I started teaching privately and from there expanded that experience into working the sales floor at the local retail store where I taught. I would drive 3 hours to New York from Philly to take lessons all the while taking any gig I could get my hands on.

In life we all go through peaks, valleys, and plateaus in whatever we do, but every once in a while, if we are lucky enough, we'll get hit with an epiphany right between the eyes. One such epiphany hit me right between the eyes more than 20 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was teaching one Saturday and one of my students came in for his lesson. He had a look of excitement in his eyes as he ran into the lesson room yelling, "You have to hear this!" He handed me a square piece of floppy vinyl that he pulled out of that month's Modern Drummer. On that vinyl was a recording by a young drummer who was making waves in the music world. For those of you who have not yet reached the age of dirt, at one time music was actually recorded on vinyl. The tune was Spur of the Moment and the Drummer was Dave Weckl.


I took that little piece of vinyl home and it forever changed the way I approached the drum set. As life would have it, I found my way to Sabian and eventually had the opportunity to work with Dave on a number of occasions. This is one of those occasions.

Day One:
The first stop on this tour is in Portland Maine for The Drum Shop. Chris, Shane, Josh (AKA Folgers) and all at The Drum Shop did a great job of hosting the event. As it turned out, Portland is the home town of Lucas Ives who is Dave's regular drum tech on the road. Lucas made the trip up from New York to help out on this stop. The clinic was held in Falmouth High School in a beautiful theater. A crowd of more than 150 welcomed Dave with a very warm reception. Dave started the clinic with an inspired solo that took the listener on an amazing percussive journey. Those who came to see Dave play definitely got what they came for. But not only were they treated to an amazing performance, they also received a text book worth of valuable information that if applied to one?s own playing, could help to change the way in which we all approach the drum set.
Dave views his clinics as an opportunity to pass along valuable information rather than just another concert tour stop. He is an educator at heart and this venue provides a unique chance for many to access the recesses of what makes him tick as a musician. Foundation was the focus of the discussion. Dave emphasized the importance of technique only as a means of expressing what one wants to say. Technique is an important tool, but technique must be used responsibly.
Later in the clinic Dave gave an in-depth discussion on the gear he plays and why he plays it. He was instrumental in the development of Sabian's wildly popular Evolution and Legacy cymbal lines, and he took the audience through each of the cymbals in the setup, describing how he chooses the cymbals in his setup based on the musical situation.
Dave ending the clinic playing along to a track he previously recorded and brought the audience to their feet! After an hour or so of autographs we headed off for a quick bite and a couple of cold ones. Day one down and I'm more inspired than ever.

Day Two:
Day two started early as we were heading to Hollywood Florida, home of Resurrection Drums. 6:00am comes early after dinner at midnight, but Dave is a veteran road dog so this was nothing new. The flights were uneventful and we ended up landing in Miami around 2:30. We made the mad dash to the hotel with just enough time to throw our bags in the room and it was off to the show. Jeff Lee of Resurrection was kind enough to hook us up with two killer chicken Caesar salads as we had not yet eaten (thanks Jeff!) The venue was a local community theater that had an incredible vibe. Mike Lamb from Yamaha had gotten there early and did a great job of setting up Dave's kit. This was a special night as the kit Jeff secured for the event was Yamaha's new Phoenix kit. This kit is so new that Dave does not have one yet. After the usual 2 and a half hour setup it was show time. The venue was beyond sold out and ultimately a few late arrivals had to be turned away as there was no place left to sit, stand, or breathe. South Florida has a tremendous community of drummers and they showed their appreciation with standing ovations, looks of disbelief, and a huge line to meet Dave after the show.
Jeff was kind enough to have us back to his place after the 3 hour clinic and we were treated to the best Lasagna we have ever had. Jeff's wife is an amazing cook so you have to stop by if your in town (the store please, not Jeff's house). Once again the clock struck late and we headed to the hotel.

Day Three:
Day three started off a little more relaxed as we had a three hour car ride up to Orlando. Driving 95 is never fun, but this trip had a little extra added excitement as we passed a literal inferno just off the side of the highway. We could see black smoke for miles and when we got up to the source there was a building fully engulfed in flames. We both managed to snap a photo on our cell phones (as we were yelling at those creating the gaper delay) just to capture such an unusual sight and headed on our way. Amongst the dodging of traffic Dave was showing me pictures that he had taken along his travels including great shots of some of the musicians he has had the privilege to perform with. We also had a chance to talk about our kids and life outside of drumming. And if that wasn't enough, I was treated to some recordings that he has been working on in his home studio that he had received via the internet. There were musicians from Turkey, Italy, Japan, and anywhere else you could imagine. As you would imagine the music was amazing and inspiring. Did I mention it is good to be me?
The clinic tonight is at Orlando Florida's premier drum shop Drums 2 Go. Shane, Michelle, and all at the store did a great job of getting things ready for this event. Many in the audience were eager to absorb as much information as possible and information is what they got. The clinic was punctuated with spectacular playing, great questions from the audience, and an in depth primer on the concepts that Dave learned teaching legend Freddie Gruber. Special thanks goes out to Bobby Boos (Sabian Artist Relations Manager) and Mike Lamb from Yamaha for all of your help at the event.
After another huge meet and greet line we were off for ribs and baseball. In case you were wondering, the Mets lost.

Day Four:
Four days goes quickly when you run a schedule like we have. Day four takes us to Knoxville Tennessee for an event at Fork's Drum Closet. Our travel day was lengthy as we took the long way from Florida to Tennessee (via Dallas) but all was well. This was a special event as Fork's was celebrating their 1 year anniversary at this new location. Chris Platt has done an amazing job with this store and if you find yourself in Knoxville, or Nashville for that matter, you have to stop by Fork's. The event was held on the campus of University of Tennessee in a great theater. As it turned out Dave had played this same venue more than 20 years ago with the Electric Band.
A great crowed of passionate drummers filled the room and took in all Dave had to offer. Gary Forkum made the 3 hour drive from Nashville just to attend even though he had to make the same drive back that evening to leave for his own gig in Alabama in the morning (thanks Gary and it was great to see you as always). Everyone stayed to meet Dave after the event and when the last autograph was signed, the tour was over as quickly as it had begun.

Tomorrow I'll be hanging at Fork's for a SABIAN Day event and I'm sure we will spend much of the day talking about tonight's clinic. Spending a Friday afternoon at one of the country's premier drum shops, talking about the best cymbals in the world, and hanging with drummers is hardly work. As I reflect on the past four days I find myself thinking, "I can't believe that I'm here doing this." In life you never know where you are going to end up, but if you stay true to yourself and follow your dreams, you will likely be happy with wherever you land. Saturday, I will land back home in Philly where my wife and son are waiting for me. I truly am a lucky man.