After attending the Guitar Center Spinoffs (Dig Review with Kanye, Common, and Talib) in September and the Drumoff this past weekend and having a great time on both accounts, I think I have come to the conclusion that Guitar Center is the best promoter in Los Angeles. Man, do they know how to throw a party! The Wiltern hosted Guitar Center’s sold-out Drumoff competition to find this year’s best drummer. The evening featured performances by the competition’s regional finalists, in addition to The Bronx, Bad Religion and a very special collaboration between No Doubt‘s Adrian Young, and Blink 182‘s Travis Barker.
The evening started off with The Bronx taking the stage. I was excited to catch what I could of this band remembering that the last time I saw them (about two years ago) I was amazed by their drummer. They seemed to be a perfect choice to open the Drumoff. I caught their last three songs and was again astounded by their drummer and the whole band really. The Bronx play loud and fast punk rock and rile up the crowd in the process. The pit was churning and the lead singer jumped right into the swirling mess, completely unescorted by security (how punk rock!), for the last song of their set. What a great way to start the evening!
After the Bronx had the crowd warmed up, the actual Drumoff competition began. The contest featured six drummers that came from all over the country and had gone through a series of store, district, and regional finals in order to make it to make it all the way to the Wiltern stage. Each drummer was incredibly talented, but I was most impressed by the second competitor. He seemed to combine great technical skills with a high degree of showmanship, including twirling and juggling his sticks and generally engaging and entertaining the crowd (think funny facial expressions that accompanied his beats). The last competitor was also impressive, not only for his musical ability, but also because he was only 12 years old (P.S. he already has a publicist)! At the end of the night, neither of my personal favorites won, but the brand new Scion went to competitor number five, who seemed to get mixed reviews from the crowd, all of whom, probably like me, had their own favorite too.
Following the competition, Adrian and Travis joined forces for an exclusive drumoff of their own. The pair had dueling drum kits set up on each side of the stage with a mutual kit set up in the middle of the stage. The pair played for about 45 minutes and showcased their remarkable and, of course, respective skills. Adrian’s illuminated kit was reminiscent of my childhood Lite Brite and Travis’ was tricked out with a Cadillac hood ornament to complete the punk royalty/reality T.V. star look he’s got going these days. The pair played off one another and exuded a sort of drumming camaraderie. It was definitely a very unique one-time only set.
After Travis and Adrian’s finished up, I ran back upstairs to grab Jeremiah and I a couple more beverages at the open bar (I told you these Guitar Center events are the best!). During the course of my drink run, I missed Alan White’s (of seminal 70’s prog rock group, Yes) induction into the Guitar Center Drum Legends Family, but Jeremiah informed me of his induction and has the photos to prove it!
Pre-eminent punk rock trailblazers, Bad Religion closed the rocking evening with an hour plus set. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, many people had come mainly to see them. They started out with their hit “21st Century (Digital Boy).” I always love it when bands start with a well known song, rather than holding on to it until the bitter end, because I think that it immediately ups the energy and excitement for the audience. Mission accomplished in this case. BR’s set continued to build off this initial energy and ultimately into a climactic ending for the entire evening. What a great night! Thanks Guitar Center!!!
