Steve Smith: Guitar Center Drum Off Finals

[Steven Orkin]

Just wanted to let everyone know that Steve Smith will be the closing act at this year's Guitar Center Drum Off finale.

Steve will perform with:

Jeff Hamilton
Jojo Mayer
Pete Lockett
Mahesh Vinayakram
Kai Eckhardt
Fareed Haque
George Brooks

This will be a nice showcase of Steve's influences and contributions to drumming.

Some other great performances are on tap, including Dave Lombardo, Gavin Harrison and Simon Phillips, and more.

Check it out: http://gc.guitarcenter.com/drum-off-2010/

[Jeremy Smirnoff]

Let the double bass commence. Ugh..... Bad experience for me, sorry. Judged it two years ago state here, never again! It was THE most un-musical thing I have ever been a part of, and considering that I was pimped as a drum teacher at a music school, man.... it was ugly. Blindfolds and all.

[Kurtis]

who cares about the hacking away contest. i would like to see simon, gavin and steve s. play. i think vinnie came and did it one year around 1998 or so. he did 2 songs and split.

[Henry II]

Let the double bass commence. Ugh..... Bad experience for me, sorry. Judged it two years ago state here, never again! It was THE most un-musical thing I have ever been a part of, and considering that I was pimped as a drum teacher at a music school, man.... it was ugly. Blindfolds and all.

I judged a GC store drumoff about 10 years ago. Most were either not ready for prime time beginners or Songo/left foot clave El Negro clones. But, there were about half a dozen seriously talented musicians some of whom blew my ass away. The store winner landed the gig with Spiro Gyra a few years later.

Amazingly, he ended up losing in the second round. One of the judges in the second round was a former national GC Drumoff winner from 2 years earlier. Rumor has it that he was so pissed that the other two judges voted for a double bass wanker over this guy, that he told GC not to ask him back to judge again.

[Steven Orkin]

To clarify: Steve and the others ARE performing. I don't know if they have any judging duties - but they are there to perform for the large audience (usually a few thousand people).

I actually judged a GC Drum Off round here in Cleveland once and it was really bad. A few good musical drummers, and lots of show-offs with one skill that they hadn't perfected to begin with. Competition and music don't always mix.

However, my posting is to let you know that there will be some fine performances that night in case anyone is in the area.

[DSOP]

I'm really against drumming competitions like this and I don't want to support it in any way, but I'm going to do my best to attend just to see Simon, Gavin, Steve and any other greats perform (assuming they're playing music, not just soloing).

[mikebxb]

just to stir the pot ....
imagine Jeff Porcaro or John Bonham in a head to head competition against the masses...
CONTEXT is paramount dontcha think...
a lick for licks sake is nothing without context..too Picasso for me

[YamahaPlayer]

mikebxb - the competition is set up so those level of players are not allowed.


Granted the idea of "musical" competition is silly. On the flip side, competition is what drives us to be better.

I wouldn't be the player I am today without comparing myself to others, my former self and those I idolize. Competition - particularly peer review - is responsible for some of the greatest advances ever, pushing the limits of everything. It is the foundational aspect of science in all genre's medical, physical, chemical, etc

I've judged the GC drum off's for several years now, it's a good way to support the local drumming community and see what kids are playing. And while there is no musical context - drumming on it's own can be VERY musical.
Additionally, most any of us can watch 5 drummers and be able to know and explain why one is particularly better then another.

In the DrumOff's I've judged, I would say non of the drummers have moved past the mechanical stage of playing/learning. I've never seen an entry where the person was speaking on the instrument. It's always been, very obviously, players who are still learning the basics of technique and perhaps have not even come to realize the principle or concept behind the "language" of playing drums, and music in general.

Akin to the 3rd grader still learning how to make readable writing, form basic sentences and might even be getting into paragraphs.

I haven't seen an GC DrumOff entry where someone told me a story or even spoke at an "adult" musical level. In which case, it becomes merely a critique of technique and creative use of basic fundamentals, which is very easy and clear cut.

Heck this last one, I don't think I heard a single person use a flam (on purpose).

[Henry II]

* * *
Heck this last one, I don't think I heard a single person use a flam (on purpose).

Hahaha! I guess I was lucky the time I got asked to judge.

[gretsch-o-rama]

I wonder if there will be dancers?