Phil and Jon are back in a newly revamped studio B with a topic suggested by a member of our listening audience. This week we discuss the pros and cons of playing with recordings versus playing with live musicians. The request was sent to us in regard to the tribute band show that we did several weeks ago. Our listener, Tony, recently became involved with a Steely Dan tribute act. He’s spent copious amounts of time working with the original recordings however he’s discovering that he has to make numerous adjustments when playing the exact same songs with live musicians. We discuss Tony’s situa ..read more

In the field of drumming we all have heroes. Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, John Bonham, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Gadd and the list goes on and on. However, we often overlook the unsung heroes of drumming, the teachers. In the past few years, I’ve realized just how important and influential great teachers can be. The ability to clearly and concisely articulate ideas, techniques, and concepts is not an easy task. When you factor in that this must be done in a classroom setting as well as in private lessons, where teaching styles must be customized from student to student, then you unde ..read more

After a rather lengthy absence, we present to you the reemergence of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast Advisory Board. The board is back after skipping season three and we’re welcoming several new members to this season’s show. Our in-studio co-host is Justin Chesarek. Justin is an Atlanta based performer and educator who holds positions at three major metro Atlanta colleges: Emory University, Kennesaw State University, and Morehouse College. For the remote participants we welcome back long-time board members Joel Rosenblatt and Rod Morgenstein. New for season four we have added esteemed drummer ..read more

Tribute bands have been around for quite a long time. However, over the last several years they’ve become significantly more prevalent and a viable alternative to the original artist. In fact, some will even say that many tribute acts perform the music even better than the original artist. When you also consider that many classic bands are charging several hundred dollars per ticket while their corresponding tribute band may charge less than a typical parking fee, the choice becomes even clearer. This week welcome to the show Wayne Viar. Wayne has been a friend of the podcast since its incepti ..read more

Just like that, we are halfway through the fourth season of the Drummer’s Weekly Groovecast. The midway point means it is due time for another edition of listener mail. Phil and Jon begin the show discussing the audience response to the new episodes. We also get caught up on the news of the early fall season and discuss how the gigging and teaching jobs are going. This season’s mail bag was overflowing with a variety of questions, comments, and suggestions. We address a host of comments that relate all the way back to the Jim Gordon artist feature and as recent as the re-post from the Crash an ..read more

Since we started doing the artist feature segment approximately two years ago it has become one of the most popular formats for this podcast. Ultimately it has provided some of the best listener feedback. Last season we featured the great Sonny Payne and the response was tremendous. We discuss the reaction from the listeners and then talk about our Jim Gordon feature from two years ago. Back when we posted the show on YouTube the Gordon episode received a tremendous amount of attention (and continues to do so presently). Since then we’ve decided to pick players that are either under the radar ..read more

We begin the show with a quick callback to our season four premiere and then talk about social media issues. Ultimately there has been a bit of confusion regarding listeners following the wrong account on Instagram. Phil and the podcast only have one Instagram account. You can follow the show by using the Instagram account name, Drummers Weekly Groovecast. Dealing with money responsibly is difficult for many people but it seems endemic for the creatives found in the music business. It’s a story that’s been told over and over again. It’s either the tale of the starving artist or the musician th ..read more

This week we welcome legendary drummer, Steve Smith, to the Groovecast for the first interview of the fourth season. Steve was gracious enough to speak with us just before a series of dates with Journey that culminates in a three-week residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve will also be showing his artwork (at Carnavale Gallery at Caesar’s Palace) during this residency. If you are in Las Vegas and would like to see Steve’s art work and meet him in person please RSVP using the form found on Steve’s web site (link below). During this show we discuss many things including: the di ..read more

The boys are back from the summer hiatus with a new season of shows. We start this premiere episode by discussing summer gigs, travel, teaching, and vacations. We then break open the mail bag and address our correspondence with new and longtime listeners. We also discuss two new companies started by drummers who listen to our show. Please check out Ryan’s new product for wrist support and compression, Wrist Grips: https://wristgrips.myshopify.com/ There is also a drum-less play-along app created by Damani (from the Drum Coaches) entitled, Drum Trax. This free app is available on Android and Ap ..read more

As we languish through the summer we temporarily break our hiatus by posting a pop show. Late last winter I appeared on a new podcast that deals with musicians who suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD and other psychological issues, the Crash and Ride Podcast. The host and Groovecast power listener, Patrick Ferguson, has done a tremendous job highlighting an incredibly underrepresented topic that affects quite a large number of musicians. In this episode he and I discuss the different aspects of chronic, long-term anxiety and how it touches every part of your life. As musicians we elaborate o ..read more