Hi, MD readers! Here we are keeping it moving along, at week number three of nine. There are certain factors that can grow on you on the right tour as it progresses. You get to feel out situations, people, the music starts to really sink in, and you begin perfecting the art of firing on all cylinders. I am so very fortunate to be on a really great tour with a great group of professionals who know their crafts and know them well, which brings me to my point.

When you have great folks in your corner working with you, the world is a better place. When you are able to just go up to your gear and simply turn a cymbal so that the label faces the way you want it to, that is golden. This is a shout out to all the great techs that make life on the road a real breeze.

The right tech is everything. They understand that a crash cymbal’s position was great yesterday, but it may be in a different position the next day, and they have no problem rolling with it. I salute all the techs and roadies that make a tour even more fun. You can just sit back and focus on your art and perform to the best of your abilities because of them. A special shout goes out to my drum tech, Annie Sideleau. She makes my drumset “hurricane proof” every night, and I love her for that and so much more. Until next time folks, keep rocking and keep steppin’. Advertisement

You can check out Abe’s first On the Beat: Checking In From Tour Rehearsals here: https://moderndrummer.com/2015/06/on-the-beat-with-rob-thomas-abe-fogle-checking-in-from-tour-rehearsals/.

For tour dates and more, visit www.robthomasmusic.com.

For more on Abe, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/abe.fogle.