Feature Stories
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Micky Dolenz
by Bob Girouard With over fifty years in show business, the actor/singer/drummer’s resiliency continues to amaze, with no determinable signs of slowing down. MD Online chats with the erstwhile Monkee about longevity, the Wrecking Crew, and why he set up…
Updated! Matt Chamberlain on the Making of a Career in the Studio
by Michael Dawson Session ace Matt Chamberlain has played on dozens of hit records since first bursting into the limelight with the Texas-based singer-songwriter Edie Brickell in 1991. In his January 2012 Modern Drummer cover story, we dig deep…
Mike Watt: Pouncing on Opportunities
by Adam Budofsky Mike Watt is a flesh-and-blood superhero to anyone who’s followed the do-it-yourself alternative music scene over the past twenty-five years. As the spieling rhythmic force behind the legendary San Pedro, California, band the Minutemen, Watt, along with…
Ben Riley: Power of the Lion, Patience of the Ages
Story by Ken Micallef Photos by Paul La Raia This article orginally ran in the February 2005 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. For access to all of the great editorial from MD’s first twenty-six years of publication, check out our…
Jerry Shirley Rocks Modern Drummer Hang at NYC’s Cutting Room
Legendary Rascals drummer Dino Danelli (center) was among the many guests who stopped by to say hello to old friends Jerry (left) and Carmine. Photo by Paul La Raia. Following a sold-out masterclass at the Collective music school in Manhattan…
Grant Hart
by David Jarnstrom When making a list of essential American music towns, it’s quite easy to overlook Minneapolis. Sure, native Minnesotan Bob Dylan lived there for a spell before making it in New York. And there’s that little fellow…
Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage
by Michael Parillo In Modern Drummer’s December 2011 cover story, out now, Rush’s Neil Peart discusses a particularly productive period in his and the band’s long career. Peart’s new DVD, Taking Center Stage: A Lifetime of Live Performance, has recently…
Escaping Toyland: The Modern Drummer Guide To Purchasing A Children’s Drumkit
by Will Romano In the past, when a child begged for his or her first drumkit, parents priced professional musical equipment only to settle for fragile, mass-produced toys—or shied away from buying a drumset altogether. Today, after collecting feedback from…
Scott Underwood of Train
Story by Rick Long Photo by Kevin Packard Everyone in the music business is talking about declining sales and canceled tours. Everyone except the band known as Train. Their album Save Me, San Francisco includes the hit “Hey, Soul…
Preparing for Takeoff: Jack Irons on His Current Approach to Moving Solo Tracks to the Stage
Jack Irons always has a number of interesting projects happening. These days the drummer, who was a founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, toured and recorded a number of seminal albums with Pearl Jam, and focused many years…
Freddie Gruber
Right up until his passing on October 11, Freddie Gruber was a source of deep and important knowledge for many top drummers. This piece from the January 1996 issue of Modern Drummer, by one of his most accomplished students,…
Don Brewer
As heartland rock icon Bob Seger tours arenas across the United States, we revisit our September 1999 interview with his longtime sidekick Don Brewer, who’s beloved among drummers for his classic work with Grand Funk Railroad. by Adam Budofsky Don…
What You Need to Know About...Drumheads
Originally published in the November/December 2010 issue of Drum Business. by Fran Azzarto Drumheads (or “skins,” as they’re sometimes called) have a history as old as the drum itself, although for thousands of years that history went pretty much…
In Memoriam: Willie “Big Eyes??? Smith
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, one of the great practitioners of a true American art form, was lost to blues fans around the world when he passed on September 16, 2011. The harmonica player, drummer, singer, and composer, who gained international…
