This is why I love being a drummer in Ireland. House in the countryside, big shed to turn into my studio, and every major city and town that you can play in is at most a 3 hour drive away
@@NotDingse Denmark is a fantastic country to play in! I played a few pub gigs in Aalborg nearly 20 years ago, and we just played our way down to Odense. Great trip, great akvavit , lots of fun!
@@DarthAnubis1138 “great akvavit” don’t remind me :s (I only drink snaps during Christmas Dinner drinking) But I’m happy to hear, and I agree that we have a lovely country. I’d love to go to Ireland some time!
@@j_freed Funny enough, I started out on drums and played (and still do play) them for around five years before I picked up a guitar. These days, the ol drums get dusted off and played every once in a while but the guitar is my main squeeze. It's funny how many other guitarists I know who have the same background.
Portland, OR is a different animal. Your kit is your IDENTITY! We know you by your setup! We also have cars and no subway here, so it's not too bad to bring your own drums. Thank you for this video because we always wondered why East Coast drummer play these sparse almost non-descript kits. LOL Shout out to the Homie Weedie Braimah on Djembe @ 7:49 PS "lockouts" here cost as much as renting an apartment plus there's usually a waiting list!
@Gene Kelley I was there last week and I saw a shit load of store fronts boarded up and non opertional. People are moving out in droves and buying houses all over the country site unseen. Hopefully all thus chaos is over after November and NYC rebounds. Shit....9/11 didn't stop New Yorkers. I don't see why a few riots should shit all down.
Never been in NYC, but I have a music room and a, for NYC standards, ridiculously oversized kit (26-13-16-18) with stupid heavy hardware (Tama Star stands). Just walk in and start tearing it up! :)
@@cspahn3221 I had a really crappy 22 that I started out with. Didn't produce a lot of volume (behind the kit at least), no matter how I worked on it, so I injured my knee a bit by just pumping the pedal too hard. Switched to the 26, figured out that I needed to tune it up a little more than normal (wife complained about everything vibrating in the house when I played) and now I have pretty much effortless bass drum volume. There's no way I'd want to gig with this behemoth of a kit though!!! :D
Ha, so Prague is same as NY in this sense, almost nobody would haul their own kit to the gig, there's one club though where I had to sit on an upright piece of literal _log_, will take my throne next time I play there.
It’s pretty similar to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. We use common spaces in former factories and bringing snare and cymbals to a gig. Happily kits in most of a clubs are pretty decent and even pedal is ok.
Yes!!!!! I loved bringing my snare and cymbals on the train for gigs. I actually loved it more when the Bitter End got a house kit and I didn’t need to bring my kit anymore. So nice.
You really nailed the new york city drum gig experience. I'm glad people can watch this video and appreciate what us NYC drummers have to go through, I didn't think I would get recognition for that beyond the crowd applauding and a few compliments on the set from concert goers, and that's not even always the case. I once did a gig at this club in Astoria, we thought it was gonna be our biggest gig because we were the "headlining band". Turns out, by the time we got on stage everybody went home and we were literally playing to a few people (probably from one of the other bands and probably only because I was using their cymbal stand) and the owner while he was sweeping the G** D***** floor! (DURING THE SET)
After watching this I have even more respect for those big city drummers! I go down to the cellar to my TD50 kit ( no acc set, my wife bro!) and play whenever I want. Congrat with your new place.
so .. i play guitar. always appreciated drums/drummers. watching/listening to you has furthered my sensitivity of percussion. Now i hear everything from epic novels through well crafted short stories to the fine point of a poem. thanks for the fine wider lens.
I think shared practice studios are a pretty common thing all over the world. Here in Belgrade (Serbia) there are several large buildings, in which a lot of bands rent rooms and convert them into rehearsal studios. In the same buildings, but also in several atomic shelters (!), there are many rehearsal studios, where bands that don't have their own equipment rent terms, which usually lasts for two hours. Some of these buildings have become the epicenters of the local subculture, because there are also ateliers, and smaller gigs are occasionally organized.
Well most of those things happen in every fast paced major city, I guess. I live in Athens and there's the same situation, located in old warehouses or unused buildings in shady places. And if you think about it, why pay X-amount of money per hour in a studio when you and your band can practice 'till your hands fall off, paying the same amount for a month or something. Each place usually goes with it's own sound (south suburbs prefer garage style stuff, port bands are usually smokier, heavier and slower and downtown bands are kinda fast, noisy and experimental) which I guess happens because of the used equipment and because people hang out and get influences from each other. For me those stuff are really fun, if you put the various inconveniences aside, they influence the scene and the music in a way nobody thinks of before they discuss about it.
Living in Philly, I played a lot in NYC. My first experience was Club Opaline in the Village. I was informed ahead of time, by our publicist who was from NYC to bring a minimal as possible. It was a lot of fun having to play on much less gear and a house kit. Had to get creative fast.
Being located in Berlin, first thing i actually thought was "oh cool, new practice shed!"... probably no coincidence here... like the kit anyway :P Cheers, have a good time there!
That actually applies to playing drums in most German cities ... even smaller ones. I always felt lucky to have even a half-decent shared space. Now I feel like I'm all set, since my current space is practically set up as an entry-level recording studio with a shared kit that I can play and rearrange pretty much any way I desire. Still, it's not *my* kit and I'm fine with that.
Nate, thanks for this enjoyable glimpse into being a drummer in NY. I think you should make an hour or so long video on "what you should know before you decide to move to NYC to play drums"! One of the most memorable things I was ever told by a NYC veteran was, "Everything is harder there." Smaller, shittier apartment, probably no car, practice spaces, two pillion excellent drummers, 320 gigs. Out til 3am then drag you ass to work during the day if you are one of the lowly "day job" people. But some guys I know, moved there and love it! I don't know how they do it. More stimulating. More serious players. Makes you improve quicker because of the environment in which you are immersed. I know there are pros and cons. Like everything else in life. Other things I deem "quality of life" are more important for me. But it is all subjective. Seems like you love it there and so do most of the people commenting. To each his own. Keep up the great work, man. And make a warning video for people to watch before taking the NYC plunge! You got the best pizza!
There's a old pop song that says when you leave NY you're going no where...I don't actually agree with that however, as a native New Yorker who has left, I do understand. Here's the point, I'm a bassist...and in my new digs, I have to schlep my amp all over. (Yes, less is more.) I also needed a car. But I will say this, while in NY traveling home on the subway after a gig was part of the aura of being a musician in NY. I do miss the edge and the hustle...but not looking for parking or missing that train to get me where I need to go. Thanks for the post.
It's only because you started out in New York that you thinking of it as "having" to schlep your amp all over and "needing" a car. Being able to use your own gear is a privilege, even a right. Bringing it with you is a minor inconvenience.
Playing rides as crashes is a thing?? Damn!! I've been doing it forever!! I even often ride my Paiste 18" medium crash... Forget the labels, whatever sounds good is whatever's probably needed for the song anyway!!
hell yea i just figured that one out recently too after seeing jazz guys doing it for accented notes, usually with the snare. so when I need a second crash, I just hit the ride with the side of the stick and bada bing bada boom.
Feeling privileged..My permanent set up with permanently setup mics and even a stage lighting set!...Defo not from NYC. I do know a similar thing from the cramped London scene. a few yrs ago.
This was an interesting insider view on the NY jazz/hip hop thing. I love your commitment to the lofi purist aesthetic. Not only to playing music, but LIVING the music! It takes alot of courage and integrity.
This vid reminds of my ongoing dreams 1. knocking over a cymbal 2. bass drum sliding away from rest of kit 3. playing drums in only my tighty whities. Yes you can tell I'm not from NY
Supposedly my dad borrowed a kit for a cruise ship gig, the legs failed on the floor tom as they hit heavy water and it rolled off the stage after it was chased around a bit with waves giving it a mind of its own.
Can definitely say HELL YAH TO ALL THIS. Was supposed to play the Rockwood on my first US touring season this year, but COVID. Studied with lots of Americans up here in Canada. This was like a dose of jazz school nostalgia. It's weird as a Winnipegger to know that the wingnut thing is very New York, and never having been there. Maybe next year!
I like your video. I've never played in New York. I'm sure it's quite the scene. That's where people go to follow their passion and make their dreams come true!!
Great video as always. I wasplaying in nyc a lot about ten years ago ( driving in from CT to play "rock") and always dreaded the load in and out. The stress was real! Double parking, horns beeping, then find actual parking. When i studied with Mike Clark at his apartment in nyc i always thought " his neighbors must hate him lol maybe they appreciate having a jazz legend play for them? When i played...probably not so much.
Precise description of out big band rehearsal room, the room set sounds good and I only haul what I carry. This is even though it's 5-6 blocks from my suburban house to the rehearsal space I drive there, haha!
I loved playing those venues without kits and making it a "place to play" when it may not have been before. People loved it and, YES, I had to bring my own kit. NYC 1999-2014 with a car because I love playing my own shit and knowing how it will function. I can't tell you how many times a house kit failed during a set before I said f this ish. The good kits were at the good venues and yes, it was nice that they were there. Here in Tokyo most venues have kits and they are good. I am super glad because having a car is barely an option for getting to a gig.
Great video!!!! Gotta love the fact that venues have house kits. It's true that some of them are in really poor condition but I think that's part of the charm and making things works anyway despite not having perfect conditions.
Which is why I’m glad I live in Tennessee with a nice home in the country. I’ve got a practice room upstairs and one in the bedroom. The neighbors are far enough away that I can practice at 2 AM. Of course, living in Tennessee in the country means I drive a full size truck so I can easily load up whatever size kit I want and drive 30 miles into Memphis and play the gig. Oh, and my rides are crashes. Normally 2- 22”s and a 20”.
One of the benefits of living "in the middle of nowhere" the only ones who can hear you are the bugs and coyotes. And they can't call the cops. The downside is the racism.
@@elithepitbulldog2209 😂😂😂 Imagine living in Tennessee and having *No idea* what I'm talking about Imagine not knowing there is racism in TN, then saying "You're racist!" when someone points it out 😂😂
Sean LaMontagne you’ve just made my response to you valid. Drums, drum rooms, living in the middle of nowhere, has nothing to do with racism. Most of us don’t care about that nonsense. Living 30 miles from from Memphis is hardly in the middle of nowhere. There’s plenty of estate lots with 5 acres of land or more in the suburbs.
Played at Arlene's Grocery on tour....year's ago. The snare stand was so fucked up that I had a bruise on my thigh from smacking it. Also had to hide my gear to flag a cab lol. I sure appreciate my basement drum room!
Astoria resident here. Less gear to schlep. Definitely! Even as a guitarist. Ideal rig? You can carry it all in and out in one trip and preferably to and from the train. 🙌🏻
yeah man, thats when digital modelling units really come in to their own. Carry and plug straight in to the PA. no amps needed. Fuckin LOVED the pod xt live when it came out. Still bring it as a backup
I absolutely LOVE dirty and beaten up cymbals. Growing up I used to be one of those “don’t touch my cymbals” type of drummer, but once I found out about Darren King, that all changed. Darren is the prime example of someone who uses old/beaten up cymbals that also just so happen to be ride cymbals. In the first Mutemath live album he’s using, what sounds like, a old and beaten up model of the Zildjian A custom ride (20 inch) and in the Mutemath album “Armistice” he’s definitely using a Zildjian Armand ride (20 inch) it was super aged/dirty and has a crack by the Zildjian logo on it. Search “Darren King 175 BPM” on YT and you’ll hear what I’m talking about, his ride cymbal sounds so much like a crash cymbal, it’s great 😆 sorry for the rant, just figured I’d share my love for aged cymbals
here in houston tx, all I know is every storage unit place has a no music rehearsals line in their contract becausethat's what people try to use all the time.
I live in NY, and use a shared space. I do take about 30 minutes setting up and breaking down simply because I want to hear the sounds. It's like the guitar players pedal board. With that....I could easily use a 4pc kit, but I still like to use about 9 cymbals give or take. I also love the look of it all set up. Over the years, I have mastered less is more as far as hardware is concerned. 2 toms, side snare, 9 cymbals, (including x hats) all on 4 stands. All memory locked, and easy to set-up. Yeah....I yell at myself for this all the time....but I apparently never listen! And, I never clean my cymbals! Rock on dude!
@2:19 That guy's based in rural/suburban Western Mass, not NY. He went to my school, and he's fairly prominent around my scene. (He does tour a fair bit, but I believe that video was recorded in a W-Mass basement)
#3 is the main reason I keep gigging kits small in as few bags as possible, lol. I have played gigs in NYC with my own kits, but we won't discuss those here!
10:45 - You might not remember saying this two years ago but here's another one to add to the long list of reasons you're not a hypocrite after the new video this week. Big congrats on the sponsorship. Well deserved. Hand clap and party emojis.
That part about loading in and out while double parked hoping to not get ticketed or towed summed up being a musician in NYC better than anyone I’ve ever heard! I have musician family in Manhattan and they didn’t come close to that good of a description. This video was pure genius. 🔥💥
Those are probably the things they take for granted. When describing what it's like to play in New York, having to be double Park wondering if your car is going to be there on the second run in is just a way of life at that point that doesn't even register is something to talk about
Sean LaMontagne: As an AZ resident who has 0 clue how those living there deal with that, it’s fascinating to me. And Nate’s delivery of that was brilliant.
When i lived in Seattle with my bandmates we rented a shared practice space that was a couple miles away from where we lived. We had to take a public bus with most of our equipment for 45 minutes there, unload, then play for 2 hours and leave right after. It was brutal but it made us practice way more effiecently.
That drummer that’s using Nate’s space in this video, is that Dylan from Kal Marks and A Deer A Horse? I got to meet that dude a couple of times when he’s played in my city. Killer player and really nice person
Adams Morgan in DC, well most of DC too. The load in is a gamble that cops will be cool with double parking. Places like The Black Cat and 9:30 club were great with loading areas and the staff would help with load in. I gigged as a drummer, bassist and guitarist and def the worst is lugging an upright bass several blocks through snowy streets because double parking wasn't a option. Future drummers, I speak in the past tense because I'm currently writing during the pandemic.
@@8020drummer yeah there was an underground system of house party venues that one could use as well as improvised storage facilities. I taught at a music shop in Arlington, VA (borders DC) and was able to use the space after hours. HMU next time you're in the area and I'll help out with rehearsal space and lodging. You're a legit player and we gotta stick together.
I am so happy not to need a car in Niigata, Japan. Most clubs have decent house kits, so I augment them with some of my own gear, transported on my bicycle, usually only 4 to 8 blocks away. (Hmmm....how can I post a pix here???)
I don't really get it, the microphones, shiny drums and fancy clutter was the difference between NY and LA(?), but are the not housing/practice space expensive as hell in LA to? I also wonder how many of the NY things that I recognise from the places I have lived in(on the other side of the ocean) that comes from me and my buddies looking at the cool hip drummer videos and what just us being lazy, like the wingnut thing, we do it to. But the housekit thing is in reverse here I feel like.
when i was at nyu studying drums we had a shared locker to store all of our cymbals and pedals, and whenever someone forgot to lock the door my bass drum pedal would disappear and i would have to search all the practice rooms for it. LOL! never found the culprit...
Are you even really a drummer? You play 2 beats all the time.
And where's the problem in that?
He’s better than you
@@cloudbits514 ezy buddy
The pocket is above any tune. Being able to make music out of the act of keeping time bar to bar is a serious talent
Yet you watch enough videos to know?
Dude. Im a bass player here in NYC, but this is BY far the most on-point information any MUSICIAN (let alone drummer) needs to see. Well done!
This is so insightful. Thank you for the knowledge 🙏🏽❤️
Says the guy who's straight SLAYING over on his channel these days 😜
This is why I love being a drummer in Ireland. House in the countryside, big shed to turn into my studio, and every major city and town that you can play in is at most a 3 hour drive away
Denmark too
@@NotDingse Denmark is a fantastic country to play in! I played a few pub gigs in Aalborg nearly 20 years ago, and we just played our way down to Odense. Great trip, great akvavit , lots of fun!
@@DarthAnubis1138 “great akvavit” don’t remind me :s (I only drink snaps during Christmas Dinner drinking)
But I’m happy to hear, and I agree that we have a lovely country. I’d love to go to Ireland some time!
Haha, must make every gig feel like a bit like being on tour!
I am in London 😫
I enjoyed learning these things even as a guitar player who had never played drums or gigged in nyc
It's Berto Same! I would love to hear more about the club scenes in NYC, LA, Nashville as well.
Lol, literally same
I just moved to NY a week ago and this video was helpful to learn new things too as a guitarist!
Every guitar player is a closeted drummer.
@@j_freed Funny enough, I started out on drums and played (and still do play) them for around five years before I picked up a guitar. These days, the ol drums get dusted off and played every once in a while but the guitar is my main squeeze. It's funny how many other guitarists I know who have the same background.
Lol, Adam Neely=UA-cam Yoda
Guys the tom tax is not just clickbait - it's referenced in the lesson - #7. (Of course it's a joke, but I *do* make good on my thumbnail 🤣🤣)
Portland, OR is a different animal. Your kit is your IDENTITY! We know you by your setup! We also have cars and no subway here, so it's not too bad to bring your own drums. Thank you for this video because we always wondered why East Coast drummer play these sparse almost non-descript kits. LOL Shout out to the Homie Weedie Braimah on Djembe @ 7:49
PS "lockouts" here cost as much as renting an apartment plus there's usually a waiting list!
No sh## - I paid like $60 to practice for an hour when I was out visiting my sister last year. Hope to get back when the p@ndemic is over :P
I lived in New York for 14 years and I’m so glad I’ve left
Maximillianmus69 69 If you didn’t leave by 2020 you would have been moving within the last few months. NYC is DEAD forever.
@Gene Kelley I was there last week and I saw a shit load of store fronts boarded up and non opertional. People are moving out in droves and buying houses all over the country site unseen. Hopefully all thus chaos is over after November and NYC rebounds. Shit....9/11 didn't stop New Yorkers. I don't see why a few riots should shit all down.
NYC SUCKS
New York is the armpit of America with crabs you can't get rid of.
Joe Rico - but no city has charm like NYC, and smart investors are leaping on buying opportunities in this rare lapse of public faith.
Definitely don't miss having to go to a rehearsal studio to practice. Now. I go to the music room. Sit down and practice! 🥁❤
Never been in NYC, but I have a music room and a, for NYC standards, ridiculously oversized kit (26-13-16-18) with stupid heavy hardware (Tama Star stands). Just walk in and start tearing it up! :)
Same dude ive always had a practice room at home gotta love living in the woods has some perks
@@cspahn3221 I had a really crappy 22 that I started out with. Didn't produce a lot of volume (behind the kit at least), no matter how I worked on it, so I injured my knee a bit by just pumping the pedal too hard. Switched to the 26, figured out that I needed to tune it up a little more than normal (wife complained about everything vibrating in the house when I played) and now I have pretty much effortless bass drum volume.
There's no way I'd want to gig with this behemoth of a kit though!!! :D
Are you “the” John Robinson?
@@RepJock88 no. Not the real J R. Just little ole John Robinson from Waukegan, il. Heh heh! 🥁❤
Ha, so Prague is same as NY in this sense, almost nobody would haul their own kit to the gig, there's one club though where I had to sit on an upright piece of literal _log_, will take my throne next time I play there.
Logjammin'
Lived in NY for 35 years and brought my kit to every gig I ever played except for 1 gig at the Elbow Room.
It’s pretty similar to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. We use common spaces in former factories and bringing snare and cymbals to a gig. Happily kits in most of a clubs are pretty decent and even pedal is ok.
Yes!!!!! I loved bringing my snare and cymbals on the train for gigs. I actually loved it more when the Bitter End got a house kit and I didn’t need to bring my kit anymore. So nice.
You really nailed the new york city drum gig experience. I'm glad people can watch this video and appreciate what us NYC drummers have to go through, I didn't think I would get recognition for that beyond the crowd applauding and a few compliments on the set from concert goers, and that's not even always the case.
I once did a gig at this club in Astoria, we thought it was gonna be our biggest gig because we were the "headlining band". Turns out, by the time we got on stage everybody went home and we were literally playing to a few people (probably from one of the other bands and probably only because I was using their cymbal stand) and the owner while he was sweeping the G** D***** floor! (DURING THE SET)
That experience is not unique to NYC, but all New Yorkers THINK it is.
After watching this I have even more respect for those big city drummers! I go down to the cellar to my TD50 kit ( no acc set, my wife bro!) and play whenever I want. Congrat with your new place.
so .. i play guitar. always appreciated drums/drummers. watching/listening to you has furthered my sensitivity of percussion. Now i hear everything from epic novels through well crafted short stories to the fine point of a poem. thanks for the fine wider lens.
Entertaining, especially for a former New Yorker. I moved to CA to play drums professionally.
I think shared practice studios are a pretty common thing all over the world. Here in Belgrade (Serbia) there are several large buildings, in which a lot of bands rent rooms and convert them into rehearsal studios. In the same buildings, but also in several atomic shelters (!), there are many rehearsal studios, where bands that don't have their own equipment rent terms, which usually lasts for two hours. Some of these buildings have become the epicenters of the local subculture, because there are also ateliers, and smaller gigs are occasionally organized.
2:00 good to see you finally film a segment in your housing project hallway
Well most of those things happen in every fast paced major city, I guess. I live in Athens and there's the same situation, located in old warehouses or unused buildings in shady places. And if you think about it, why pay X-amount of money per hour in a studio when you and your band can practice 'till your hands fall off, paying the same amount for a month or something.
Each place usually goes with it's own sound (south suburbs prefer garage style stuff, port bands are usually smokier, heavier and slower and downtown bands are kinda fast, noisy and experimental) which I guess happens because of the used equipment and because people hang out and get influences from each other. For me those stuff are really fun, if you put the various inconveniences aside, they influence the scene and the music in a way nobody thinks of before they discuss about it.
Living in Philly, I played a lot in NYC. My first experience was Club Opaline in the Village. I was informed ahead of time, by our publicist who was from NYC to bring a minimal as possible. It was a lot of fun having to play on much less gear and a house kit. Had to get creative fast.
Being located in Berlin, first thing i actually thought was "oh cool, new practice shed!"... probably no coincidence here... like the kit anyway :P Cheers, have a good time there!
That actually applies to playing drums in most German cities ... even smaller ones. I always felt lucky to have even a half-decent shared space. Now I feel like I'm all set, since my current space is practically set up as an entry-level recording studio with a shared kit that I can play and rearrange pretty much any way I desire. Still, it's not *my* kit and I'm fine with that.
Nate, thanks for this enjoyable glimpse into being a drummer in NY. I think you should make an hour or so long video on "what you should know before you decide to move to NYC to play drums"! One of the most memorable things I was ever told by a NYC veteran was, "Everything is harder there." Smaller, shittier apartment, probably no car, practice spaces, two pillion excellent drummers, 320 gigs. Out til 3am then drag you ass to work during the day if you are one of the lowly "day job" people. But some guys I know, moved there and love it! I don't know how they do it. More stimulating. More serious players. Makes you improve quicker because of the environment in which you are immersed. I know there are pros and cons. Like everything else in life. Other things I deem "quality of life" are more important for me. But it is all subjective. Seems like you love it there and so do most of the people commenting. To each his own. Keep up the great work, man. And make a warning video for people to watch before taking the NYC plunge! You got the best pizza!
Love this video, Nate. Especially the complete intro. Thx for also helping non city drummers get a better perspective on the city life
There's a old pop song that says when you leave NY you're going no where...I don't actually agree with that however, as a native New Yorker who has left, I do understand. Here's the point, I'm a bassist...and in my new digs, I have to schlep my amp all over. (Yes, less is more.) I also needed a car. But I will say this, while in NY traveling home on the subway after a gig was part of the aura of being a musician in NY. I do miss the edge and the hustle...but not looking for parking or missing that train to get me where I need to go. Thanks for the post.
It's only because you started out in New York that you thinking of it as "having" to schlep your amp all over and "needing" a car. Being able to use your own gear is a privilege, even a right. Bringing it with you is a minor inconvenience.
Thanks for updating me on the "scene" as it existed before covid. I am officially too old for this shit.
Thanks for turning me on to all those New York clubs. Got a lot of listening to do.
Playing rides as crashes is a thing?? Damn!! I've been doing it forever!! I even often ride my Paiste 18" medium crash... Forget the labels, whatever sounds good is whatever's probably needed for the song anyway!!
Retro ride cymbals double up as crash rides nicely.
slightly dingy, cracked 18-20" crash cymbals just. really do the job for literally anything in jazz/fusion
I figured it was just what jazz players do. Not a NY-specific thing at all.
my goto thing my entire life. the best records with crashriding are probably any Rage Against The Machine tunes, hahah :)
hell yea i just figured that one out recently too after seeing jazz guys doing it for accented notes, usually with the snare. so when I need a second crash, I just hit the ride with the side of the stick and bada bing bada boom.
100% original and authentic content. Thanks for sharing a piece of you there I enjoyed the trip
Feeling privileged..My permanent set up with permanently setup mics and even a stage lighting set!...Defo not from NYC. I do know a similar thing from the cramped London scene. a few yrs ago.
Love the video - especially the west coast shade. Had an “exclusive lockout” back in the day for hella cheaps.
I worked in New York for years (as a studio engineer) and I'm just glad I don't have to anymore. Dig yo channel man.
Loved this video. Living on a farm in Tasmania it was fascinating. I always wondered why your videos were in such humble surrounds. Thanks.
Hah. Loved it. I lived and played in Manhattan. Long ago and you brought me right back. I always enjoy your sage and snarky
You are the best !
This was an interesting insider view on the NY jazz/hip hop thing. I love your commitment to the lofi purist aesthetic. Not only to playing music, but LIVING the music! It takes alot of courage and integrity.
That answers several observations I always thought were a bit odd about NY. I like the place though!
Lol! Love this. I've been in Boston rehearsal spaces since 96. And new York is definitely more the way it is in my neck of the woods.
This vid reminds of my ongoing dreams
1. knocking over a cymbal 2. bass drum sliding away from rest of kit 3. playing drums in only my tighty whities. Yes you can tell I'm not from NY
Supposedly my dad borrowed a kit for a cruise ship gig, the legs failed on the floor tom as they hit heavy water and it rolled off the stage after it was chased around a bit with waves giving it a mind of its own.
I don't know anything about drums, I play guitar, but I find these videos an interesting insight to the world of working drummers.
I appreciate that the tuning fork sound was in the same key as the intro :)
I LOVED this video... I have not been in NYC for many years and this really makes me miss it.... Thanks
Can definitely say HELL YAH TO ALL THIS. Was supposed to play the Rockwood on my first US touring season this year, but COVID.
Studied with lots of Americans up here in Canada. This was like a dose of jazz school nostalgia. It's weird as a Winnipegger to know that the wingnut thing is very New York, and never having been there. Maybe next year!
Great list! #9 makes me think of venues past such as Zebulon, Rose, and pre-brooklyn Knitting factory...
Yea beat music was born at rose
I live in Washington DC and I can relate to many of these points. House kits are the best. Thanks for sharing man.
I like your video. I've never played in New York. I'm sure it's quite the scene. That's where people go to follow their passion and make their dreams come true!!
I like the pearl export kit at the motor city casino in Detroit. Where everything is tightened with vice grips
Great video as always. I wasplaying in nyc a lot about ten years ago ( driving in from CT to play "rock") and always dreaded the load in and out. The stress was real! Double parking, horns beeping, then find actual parking.
When i studied with Mike Clark at his apartment in nyc i always thought " his neighbors must hate him lol maybe they appreciate having a jazz legend play for them? When i played...probably not so much.
Precise description of out big band rehearsal room, the room set sounds good and I only haul what I carry. This is even though it's 5-6 blocks from my suburban house to the rehearsal space I drive there, haha!
My total NY experience BMX>JFK >cab to studio>record>fuck off home....job done thanks for filling me in on everything else I missed.
Nate! This is so spot-on, and such a pleasure to watch! Great video.
Awesome video dude -- where I'm at in the DC area it's all lugging amps and cabs and drums through kitchens and up and down stairs
This dude plays at a spot in Bushwick, I remember this spot as I use to play there all the time
Thank you for all the (priceless) information I’ve smooched from you. I’m still amazed you don’t have tons of followers. A weird beast, this UA-cam.
HAHA! Funny clip mentioning DT. I consider him one of the best ROCK hands in Brooklyn. If not the best.
Glad you guys sharing a space!
:)
Great Giuliana gaff. I saw him toss a splash live at a Space Heros.
I loved playing those venues without kits and making it a "place to play" when it may not have been before. People loved it and, YES, I had to bring my own kit. NYC 1999-2014 with a car because I love playing my own shit and knowing how it will function. I can't tell you how many times a house kit failed during a set before I said f this ish. The good kits were at the good venues and yes, it was nice that they were there. Here in Tokyo most venues have kits and they are good. I am super glad because having a car is barely an option for getting to a gig.
Great video!!!! Gotta love the fact that venues have house kits. It's true that some of them are in really poor condition but I think that's part of the charm and making things works anyway despite not having perfect conditions.
Which is why I’m glad I live in Tennessee with a nice home in the country. I’ve got a practice room upstairs and one in the bedroom. The neighbors are far enough away that I can practice at 2 AM. Of course, living in Tennessee in the country means I drive a full size truck so I can easily load up whatever size kit I want and drive 30 miles into Memphis and play the gig.
Oh, and my rides are crashes. Normally 2- 22”s and a 20”.
One of the benefits of living "in the middle of nowhere" the only ones who can hear you are the bugs and coyotes. And they can't call the cops.
The downside is the racism.
Sean LaMontagne wtf does racism have to do with “living in the middle of nowhere” ?
Sounds like to me you are the one being a racist
@@elithepitbulldog2209 😂😂😂
Imagine living in Tennessee and having *No idea* what I'm talking about
Imagine not knowing there is racism in TN, then saying "You're racist!" when someone points it out 😂😂
Sean LaMontagne you’ve just made my response to you valid.
Drums, drum rooms, living in the middle of nowhere, has nothing to do with racism. Most of us don’t care about that nonsense. Living 30 miles from from Memphis is hardly in the middle of nowhere. There’s plenty of estate lots with 5 acres of land or more in the suburbs.
How are you enjoying “The Sweatshop” great practice spot in Bushwick.
Played at Arlene's Grocery on tour....year's ago. The snare stand was so fucked up that I had a bruise on my thigh from smacking it. Also had to hide my gear to flag a cab lol. I sure appreciate my basement drum room!
I love this :) seems like you're having fun! Congrats on the new place.
Astoria resident here. Less gear to schlep. Definitely! Even as a guitarist. Ideal rig? You can carry it all in and out in one trip and preferably to and from the train. 🙌🏻
yeah man, thats when digital modelling units really come in to their own. Carry and plug straight in to the PA. no amps needed. Fuckin LOVED the pod xt live when it came out. Still bring it as a backup
I absolutely love NY and would love to know all about all the venues. Like, multiple videos in the style of #9, please!
Omg that’s danbro!! Great rehearsal place, you made a good choice
I absolutely LOVE dirty and beaten up cymbals. Growing up I used to be one of those “don’t touch my cymbals” type of drummer, but once I found out about Darren King, that all changed. Darren is the prime example of someone who uses old/beaten up cymbals that also just so happen to be ride cymbals. In the first Mutemath live album he’s using, what sounds like, a old and beaten up model of the Zildjian A custom ride (20 inch) and in the Mutemath album “Armistice” he’s definitely using a Zildjian Armand ride (20 inch) it was super aged/dirty and has a crack by the Zildjian logo on it. Search “Darren King 175 BPM” on YT and you’ll hear what I’m talking about, his ride cymbal sounds so much like a crash cymbal, it’s great 😆 sorry for the rant, just figured I’d share my love for aged cymbals
here in houston tx, all I know is every storage unit place has a no music rehearsals line in their contract becausethat's what people try to use all the time.
I live in NY, and use a shared space. I do take about 30 minutes setting up and breaking down simply because I want to hear the sounds. It's like the guitar players pedal board. With that....I could easily use a 4pc kit, but I still like to use about 9 cymbals give or take. I also love the look of it all set up. Over the years, I have mastered less is more as far as hardware is concerned. 2 toms, side snare, 9 cymbals, (including x hats) all on 4 stands. All memory locked, and easy to set-up. Yeah....I yell at myself for this all the time....but I apparently never listen! And, I never clean my cymbals! Rock on dude!
@2:19 That guy's based in rural/suburban Western Mass, not NY. He went to my school, and he's fairly prominent around my scene. (He does tour a fair bit, but I believe that video was recorded in a W-Mass basement)
Joel's a friend. I wasn't saying he was in NY :):)
wayne krantz at the 55 bar is what ive missed most during quarantine!!
Greg DiCostanzo not a New Yorker, but seeing him there is one of my favorite visitor memories.
I love how neither tones presented with the tuning fork are 256hz-sometimes it's the little things :D
ive been enjoying this so much i wish i would never have to carry my drums, but no house kit around here!
#3 is the main reason I keep gigging kits small in as few bags as possible, lol. I have played gigs in NYC with my own kits, but we won't discuss those here!
10:45 - You might not remember saying this two years ago but here's another one to add to the long list of reasons you're not a hypocrite after the new video this week. Big congrats on the sponsorship. Well deserved. Hand clap and party emojis.
That part about loading in and out while double parked hoping to not get ticketed or towed summed up being a musician in NYC better than anyone I’ve ever heard!
I have musician family in Manhattan and they didn’t come close to that good of a description.
This video was pure genius. 🔥💥
Those are probably the things they take for granted. When describing what it's like to play in New York, having to be double Park wondering if your car is going to be there on the second run in is just a way of life at that point that doesn't even register is something to talk about
Sean LaMontagne: As an AZ resident who has 0 clue how those living there deal with that, it’s fascinating to me.
And Nate’s delivery of that was brilliant.
Great stuff, Nate! I knew almost none of that.
Great video as a born bred Bklyn drummer. fromda gowanus to messorole learned the hard way. Less is more
When i lived in Seattle with my bandmates we rented a shared practice space that was a couple miles away from where we lived. We had to take a public bus with most of our equipment for 45 minutes there, unload, then play for 2 hours and leave right after. It was brutal but it made us practice way more effiecently.
That drummer that’s using Nate’s space in this video, is that Dylan from Kal Marks and A Deer A Horse? I got to meet that dude a couple of times when he’s played in my city. Killer player and really nice person
It’ll be tough getting used to your new look-the one that doesn’t seem like you’re wearing a fire extinguisher on the right side of your coconut.
Glad to know between shit sets, no wingnuts, and dingy ride-crashes, I've been a NYC drummer for years!
Adams Morgan in DC, well most of DC too. The load in is a gamble that cops will be cool with double parking.
Places like The Black Cat and 9:30 club were great with loading areas and the staff would help with load in. I gigged as a drummer, bassist and guitarist and def the worst is lugging an upright bass several blocks through snowy streets because double parking wasn't a option.
Future drummers, I speak in the past tense because I'm currently writing during the pandemic.
Dude DC is THE WORST place to find spots to practice when I'm traveling. I was just talking about this 🤣
@@8020drummer yeah there was an underground system of house party venues that one could use as well as improvised storage facilities.
I taught at a music shop in Arlington, VA (borders DC) and was able to use the space after hours. HMU next time you're in the area and I'll help out with rehearsal space and lodging. You're a legit player and we gotta stick together.
Love this type of video with NY scene insights.
I am so happy not to need a car in Niigata, Japan. Most clubs have decent house kits, so I augment them with some of my own gear, transported on my bicycle, usually only 4 to 8 blocks away. (Hmmm....how can I post a pix here???)
Great backstory info on what really goes on behind the scenes, before and after the music.
In belgium drummers will usually play on their own kits, bands here will get more playtime so it's worth it.
My studio in South Minneapolis has literal families living in the spaces. It looks like Vice is gonna make a documentary any minute.
Great video. Really enjoyed it!
Can confirm pretty much all of these are true here in London as well
I had a dumb giant kit until the first time I went on a tour. 3rd night I was like “Enough of this nonsense.” 4 piece for life!
We in the “Neverland” drive vans pulling trailers to our $100k yearly polka gigs. We’re so uncool.
That Marcus Gilmore clip is key, no more bottom felt when you take that ride off! Also, I stopped using wing nuts to have more bell space
What I'm getting about this video is that it's common for New Yorkers to take things done in every city and make an identity about it.
I know exactly where that's at I've spent time practicing there 🙏
Why is the baseboard heater hanging halfway up the wall?
Your in NY?? Welcome kid, I'm out on LI, near Long Beach, see ya around
I don't really get it, the microphones, shiny drums and fancy clutter was the difference between NY and LA(?), but are the not housing/practice space expensive as hell in LA to?
I also wonder how many of the NY things that I recognise from the places I have lived in(on the other side of the ocean) that comes from me and my buddies looking at the cool hip drummer videos and what just us being lazy, like the wingnut thing, we do it to. But the housekit thing is in reverse here I feel like.
when i was at nyu studying drums we had a shared locker to store all of our cymbals and pedals, and whenever someone forgot to lock the door my bass drum pedal would disappear and i would have to search all the practice rooms for it. LOL! never found the culprit...
The new place looks super nice😎
Today I learned I'd get along with NYC drummers! I do half the stuff on this list already. Now I just have to figure out how to play jazz.....