In an effort to update this site on a more regular basis, I thought I'd start using it as a journal / blog to document some of my life playing music. I've been very fortunate to be on the receiving end of a lot of support and opportunities because of a YouTube channel I started developing back in 2011. In a lot of ways, that YouTube channel opened almost every opportunity I've had in music, and which by consequence, has kept me busy and unable to devote the energy I'd like to commit to this passion project. while I still have every intention of recording video drum covers for every studio / live / bootleg Led Zeppelin song in existence, plus free tutorials / lessons for whatever I possibly can, plus some original content i'd like to feature...*pause for breath*...plus, whatever you guys would like to see and that I may be capable of...It may be a little while before that's complete. As a result, I'd like to offer a glimpse at some of the live performances and opportunities I've had over the course of my career in music. A good chunk of this strictly posterity for me, but in the slight chance my two beautiful children, who I am immensly proud of, have any interest in my career after I'm dead and gone, I figured this might be a nice place to keep those memories (provided the website doesn't get wiped for lack of payment, because, you know...I'll be dead). If anyone else reading this gets enjoyment out of it, my life is even more made! I'll start it off with a performance of one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs, "Hey, Hey What Can I DO?" The song itself is, in my opinion, one of Robert Plant's greatest melodies and vocal performances, and it's matched by a seemingly effortless acoustic style that is both on the outer spectrum of Zeppelin's style, and also, Uniquely, singularly representative of something only Led Zeppelin are capable of. Plant's vocal performance is essentially a full-length solo, perfectly crescendoed to some of the most incendiary vamping an acoustic pop song has ever known. the band are absolutely fearless in how relaxed they are throughout, but just leave it to the secret weapon of the band - John Paul Jone's mandolin - to send dancing butterflies of musical bliss to lilt and lift around Percy's soring vocals and a very catchy anthem for either the band, or the entire audience, to sing in the background. Plus, his bass playing is crazy-funky throughout. I remember vividly the first time I ever heard the song; I was driving home from Junior College on the 57 North freeway, and the 'Get The Led Out'-segment came on 95.5 KLOS. 'Get The Led Out' was thirty minutes of Studio, Live, and, If I remember correctly, even bootlegged, Led Zeppelin. I had been into Led Zeppelin for quite some time already, but my attention to collecting bootlegs had taken me away from finishing off rounding out my knowledge of some of the lesser known studio work. Well, 'Hey, Hey What Can I Do?' was either the first or second song of the set this particular evening on 'Get The Led Out,' and I don't think I've ever had another experience where a song you haven't heard goes to literally every single place I hoped it would go. I don't know if I'd be able to argue it's merits as a masterpiece to a more well-versed music scholar, but to me, it's perfect. I've been really fortunate to be filling in for a band called, coincidentally, Get The Led Out. They're an outstanding group of guys, both on and off stage, and easily the most prolific and successful group I've worked with in their ability to translate the studio versions of Zeppelin's songs into a successful business and a very visceral experience live. Their drummer, Adam Ferraioli, has been going maximum beast-mode through a lot of pain for a long time, and opted to take the time to patch any lingering injuries and heal up properly. As a result, I've had the great privilege of getting to play Adam's beautiful WFL III drums, and do my best to develop a stronger comprehension of what's going on in the studio versions of these songs! Even better, "Hey, Hey What Can I DO?" is a song that they play on a regular basis! I still haven't taken all the time necessary to learn the proper stickings for all the fills throughout the song, but I've done my best to get at least something close to the phrasing for each fill in it's right place. More challenging, it's taken me a little bit to dial in the right kind of 'relaxed' feel for this one. I'm really proud of where it's starting to land more and more, though. It's getting easier to just feel the song when I'm playing it and to just let all the sound surround you; it's a really beautiful place to exist when you've got all these talented cats playing their parts so well. It's pretty neat to attempt to recreate a very seminal song in your life, and fly just close enough to the sun that you get to re-live a little piece of that glee in feeling like you're hearing it for the first time again. I love these guys for providing that experience and also letting me be a part of it. This probably won't be the last time I share a performance of this song... This is from a show on 22 April 2023 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, NJ. It was captured and uploaded by Wayne Baker. Thanks so much, Wayne!
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