Armed with sticks and rhythm, these guys and gals will beat the skins within an inch of their lives.
Guitar Center Drum-Off Championship finalist Ivan Garcia delights the crowd at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, Calif. on Jan. 5, 2008.
It was like Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July rolled into one drum kit. As soon as Thomas Pridgen saw those glorious, gleaming drums, he knew they were meant for him.
Preternaturally self-confident at only 9 years old, Pridgen entered the Guitar Center Drum-Off, and round after round he blew away drummers who were two and three times his age. “I told everybody I knew that I was going to win," Pridgen says. “They asked me, 'What if you don't win?' But it was like seeing a bright, shiny red bike. I knew I had to have that drum set."
Without a trace of nerves, he tore through his five-minute solo, easily winning the Drum-Off finals and making it clear that a new drumming phenomenon had just bounded into the spotlight.
Sixteen years later, Pridgen, now the drummer for the prog-metal band Mars Volta, will be judging the contenders at the 20th annual Drum-Off grand finals Saturday at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. The festivities also feature performances, including one from the band Papa Roach.
But it's the competition that counts, and the stakes are high. Along with Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, Danny Carey of Tool, Alan White of Yes and seven to 10 other drummers (possibly including Tommy Lee), the judges will pick a winner from among six finalists who have collectively beaten nearly 5,000 competitors.
Drum-Off grand finals
Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.
7 p.m. Saturday
Price: $15
