In My Mind’s Zen Garden

So, last night I played a gig at Barona Casino with Big Daddy Orchestra!

Barona Casino has a nice, big stage with lights, a top-notch PA system with remote in-ear monitors and they recently bought a set of V-Drums!

So, my assessment of the Roland V-Drums?

I thought they were really fun to play! And they look pretty fantastic too! Click on the V-Drum link and you’ll see what I mean.

The drum pads are pretty awesome, and they have a very bouncy surface with a nice rim for doing rimshots. But, because they’re electronic there is no sound bouncing back to you like with real drums. So, it’s very important to have the V-Drums properly EQ’d in your headphones, or else you’ll overplay, like what I did last night for the first half of the show. After the first set my right leg was cramping up. It took a little getting used to, especially the pads that are used for cymbals and hi-hat. But by the 2nd set I was used to playing the kit.

It was a fun gig at Barona, but the only thing I really didn’t like about it was the cigarette smoke, which was everywhere. It got so bad that me and a few of the other musicians had to go outside after each break to get some “fresh air”!

And, now my tuxedo smells like an ashtray!

But it was really nice to just walk onstage light a rockstar and not have to bring my own drums, and all the physical labor involved!