Raleigh Studios is a maze. The 12th Annual Hollywood Drum Show was a cube of cheese. Due to lack of direction or signage, it took some sniffing-out. Ah, but alas...

Pizza-eating ticket booth attendees and a real, live Hollywood sound stage. I'd already forgotten all about the meandrous and tiresome hunt for the place. The location was actually quite cozy in its stealthiness.

Todd Sucherman had just commenced his clinic when I arrived Saturday afternoon. After a couple awkward analogies, the drummer got ripping, displaying solid chops, disciplined execution, and mature musicality. I experienced a personal tinge of sentimentality when he cued up a Styx track---Grand Illusion was the first record I ever bought, and all of a sudden I was back in time playing along to Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) in my childhood bedroom.

Well, hello, Hollywood Drum Show. How you doin?

Win! Win! Win!

Alright, if you must see drums...Where are San Francisco Drum Co. drums made again?

You can not escape them. Do not even try.

It's hard to know anymore: Is this a joke or just another night at The Baked Potato?

That's more like it.

Apparently, these snares are so pretty they can park wherever the hell they damn please.

And the Cradle Will Rock...cacophonously...and unsupervised.

Hollwood Drum is giving it up for Anderson International Trading of Anaheim. They had the most aesthetic and dramatic display of the show, and dig those acrylic/maple shells---available in any size and proportion. Sure it's derivative, but you know you'd like to hear a set...