A Curious Tail
When at one point during my interview with drummer Nate Wood, he told me he was playing guitar with Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders, I wasn’t shocked. I had just witnessed him simultaneously play drums with his right hand and bass with his left the night before. A quick study of Wood exhausts all incredulity; and, I figured, given two dedicated hands he could handle rhythm guitar duties alright. Still, I wanted see that.

The opportunity arose last Tuesday, April 20, when the band was booked for a hometown album release show at The Troubadour. My curiosity extended, as well, to seeing Hawkins’ drummer-as-front man spin-off project. Nate had mentioned the possibility of his playing some drums during the set too. It wasn’t until the day before the show that I heard Dave Grohl would be pinch-drumming. That turns out to be a lot of drummers for one band.

Told
The initial thought was to make the hang, enjoy the night, and hammer out a quick Hittin’ blog here the next morning. Thanks to my award-winning photographer and a remarkable performance, I had a few hundred more pics and a couple extra thoughts to sort through than I expected come morning. The sordid results of which, I now present in this here review.

Photo by Deb Jordan

Be Gentle
I was surprised to learn that this was Nate Wood’s first interview. It’s not like he’s an unknown. Buzz about his playing ripples in the wake of his electrifying live performances with Kneebody, and more recently, Tigran Hamasyan; and if you’re not hip to him you’re probably one or two cats away from someone who is in this town. Still, it’s true that there is little published record of the 30 year-old drumming phenom. That is destined to soon change, and I am happy to have sat down with Nate on New Years Eve day—less than a week before he departed his life-long home of Southern California for a new home and life in New York—to relate his story before it’s old news.

We covered Nate here once before, but I knew after that show with Kneebody that the resulting review was little more than a placeholder for a more revealing feature to come. So here you have it: our two-part, hour-long, tragically under-edited, implicitly promised video interview with Nate Wood.

Inspired Timing
My improvised plan was to massage the blatant symbolism of the new year and the very real transition of a cross-country move, into an opportunity for retrospection and a bit of horizon gazing. Nate indulged the premise and afterward acknowledged blissful emotional catharsis. It may have just been the effects of a late night and midday low blood sugar.

In any case, we did get the story. From a self-imposed retirement at age four, to gigs with two cutting-edge instrumental groups and John Tesh. That’s right. If you haven’t heard Nate play—or if you have—you might care to look and listen to this little piece of insanely-edited French footage first.

Congratulations and best to Nate on his move and upcoming wedding. To be continued.