It’s Alive
John Henry Bonham died on September 25, 1980. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the date, L.A. drummer and raging Bonzo-fanatic Brian Tichy has created a monster tribute in his honor. Tichy’s creation has quickly mutated from an inspired rumination into a casual gathering into an organized event into a capital “s” Show and continues to morph.

He has named his monster, The Groove Remains The Same, and it comes to life on September 25 (naturally), 2010 at Key Club in Hollywood.

Turning It Up A Notch…Or Eleven
Speaking with Tichy about the upcoming night, two things become instantly clear: He is passionate about Bonham and he approaches his passion with frenetic energy. Hell, you don’t really even need to talk to the guy—just watch him play. Since his initial inspiration gained momentum just a few weeks ago, he has committed himself with a fervor, hammering out details (of the gods) non-stop in the last few days.

There is the replica The Song Remains The Same kit to reverently piece together—yes, with timps and gong; the roster of some of L.A.’s heaviest-hitters to organize; the band to assemble and rehearse; the video and audio segments to produce; a JB-themed menu(?!) to craft; banners and t-shirts to print; confetti to procure; promotion to conduct; and, of course and perhaps most time-intensive of all, the precious guest-list to delicately manage. It’s a hot ticket. And a hot seat for the guy who innocently-enough thought it would be cool to get some friends together to play some Zep tunes in celebration of his drumming hero.

The Program
So, presently, here’s how it’ll all go down: A singular museum-grade Bonzo replica kit in all its quintessential rock glory front-and-center-stage. Each of seventeen profile rock-drummers will assume the throne (a strict No Double-Pedal Clause is said to be in place) for a crack at their Zep tune of choice with the all-ringer house band, The Moby Dicks. Add a couple video performances and wholehearted tributes to round-out the proceedings. This is a communal gathering. A rare and meaningful event. A Show. A true celebration and tribute to rock drumming’s beloved and undisputed heavyweight champion.

A shortlist of the drummers involved include Abe Laboriel Jr, Kenny Aronoff, Carmine Appice, Stephen Perkins, Chris Slade, Chad Smith, Mike Portnoy, Steven Adler, and Jason Bonham. Visit Key Club’s event page for more info and tickets.

Hollywood Drum went to the source to get the drummers’ personal thoughts on Bonham and this event.

To Bonzo!
Beyond the impassioned purpose of the evening, with The Groove Remains The Same Brian Tichy is essentially throwing a big party for the L.A. drumming family. Bonzo would surely approve.

Check back soon for full coverage of this event.

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Crafts And Arts
When I teach, and in my own musical evolution, I have a guiding principle: Learn the instrument and the rest is concept. Like any workable Guiding Principle it is simple at its surface and wide enough to cover a lot of ground. Its depth is its substance. The basic idea is that the instrument is the medium and music is the canvas. Pick a metaphor, really. Essentially, as it relates to teaching, my intention is to develop drummers and musicians; not so-called rock drummers or jazz drummers for instance. Address the drumset first and apply concept to adapt and thrive in all musical styles and settings. Simple at the surface.

Musical Ethnology
In my own playing this principle has kept me open-minded and open-eared and I’ve found it relatively smooth to transition on the instrument conceptually when entering varied musical environments or exploring different styles. But developing concept is no simple matter. When I first discovered the modern Klezmer music coming out of New York’s avant garde and then the traditional stuff from Eastern Europe, for instance, it was a musical culture shock. I just never heard music and drumming that way before. There were foreign codes.

The plain fact that music emerges out of cultures bespeaks the complex challenge of effectively understanding—conceptualizing—musical styles. Try assimilating in Paris after a semester of French Lit. Try playing Klezmer convincingly after digging a few old records. Personally, I put considerable time into digesting and shedding the concepts and gained a working fluency. Added it to the bag. Still, it tested my simple principle. Concept is deep, man.

Language Barrier
When I first moved to L.A. and became exposed to the killing Brazilian music and—naturally—musicians here, besides an instant attraction, I sensed the same cold-sweat building that I remembered from the first Klez record. I felt this music on a deep level; I didn’t really understand it. I couldn’t sit-in on the gig. It made me a bit nervous. This clearly wasn’t simply about making the grooves feel good. This was a new language. Same tongue, different concept.

Leo Costa speaks it brilliantly. A Carioca (Rio de Janeiro native), his father led a samba school and Leo (pronounced [Lay’-oh]) was immersed in the culture and traditions of Brazilian drumming from a young age. He so happened to be good. With a growing affinity for American music, he moved to Boston to attend Berklee before settling in L.A. Leo understands the power of Concept, and is a fully-rounded drummer and musician.

The Rio Deal
I first heard him with L.A.’s omnipresent Carioca ambassador, the exemplary and lovely Katia Moraes and her group Pure Samba. It was immediately evident that this cat was For Real. I had to laugh at what passed for Brazilian drumming at my own fancy music school. It was equivalent to making it through Chapin’s Advanced Techniques book and thinking you could play jazz.

I hadn’t taken a drumset lesson since college. I soon called Leo. I wanted to learn this stuff from the source. In a handful of lessons I learned more about authentic Brazilian drumming than I had in all the years before. Put it in the bag.

Now I like to go check Leo out when I can. Soak-in that concept. He was playing Zanzibar in Santa Monica last night with a group called Muamba and I was free. Done.

Samba School
Zanzibar is a walk-down music venue and dance club with a lounge-y Bedouin motif, over-priced whiskey, and a positively batshit staff on this night. The stage and PA are good and they bring in a decent roster of live Brazilian, salsa and world-rhythm bands. Just bring a flask. Special shout goes out to opener Quetzal Guerrero’s self-named band, Quetzal. They were tight, groovy, and authentic Afro-Brazilian goodness.

Muamba took the stage nearing midnight. Also tight and groovy, but in a more “Brickhouse” kind of way. It was bigger, less intimate, and pop-ier than the soulful Quetzal. There wasn’t a whole lot of conceptualizing to be done hearing Leo in this setting, but it was still decidedly Brazilian-leaning and Leo is consistently a joy to watch and hear. With deceptively stiff-looking technique at times, he is relaxed, in control and musically present. And, man, can this guy bust out some serious right hand 16ths—a hallmark of Brazilian drumming. He also has serious feel—a hallmark of good drumming.

On Words
The craft can be taught. The art is more elusive. Aspects of art are innate; conceptual; pursued and earned; and cosmic. Define it how you will. Or don’t. It’s all words. You’ll know it when you hear it. I heard some last night.

Now for some pandeiro lessons…

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