What happens when a high school jazz band drummer from Vermont decides to take a spontaneous leap of faith and move to New York City? Join us as we chat with Sam Merrick, the talented drummer for the Broadway show "And Juliet," who shares his incredible journey. From local gigs in Boston while pursuing a communications degree at Boston University to a serendipitous bartending job in Times Square that led to valuable connections, Sam’s story is a testament to the power of chance encounters and seizing opportunities.
Ever wondered what it takes to transition from live, improvisational gigs to the structured world of Broadway performances? Sam opens up about the pressure of auditions, adapting to strict musical scores, and balancing different types of gigs. We explore the contrasting demands of club dates versus long-running shows like "Hamilton," and how versatility and stepping out of routine can keep the musical experience fresh. Sam also sheds light on the physical and mental toll of performing in musical theater and shares anecdotes from the fast-paced environment of Broadway.
Discover how modern drumming trends and social media have influenced Sam's career, and the balancing act of maintaining personal relationships while navigating the unpredictable music business landscape. From remote recording sessions to the unique passion drummers have for their craft, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the life of a Broadway musician. Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation with Sam Merrick, as he shares his insights, experiences, and the joy of making music.
What happens when a high school jazz band drummer from Vermont decides to take a spontaneous leap of faith and move to New York City? Join us as we chat with Sam Merrick, the talented drummer for the Broadway show "And Juliet," who shares his incredible journey. From local gigs in Boston while pursuing a communications degree at Boston University to a serendipitous bartending job in Times Square that led to valuable connections, Sam’s story is a testament to the power of chance encounters and seizing opportunities.
Ever wondered what it takes to transition from live, improvisational gigs to the structured world of Broadway performances? Sam opens up about the pressure of auditions, adapting to strict musical scores, and balancing different types of gigs. We explore the contrasting demands of club dates versus long-running shows like "Hamilton," and how versatility and stepping out of routine can keep the musical experience fresh. Sam also sheds light on the physical and mental toll of performing in musical theater and shares anecdotes from the fast-paced environment of Broadway.
Discover how modern drumming trends and social media have influenced Sam's career, and the balancing act of maintaining personal relationships while navigating the unpredictable music business landscape. From remote recording sessions to the unique passion drummers have for their craft, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the life of a Broadway musician. Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation with Sam Merrick, as he shares his insights, experiences, and the joy of making music.
okay, so this is episode 20 of on drums. My name is john simioni. Today I have sam merrick um, and it's a first for me. I've never met sam until right like three minutes ago. That's the first person on my podcast that I've never met before. Sam is currently the drummer for Ann Juliet on Broadway. Right, sam, say hi, how you doing.
Speaker 2:That's correct. Hey everybody, How's? It going Glad to be here. It's going well.
Speaker 1:Good, good. So I don't normally like I'm not really a Broadway guy, so I happen to go see that show. That's why I wanted to talk to you because, uh, yeah, I you know I'm not easily impressed by by music, but that music was killing man, it was, it was, it was great it was great.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you. Yeah, um, the, the arrangements and the band, it's yeah, it's all. It's all a blast to play and it kicks my butt in the best kind of ways too, is that right?
Speaker 1:That's what I was really impressed by. The music was killing me through the whole thing. The show was like what? Two and a half hours, something like that.
Speaker 2:About two and a half.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at the end of the show you guys came out right. The orchestra came out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got a little bow at the end of the show, yeah.
Speaker 1:It seemed like there was only like nine of you or something. Am I wrong?
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, there's a string quartet. There's bass, drums, guitar and two keyboards All right.
Speaker 1:So that blew me away because it sounded like a hundred people back there. It really just sounded killer man. It was great. Like I said, I'm not easily impressed, you know. So it impressed me, you know.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it's like there's a bunch of tracks and you know like I'm playing a lot of samples and so you know we do the make the most with what we have.
Speaker 1:Right, right, okay. So yeah, I mean I used to work a lot going on back then.
Speaker 2:Were you guys under this.
Speaker 1:Where were you? We're directly under the stage in the basement, yeah, yeah, watching monitors and stuff. Yep, yep, exactly, all right. So cool man and I, I just checked out your resume, your, uh, your um, the bio sent me. Just just tell me how did this all start for you, like, because I I have friends now that are like branched out into every part of music. Now you're, you're right now just, and juliet's your main gig that's my main gig.
Speaker 2:Yep, correct um but I mean, I'm in the city now, I'm doing a lot of different things with different artists and you live in new york uh, for all intents and purposes, yeah, yeah, um, my, my fiance and I also have a house in nashville, so we're kind of back and forth a lot between those two places, but cool, um, yeah, I'd say like most of my work is in new york right now, so I spend most of my time here house in Nashville.
Speaker 1:So we're kind of back and forth a lot between those two places.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I'd say like most of my work is in New York right now, so I spend most of my time here.
Speaker 1:Right. So where are you right now? You're in the city.
Speaker 2:I'm in New York right now. Yep, yep, I'm in Queens.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, queens, what part of Queens, astoria? Oh, my wife grew up in Ozone Park. Okay, okay, goodbye, anyway. Um ozone park, okay, okay, goodbye, anyway. So how did this all start for you like, where would you, how did you like?
Speaker 2:you know, I assume you started playing young and you know, yeah, uh, I was playing. You know I did high school bands, like jazz bands. I did like the. I grew up in vermont so I, you know, was involved there with like the district jazz band, all state jazz band, doing that kind of thing. And I ended up going to college and to Boston university where I didn't pursue music, I don't know. High school ended and I just kind of was a little unsure as to what I wanted to do with myself.
Speaker 1:That's interesting.
Speaker 2:And so I I started at like basically like a general studies degree and then I kind of morphed into the focus, morphed into a communications degree and all the while, I mean, I was playing in some fun you know ragtag bands around around Boston and I had some friends at Berkeley so I was, like you know, dipping my toe in that world a little bit. But um, and then college ended and I yeah I was, I was playing in like kind of a confusion-y jam band thing and uh, I had I had a friend. I had a friend who had been in New York already for a few years and a room opened up in an apartment in in Brooklyn and he's like hey, do you want to take this room? It's free in two weeks. And so I was like, okay, yeah, all right. And so I just kind of moved on a whim and, you know, sold my car, sold all my stuff, and just kind of headed down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's that? I said you don't need a car in Brooklyn.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, no. And so I just kind of arrived and I got a bartending gig in Times Square, which happened to be directly below the old Drummer's World shop on 46th Street. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so you know, and so, like I didn't even this, this was a complete random thing that happened, but all like all the drummers who worked at the shop would come downstairs and have lunch and hang, and so I ended up just meeting a lot of great people and it's, it's cool. I mean, like I can, I can trace a lot of my musical network back to, um, that one job and the people that I met at working at this one restaurant, and right, but you also, anyways, you also had to play.
Speaker 1:I mean, you were, you were a great player. Obviously they had to like you couldn't just know the guys you had to like also be a great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I think I, I, I like I, one of the guys was down, I was like, oh, I play drums too. They're like, yeah, okay, cool and I. And so I kind of played them and I played them a recording of, like, my college band. They're like, oh, you do play, yeah. And I was like, yeah, yeah, I play. And so then I, you know, was invited out.
Speaker 1:I gotta tell you I I hear that like it gets everything right here. Oh, oh, I play drums too. Or oh, I play guitar. I'm like, oh no, that's always yeah, yeah, you know so go ahead. I'm sorry you. You were saying no, no, it's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we we all can. We can all uh relate to that one, but um, anyway, so that, yeah. So I got invited to some jam session things and little uh, just some music gatherings, and started to, you know, meet more people and you know things happen slowly as they do in this world and um, so, yeah, I mean you were like going gig to gig meeting other people, right?
Speaker 1:I guess that's the way it happened.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, um, yeah, I mean I, I was. I moved to New York in 2008 and, yeah, I was kind of just was kind of just doing the freelance thing around town. I was teaching a little bit and playing with a lot of random artists. And I was playing with this soul artist named Kendra Morris for many years a band, that Handsome Devil. That were just super fun projects that you know did some cool things, traveled to some cool places and then in 2016, I got a gig subbing with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings doing like the throwback soul thing.
Speaker 2:But I mean, yeah, the whole Dap Tone universe was, that was for me, because I was, I was a huge fan of that stuff for years and, yeah, I mean up to that time too, that was like my, that was my, that was the biggest gig I had ever, ever played for a summer and, you know, went on to sub in the other dap tone adjacent bands as well and uh, yeah, and then 2018, um, or 2017, I should say I I got the gig for the touring production of hamilton and that was my first.
Speaker 1:So let me just stop you for a second.
Speaker 2:Let me just stop you for a second.
Speaker 1:Okay, how did you get that gig? How did that come about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I was playing a wedding gig.
Speaker 2:There it is. Yeah, there it is. This is how it happens, and it was my first time playing with this particular band and I was chatting with the guitar player, who I had just met that night and he had actually just gotten the touring gig with hamilton and we were just chatting and I was like you know, I was like that's cool, man, I congrats. You know, I've I don't really know anything about that world, but like, sounds cool. I know a few guys who do it, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about what playing on broadway or doing musical theater actually meant. And, um, anyways, the gig, gig went well and I, I, I got a random facebook message the next day from the guitar player being like hey, man, that was, that was great play with you. Um, you know, I think they're looking for a guy for this tour. Still, I can put you in touch with the contractor, right, and I was like I didn't even know what a contractor was at that time. I was like, yeah, okay, that sounds good, sure, um, and I don't know what. And, uh, I didn't. Yeah, he sounds important. So that sounds great.
Speaker 2:Um, and so, uh, yeah, and so I didn't actually hear anything for a few weeks. And then I'd reach back out to the guitar players like, should I've heard something? And and he's like, oh, we'll just message this guy directly. And so I did. And, um, yeah, and he you know he had heard gotten my name from somebody else unrelated, for not even a Broadway gig. Anyways, he gave me all the audition materials and so it was basically playing five songs with just drums and click, just playing the chart down, drums and click, and yeah, and so it took me because I hadn't read drum charts like that in many, many years. Right, I don't know how much you know about the hamilton book, but it's very um, eccentric, so to speak, hyper specific it's funny that you mentioned that, because I I was just thinking about that today when I read your bio.
Speaker 1:Um, because when joel was subbing on my friend, joel rosenblatt, was subbing on hamilton, he he sent me a picture yeah remember the correct. He sent me a picture of the drum area. I guess I don't look like a room to me and it was just wall to wall with monitors and all this weird stuff. Does that sound about right for hamilton, like it's?
Speaker 2:uh, you want to include kind of a small space I mean, yeah, there's, there's five snare drums yeah, you're you're packed in there in a little booth but five snare drums, you know there's a bunch of electronics, Right?
Speaker 1:So I got nervous. Just even looking at the picture I got nervous. I felt my blood pressure.
Speaker 2:I mean, I felt way in over my head. Right away. I was like, oh man, I gotta, I gotta figure this out, um, but uh, yeah, so did it, did it, you know, submitted some videos playing some five songs with click, which is also just like a nerve wracking thing to do, like just hearing yourself completely naked with a click track is, is, um, is, is. You can learn a lot, we'll. We'll put it that way, right, right, but, and, yeah, and, and. So you know, I, the orchestrator, called me a few weeks later and was like I loved your audition tape, can you do another round? But having fun with it, quote unquote. And so I was like, okay, like okay, you know, I guess he wants me to. Just, he just wants to see if I can like play and, you know, see where my musical mind goes when I'm not like glued to the ink right here. So, um, and so yeah, and after, yeah, I got the gig from there and um spent a lot of time playing that show, so that almost 1200 performances that's wow.
Speaker 1:So that's an interesting point you made. Um, so you came from more of a um, I don't know for more of an interactive background. Was playing drums like playing off other musicians type gigs, right, like what drum 100 right to to a broadway show, which is a different, different thing happening, right, you are, you, are you, yeah, um kind of like restricted, or you know, you have to kind of play the same thing every night, right, is that the way it goes?
Speaker 2:that is pretty much the expectation. And, and you know, a show like hamilton, I'll say it's very ink centric, like uh, it's, it's heavily, heavily notated on the page like fills, uh, dynamics, um pick, any kind of pickup, and yeah, it's, it's very, very specific. So yeah, exactly like you said, you know, going from like kind of like a world where I'm playing, like you know, balls to the wall, kind of throwback, soul and other random gigs, where it's, like you know, night to night I'm I'm just being me, right, you know and to to basically executing this perfect thing of like three hours of music, that's 100 percent notated, was a big, was a big shift.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right it's a whole different ball game. I know playing a show because bill bill lanham I did him on this on the show also. He was telling me I mean actually when billy was doing, he was in new york doing lame is did for like I don't know 15 years in the city. He wanted me to come because he was sub. This is so weird. He was subbing for me on club dates because the club dates were playing more, doing, were paying more than what he was getting at Les Mis 519. It was completely bizarre. And then he said to me listen, why don't you come in and sit in the pit with me and learn the show? You can sub for me.
Speaker 1:So I did, I went in and I guess he had played the show so many times. He had a newspaper there and and he was talking to me and like I'm like what you know, I'm in the pit, like there's a million things going on, and and then you know he's like, oh, he'd be talking, he'd be in conversation, they'd say hold on a second and then he'd play something and then come back to the conversation. You know like it was, like he was so used to playing that and I was like, oh, my god, I can't this is yeah too much pressure for me, man.
Speaker 1:I never. I never did it because, again at the time, it wasn't for me to go into the city from long island. It almost didn't pay, you know, wasn't worth it for whatever I was made, club dates was like a killer.
Speaker 2:You know income at the time, so you know I was yeah, yeah, it can still provide that, believe it or not.
Speaker 1:It's just not. I mean, at least out here it's not what it used to be. I mean it was. It was a lot of money. You know you sell your soul. Basically, that's what I did.
Speaker 2:Sure, sure. So I, you know, I I still like to do them once in a while, though I try to Like, whenever I get a call to do them, I'm always like, yeah, I'm in, let's go, cause, cause. Um, I mean, honestly, I feel like I am the drummer I am today, from, you know, doing those kinds of gigs where it's like you know high energy, long, like uh long sets, knowing having to like process and know a lot of music. You know there's a lot of value in those gigs. Like process and know a lot of music, you know there's a lot of value in those gigs. And to I mean to do the broadway thing day in and day out, like going and playing, like different stuff and having having that change of sceneries is is always healthy yeah and welcomed for sure I, um, I, I, you have to, I.
Speaker 1:That's that's the one thing I'll say about club dates that I think is okay or good is that you gotta be aware. You have to be really like listening and you know, um, at least when I was doing them like I was, I haven't done club dates at about 10 years and you had to kind of like watch what was going on, yeah, and you had to play all these different styles.
Speaker 1:Well, you know you know, yeah, yeah you know, that's, that's kind of the way it was. Now I I've been on a couple now where it's just kind of like almost like a show, where it's like, you know, they start the gig and you go, you go, you do your your, whatever your sets, and it's just, it is what it is. There's no interaction. You know, anytime the band starts feeding off each other.
Speaker 1:They, the club date leader, tells you to stop. You know it's weird, the anti-music now or something, sure, sure. So let me ask you this um, what, uh, what's, yeah, got any any any weird stories about doing, like you know, the shows like any, any kind of like mishaps, or because I've heard a few that I think are hysterical, but I mean, I'm not sure how exactly know if you've done so many shows right, yeah, well, okay, Well, this there are some. You don't have to spill anything you don't want to spill.
Speaker 2:No, no no, I mean, some of them are actually just embarrassing for me, but like I have no problem, I got no shame. Actually just embarrassing for me, but like I have no problem, I got no shame. Um uh, hamilton's a really long show and you know it's like you are in that box for an hour and a half for each act and you're and you're playing the whole time, right, yeah?
Speaker 2:you're playing pretty much the whole time. There's some, there's some short breaks, but but uh, yeah, if you need to, you know, relieve yourself. You just don't really have that option, oh my god, I didn't even think of that yeah, and so I mean we try to prepare for these.
Speaker 2:You know, use the facilities before the acts the best you can, but sometimes you know the body does what the body does and and um, yeah, you know, and I there have there've been a couple times like not too many, but like times where I've had to just like sprint out of the box during like the, you know the, the, like, you know a hundred seconds, that I know that I have free and you know, do my free and you know do my business, and then get back in, strap in ears and boom. You know downbeat and you know there there've been some close calls where you know you're just, you're just hanging off for dear life and I can't say that's been. Those are crazy stories, necessarily, but it's just like. Those are the little things that you just you seem like a young guy.
Speaker 1:I mean, my friend Joel is Joel's 64. I mean he must've been, I don't know how he did it. Honestly, I mean, you know, it's an hour and a half of of sitting and playing is like, it's like calisthenics for us, you know.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, I mean it was physical. I was 33, 32 when I started that gig and I mean my body hated me. Yeah, took me a long time to figure out how to play that show without feeling pain every day.
Speaker 1:Let's see. Do you know um Steve Greenfield?
Speaker 2:I don't think I do no he plays.
Speaker 1:He's a Broadway guy. Him and his wife both played different shows. He did see I had done a million gigs with Stephen. I don't remember the show, it was all Broadway. But he was telling me a story where he was playing a show. Because we just sit around and bullshit on club day breaks and this particular show had two leads, vocalists and the band, the pit band, knew when certain leads were on which book to pull or there was a. There was a different something in a different key and a sub came in that's like I think he said it was.
Speaker 1:A cello player came in and and she pulled the book and she didn't know about this thing.
Speaker 1:With this the subs leads and yeah he pulled the wrong book and happened to be that one of the tunes started with a cello solo, you know. So she starts playing in the wrong key and the vocalist he said the vocalist follows her in that key because they don't know. He says, and then the orchestra comes in a half step away from from everything else. You know it's like, oh my god, that's gonna be like. How do you get out of that one? You know, yeah right, like oh my god, that's gonna be like. How do you, how do you get out of that one?
Speaker 2:you know yeah, right, yeah, that's a. That's a nightmare, nightmare scenario right there, so so, besides hamilton, I'm sorry, besides uh, in julia.
Speaker 1:And, by the way, um, I, my wife, got tickets to see that show. We went. I think I reached out to you once ago, right, when did we go? When did I talk?
Speaker 2:yeah, we had touch base back in, I think, march, I believe yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So we must have. We must have gone around in the wintertime, um, and I still I couldn't. Until I got to joe, I couldn't figure out what the name of the show was. She said we're going to see in juliet and I thought she said n the letter n juliet. I had no idea what that meant. And then I got there and says oh, it's and juliet. And then I'm like what is and juliet? I had no idea until the show started what it was about.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:I didn't read up on it at all, I just like it blew me away that that's the. That was the premise of the show, which is a, you know, a modern version of formula and juliet right yeah or with a different ending, if it yeah an alternate take on, like you know what if Juliet didn't kill herself? Right right.
Speaker 2:And it's this whole storyline and it's, you know, it's like her kind of trajectory into the single world and, you know, without spoiling things, like there's, you know, romeo makes an appearance somehow, but anyways, but this whole narrative is all told through the lens of the Max Martin songbook, which Max Martin is a Swedish producer, pop producer, I think. He has recently surpassed Lennon and McCartney for the most number one Billboard hits, surpassed Lennon and McCartney for the most number one billboard hits, and it's, I mean, yeah, this guy's had a really, really prolific career and um, but it's all, all the songs, all of his music, basically. So it's like these 30 songs that are, you know, unrelated except for the fact that this guy wrote them, but, like you know, songs by Katy Perry, perry, justin, timberlake, ariana grande.
Speaker 1:It was brilliant how they, how the show, used those songs appropriately for the the um script it really was I mean absolutely it's.
Speaker 2:It's pretty brilliant. It's how they, how they wove that all together.
Speaker 1:I I'm still impressed, yeah me too, and I have to tell you I'm not a broadway like we never. We went to see wicked last year and and juliet, but we're not. We don't really go to broadway and I'm not really. I don't really have to, not that I don't mean there's anything wrong with it, I just don't do it. We take what you know, we go with the family sure, and I have to tell you.
Speaker 1:I mean, I was like usually it's like, oh, it's always great, you know, wicked was great, of course, but I mean this, this, this one got to me. I'm like I was really just taken by, you know, and I, I, you know it's hard to explain to somebody like that's not a musician, how something musical can affect you like that, you know, really gets to you like you know, kind of why we do this, right, I mean, yeah, you know, it's like you really, um, it's almost like you don't have a choice. I, I saw an interview with um and you know who dave weckl is right, of course. Oh, he did, I, he, I, he did an interview a couple years back and he said in the interview he said a really telling thing you know, he didn't choose music, it chose him.
Speaker 1:He didn't have a choice um he lived two doors down from me with joel in college, so I know dave, no kidding okay, like. So I went to. I was the best drummer and I went from the best drummer in high school to the worst drummer at the university of bridgeport in 1979 these two guys lived down the hall and I thought that was.
Speaker 1:I thought that, wow, I just suck because these guys are great, you know. But it turned out to be joel and dave, which is they were exceptional, great, yeah. So anyway, let me ask you this what, um, what, uh, what's your take on, if you have one?
Speaker 2:I don't even know if you do on like drummers and drumming now, like it's different, right, I mean, it's uh yeah, I mean, I think the social media thing has definitely changed the game quite a bit and, um, I I don't think it's debatable to say that it's like you know, it's exposed a lot of, it's exposed people to a lot of new drumming styles and you know new ways to approach the instrument.
Speaker 2:And just like I mean, when I was growing up I didn't have youtube or anything, it was just like I had to listen to music and then kind of like figure out what that was. Um, and you know, I think nowadays, like you know, you have a lot of young, young kids who are just playing, like would play circles around me, truth be told, and you know, and I think that's a good thing. That being said, I think, um, yeah, I think there's like there's like an instagram algorithm friendly way of drumming and then there's like the get hired and stay hired way of drumming and approaching musical situations right, that's, that's what my whole like I, I I have a real problem with some of this.
Speaker 1:um, some of the stuff I see from, I guess it's young drummers where, where they all kind of like seem to play the same way and it's the focus is more on how can I say this? It's almost almost more on technical stuff than it is on actually playing with the band.
Speaker 2:That's what I feel, yeah, I mean, I feel the same way and, uh, yeah, I mean it's, it's about facility on the instrument more than right musicality and that being. You know, of course you're going to come across stuff where it's like, wow, I mean this, this person has it all and it's really inspiring. But I think, like you know, the broad majority of the content that gets the clicks and that gets the views tends to be more technical in nature and that's cool. I mean that stuff has a place and like I find myself, you know, once in a while being like, oh, maybe I'll just like find a lick of the day and try to figure it out, you know, like there is some positives here, but I think, just as like, in terms of drumming as a whole and like you know, uh, yeah, people understanding the role of what the drum should be in a musical context, I don't think that stuff is very informative right, no, I, I completely agree with that.
Speaker 1:See, I get for me, I I'm a little different personality, like I get a little bit annoyed by, uh, you know, sometimes I listen to stuff and it's it is technically unbelievable on listening to and then it's just void of groove and it seems to be going over. You know, like people, like you said, people, yeah, yeah so it gets the clicks, man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the thing, it's just so, it's so I don't know. So bizarre anyway, um. So, what else I want to ask you? Um what? Um so, besides, and juliet, what's your? What are you doing?
Speaker 2:just that, that's it right now well, I mean I'm at the show. I'm at the show five or six times a week, um and uh, yeah, I mean I have I week. I have an organ trio that I book around the city. We play little small bars and things. It's more so for me to feel like I'm getting out of the pit and just playing music and calling my friends and making little things happen. I find it to be.
Speaker 1:Is that and that that's happening in the city.
Speaker 2:It's happening in the city. Yeah, yeah, there's. There's a couple of guys that we put together like a playlist of, like you know, like Bill Withers tunes, al Green tunes, like some like organ trio standards yeah, it's a blast, man, I mean. There's, the gigs are pretty low stakes but they're always like it's. You always come in and and you know everyone's ears open and play music and it's always great.
Speaker 1:That's the stuff that I love to do, man. It's like I'm actually doing a club date on on Monday. What's today? Today is Friday, friday, right, I'm doing a club on Monday. What's today? Today is Friday, friday, right, I'm doing a club date on Monday. But it's one of those club dates where the guys all play which is unusual Almost like guys like yourself, the caliber. It's fun because that's going to happen. There's a money element to it as well, but it's a corporate gig, whatever it is, everybody plays. That's the whole reason why. Element to as well, but it's there. You know it's a corporate gig, whatever it is, and and everybody's everybody plays, you know it's. That's the the whole reason why. You know I got into it. Yeah, you too, right? I mean, yeah, of course, your story is that you kind of were not doing that. You know you were going to go in a different direction, I mean yeah, I mean this broadway thing.
Speaker 2:I mean like I like the wedding gig and I, I mean my musical mind was not in this place at all and it just kind of happened this way and I've been really fortunate to have met some great people who have put me on these gigs and yeah, I mean my career took a big left turn and I'm happy where it's at.
Speaker 1:Right, I mean that's a cool thing. I mean that's kind of the way all the stories I've heard is that's the way it's at. Right, that's that's. I mean that's a that's a cool thing. I mean that's the way. It's kind of the way all the stories I've heard is.
Speaker 1:That's the way it's happened is like, yeah, you're playing locally and then you know it's, it's your name, gets around or whatever, and you know, I, I, um, everybody, like everybody I've had on this podcast, with the exception of you um, we're like our long island guys that came from here.
Speaker 1:You know, like um, they all tell that story where we're just playing, we're just playing and then all of a sudden somebody knew somebody else and then they are you know, you're doing the thing, you know, and it's uh, it's just an interesting thing for me, because there's there's really no other business like this right, like where you know, like you get a degree in accounting, you go, you're an accountant, you know, it's like with music, it's like this other thing going on, right, I mean it's. It's so like subjective and and like bizarre right.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's that's what I feel about it. You know, and like I said, I think if you're not a musician, you don't get that. You know, like um, I, I, that's what I think. I don't know. Some people just like no, it.
Speaker 2:It's a very singular aspect of this, of the music business, and, um, yeah, I was actually talking to a friend the other day about the same thing.
Speaker 2:You know, it's like, like, the best things that have happened to my career have stemmed from, like, the most rinky dink yeah interactions and gigs where it's like you know, I'm just playing and just so happened to be that, like you know, a certain person was there and we connected and and you know, and it's like it's, it can be a blessing and a curse because you, you know, I think, I think I mean when you're starting out, everyone's like you can't say no, you just say yes and do you do all the gigs and you know all the gigs and you know, I, and I think there is some, there is something to that, uh, but, like you know, when you're, as you get older and you're trying to be a little bit more discerning about what gigs you actually do, do, it's, it's, it can be a bit of a curse for you.
Speaker 2:Like, oh well, do I go do this rinky dink gig? I don't really love the music but like, oh, but this person's on the gig, or what if? Somebody's there? Like there's always the what, if? And you find yourself, like you know, rationalizing, doing some really dumb shit once in a while.
Speaker 1:And you know, and I'm sure you know partners and relationships, it's always a stress when you're just like I have to do this thing and it's like do you, yeah, yeah, I, that's exactly because now I'm doing, I'm doing gigs where it's, uh, I go just to play because the guys are great and yeah it doesn't pay much and and my wife's always like really you're gonna go do this, like really you're gonna go, you know. Like you can't explain it right, yeah, I really, yeah, I really want to go play with these guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's such a weird existence. I mean it's.
Speaker 2:It is a weird existence, yeah.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this what do you think like? Because I'm sure Angelia is going to be on for a while, right, and it's going to be.
Speaker 2:I mean knock on wood. We hope so, yeah.
Speaker 1:What do you think's on the?
Speaker 2:road, um, up the road, for you like to, after that, if, if it ever I mean if and when it ever goes away, or you get tired of it, whatever, sure, yeah, um, well, you know it's, it's a big tbd, honestly, like I. I feel like I've been back in the city now for about 19 months, or almost 20 months now, since the Hamilton tour, so I had left New York for basically a five year stretch.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And there was an 18 month COVID hiatus in that as well. So you know, and so I'm just, I'm back doing, you know, doing this gig. But also, you know, the music industry is one of those things where it's like, you know, you're out of sight, you're out of mind, so like being present and being in a place really matters and putting in FaceTime. And, you know, and having been back now for over a year and a half, like you know, I'm just feeling now that my phone is starting to ring more for other things, because people know that I'm around and that you know, those getting the word out.
Speaker 2:It's always a glacial process, you know, it's very, very slow and takes a lot of time.
Speaker 2:And, you know, when you leave town for an extended amount of time, it's like you give up all the gigs and all the opportunities that you had.
Speaker 2:So you're kind of, you know, starting from square one. I mean, luckily, like, like I said, I'm very fortunate to like have come back to a steady gig, but as far as, like you know, I don't think that could be my only musical existence and and so so anyway, so only now am I feeling like things are kind of like rolling in new york for me again and I'm, you know, feeling like I'm part of the community again here. So, as far as after Aunt Juliet, I'm not sure, like I think, like I mentioned, like my partner and I have a house in Nashville and she's down there full time with a job and I go down there about six days out of the month and then she comes up to New York for a long weekend every month and you know we're making it work and yeah, it's a really it's a cool existence and I'm fortunate to have have somebody in my life who's supportive.
Speaker 1:That's a very understanding girlfriend right there man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean we, we were on tour together, you know. So I think she like has oh, is she a musician? She is a physical therapist, oh okay, who toured with the production. So I think there's a lot of understanding and trust there, just because I think she's had just like a, you know, a firsthand look as to like what the existence actually is and what it means, anyway. So again, tbd like's in nashville. She has a great gig down there and we love our house down there and you know, but work is in new york, so it's it's going to be kind of a year by year thing, to be honest, like you know, in a couple years from now, it might just be that I have to be like all right, right time to go to Nashville and settle down there and just kind of get things going. Or, you know, maybe she's going to be itching for a change too and she's going to want to come up here and, you know, I think we're just going to be taking it, you know, like.
Speaker 1:I said year by year. I think that's great that you can do that. You know, if you're not, if you're not hung up or bogged down by some other thing, it's so. It's just cool that you know whatever happens happens, right. I mean, that's where you're at, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, and that's that's kind of how we're approaching the whole thing. And you know, I, I just really I just want to work. You know, like, as far as you know, having I play still in like the Daptone soul world, I've been touring with this guy, jalen and Gonda, who's a new signee on that label and he's he's you know, we did a two month tour last fall and went to Europe for a couple of weeks and went to Europe for a few months this spring and he's got some great things happening. He's putting out awesome music. So, yeah, so I'm a part of part of that circle and doing that when I can. And yeah, I mean it's great because the show is the show and it's it's like seemingly holding steady here.
Speaker 1:The show is going to be around for a long time, I can tell you, because it's really, it's great. You know really is good show.
Speaker 2:It's really, it's great. You know, really is a good show, man, I hope so, I hope so. You know, it's always above my pay grade, you know, I would love for it to stick around for a minute.
Speaker 1:I mean it seems like you know one of those, like you know, lame is type shows where it's just going to be. Go, go, keep going. You know what I mean Me personally.
Speaker 2:I hope, I hope, man, I think, I think the thing it has going for it is that the show and the book itself can stand on its own and it's not necessarily dependent on, you know, stunt casting or like bringing in like a big name, like I don't, it doesn't need that. Like the show is so well, well crafted and well made that it can exist with whoever is on the stage.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you something else. I just came to my mind. Do you get I get you doing sessions that you place at all? Do you do sessions or no?
Speaker 2:I do. Yeah, I mean, I I have a room in Nashville that's kind of set up and ready to go and I I don't really have a space in New York at the moment. I'm kind of on the hunt in New York at the moment. I'm kind of on the hunt but yeah, all my, all my gears down there and I have a great recording set up and you know it's it's kind of a dream. I just wish I got to use it more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so I, I have set up here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can see, it looks great.
Speaker 1:And it's. It's actually been this thing. This saved me during COVID, because all we did during COVID was, you know, those crazy weird videos where everybody's playing not at the same time, you know, and it's kind of, yeah, and it sounds like music when it's done, you know. But now it's been like sort of almost a steady thing with like having, you know, do some sessions and stuff and it's at my own leisure and stuff and that's amazing.
Speaker 2:man, that's amazing. Yeah, man, that's amazing. Yeah, I'm jealous. I'd love to be doing more of that stuff.
Speaker 1:The best thing is nobody has to come here. I don't have to have somebody come sit with me and direct me or whatever Sure.
Speaker 2:I find that to be a blessing and a curse in my experience, because you're just like take 15.
Speaker 1:It's not getting better, but like in your, you know, no, I type a drummer mind yes, I've done sessions where where I get sent the tune and the chart and I play the thing. You know it's got a drum machine on it, I play mine, I sub out my part for the drum machine part and I get a call from the client and they say I, I love it, it's oh, it's great. And then they have like two legal pads of corrections.
Speaker 1:You know you have to play the E of four on this measure and the end of two, the third measure. You know it's like it almost takes like the spontaneity out of the playing. You know it's like.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You know, and not having the ability to do like real time conversations, cause, like you, probably both could have saved a lot of time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, except I. In some cases, I think it would have hindered. I would have been like so, thinking about other things other than playing, naturally. You know, I think it would have. It would have been more of a hindrance.
Speaker 2:But whatever, yeah, yeah, it depends. Honestly, it's, it's it's from, from, it's like a tune to tune basis. I have I've had a couple things where it's just like three takes and it's just like great, done, you know, and it just it feels good, it makes sense, like the parts make sense, and it's the songs that are, like you know, have there might be a little bit more meat on the bone. That that, you know, tend to be the ones that I can find myself going down the rabbit hole and overdoing and then going back and I'm like moving, kick drums around, like it's just you know, it gets a little, a little nuts.
Speaker 2:So if somebody wants a little nuts to hire you.
Speaker 1:What? What? Uh, if somebody wants you on their tune, yeah, well, how does that work for?
Speaker 2:you, usually they just reach out.
Speaker 2:You know, I've had a lot of people reach out on Instagram or just like email and yeah, and we just kind of, you know, budget wise like I'm, I'm I I kind of take it on a case by case basis. And yeah, and you know, if usually, when I'm like, like I said, I go to Nashville at least once a month, but sometimes twice, and if you know it's like some work, recording work comes in and I can always change my schedule to make sure I'm home behind some drums, have some friends in the city here who have some really great small spaces that are perfect for, like project work, like that, and that I can always like throw a little bread to, to use their space. And but, um, yeah, I just have people reach out to me. Um, you know, I'm a pretty, I'm a pretty open book, I'm easy to find out there. Uh, I have on my instagram and also on my website media page, I have, basically, you know, a playlist of some of my favorite stuff that I've done in the last few years I was listening to.
Speaker 1:Where is that stuff recorded? That's Nashville.
Speaker 2:I mean some of that stuff was recorded in Nashville, some of it was recorded at studios in New York. I mean it's over the course of a couple of years so and you know a lot. Some of it was recorded in the pandemic. When I was in suburban DC with my partner's family, I had like a little basement room and I had like basically like come up to New York, grabbed all my gear and then brought it down, because, keep in mind, I was on the with hamilton and it was abruptly ended so right. So yeah, I brought it down. So I had like a little basement set up for about a year in in maryland that I did a lot of that stuff it's like the curse of being a drummer, right?
Speaker 1:I mean nobody else guitar player can plug into, right into like their headphones or something oh, it's not fair, it's, it's not fair. It's really not. You know, I had to, I had to like build this place, so nobody could you know be disturbed by it, and it's just right, you know, and also you know and like getting the recording gear.
Speaker 2:It's, like you know, the the ceiling of getting drum mics. It's a much bigger lift than just like getting a two channel interface.
Speaker 1:Right, everybody else has got a two channel interface. I had to get an HL or a 10 chow, because it's 11 mics on the drums. You know it's like yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:My guitar playing friends. I mean, I got this cool new microphone for the amp. Now. It's going to be great. I was like, please, dude, I don't even want to hear about this.
Speaker 1:I don't hear about your one microphone that you got, true man, it really is.
Speaker 2:It is a drum, is a curse, you know, yeah, so, um, I want to ask you one more thing.
Speaker 1:Um, I forgot what it was. I, um, I totally forgot where I was going with this. That never happens. What? Oh? Uh, you don't teach? Do you teach privately? Uh, I do some lessons here and there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I like, uh, you don't teach, do you? Do you teach privately? Uh, I do some lessons here and there. Yeah, I mean I like I said I don't have a dedicated space in New York, that I, that I do a lot of it, but I've done some zoom lessons when I was, when I've been in Nashville, and you know, like, if, if a student has a space for me to come, I, I, I will travel.
Speaker 2:But uh, yeah, I mean, like, I think I'll be the first to say that I'm not a super, I'm not like a technician, like sometimes I, I students want to, or people reach out and say I want to get my chops going, I want to do this and it's like, okay, you know, I, I can, I can guide you in a direction to be like to like get your hands to a better place, or whatever. But, like you know, I, I can, I can guide you in a direction to be like to like get your hands to a better place, or whatever. But, like you know, I'm not going to be, I'm not, I'm not the drummer to be teaching the new breed, right.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm not that guy.
Speaker 1:That's my point Exactly. It's like there's too much of that. I just want to learn how to play fast kind of mentality. And point of just want to learn how to play fast kind of mentality, and miss point of why we play music. Because you know you're not, you're a musician, as you know. You know drummers sometimes tend to think that there are different species. You know where they they have to play fast and flashy and flip sticks and stuff like that, and it's not really the case. The guys who who concentrate more on playing with the band are the guys who get hired. You know nobody. I mean you can play fast, you know double kick or whatever you're doing, I don't know.
Speaker 1:But yeah I think it's just a it's more um realistic to be someone who can make everybody else feel good when you're playing.
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah yeah, and as an instructor, I feel like my worth lies in providing some insight as to how to be a working drummer, right, not so much to be a drummer's drummer, but to be a working drummer Exactly. So that's you know. If anyone listening to this is interested in hearing what I have to say about that, get in touch please.
Speaker 1:All right cool, so, sam, I'm glad you did this. Man I I. All right cool, so, sam, I'm glad you did this, man.
Speaker 2:I uh, it's really thanks for having me great great meeting you and hearing your story.
Speaker 1:You know that's what kind of what this is about is, like everybody's got their story right and and you know, yeah, I, um, I'm it's, it's. It's funny that it this, this kind of, does get to people. Like people download these podcasts, I guess a lot of drummers in different parts of the country or the world, you know, and it kind of resonates like who's, you know, we all seem to be on the same, the same page, to an extent.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know so far, it's I haven't just drummers, musicians in general, all kind of like, agree that we're all doing this for some reason we can't really figure out. It's just like you know. It's like doing heroin or something you just you don't know why you're doing it, it just yeah, it feels good, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean playing drums is is where I feel the most like myself and like, if a day goes by where I don't play, like you know, I think something feels a little off and yeah yeah, I get exactly, I feel exactly, yeah, exactly yeah but yeah, john, thanks for having me, man. I appreciate you doing this man yeah, of course, and if anybody wants to reach out or needs to find me, I'm on Instagram at Sam Hit Drum.
Speaker 1:Sam Hit Drum and sammerickmusiccom.
Speaker 2:you can find all anything you probably want to know about me in either of those two places.
Speaker 1:I'll put those in the show notes as well. Amazing, cool, okay, cool man. Thanks.
Speaker 2:John, thanks so much, thank you.