Guitar Center is a known franchise and surplus outlet throughout the U.S. and they've handled various amounts of events most handled right in the heart of Los Angeles. Tonight's event is one handled annual and they're celebrating its annularity in style! Celebrating twenty years of its Drum Off, Guitar Center has searched far and wide going through almost 5,000 entries and narrowed it down to a mere 6 undiscovered drummers from all over the U.S. Each of the six going head to head to win $45,000 to use however they please! Each will be judged by skill and performance and interaction with the audience and of course their own creativity if they please, being judged by some of the biggest drummers around including: including Adrian Young (No Doubt), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Danny Carey (Tool), and The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold).
The event hit it off around 7:30P.M. sharp with the T.V. monitor showing an explosion in flames as the counter counted down the clock until it reached 0, the event hit it off nicely with the armature department having the members of Shadows Fall including drummer Jason Bittner take the first set up playing a set of three tunes that got the audience all hyped up! Soon after the head to head junkies Thomas Lang and Thomas Pridgen started drumming one another showing who was the better blaster.
After the set of armatures left the stage the real fun was just beginning. The six comparators each playing a mere 5 minute set pulsing out as much energy as they possibly could during their set ups each giving it all they got. Before each performer a short 2 minute clip of their brief reasons why they were here and what we were expecting to witness from them. After the headbashing consumed us the legendary drummer of Iron Madien Nicko McBrain performed a brief 2 tracks of heavy metal classics "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and "The Trooper," doing an amazing job from start to finish.
Host of the extraordinary event Stephen Perkins came on/off the stage as he introduced each performer and wrapped it all up with a headlining performance by Papa Roach! Papa Roach ended the night doing a 60 minute set of older material and newer material each song played got the crowd really entertained as the audience sang-a-long to every song performed, set included “To Be Loved, Scars, Broken, Dead Cell, Hollywood Whore, Lifeline, and Last Resort,” each one expressed with such aggression and rage you could feel the heat of angry raging through the musicians veins.
