Web Version - Drum Workshop

airs Monday through Thursday, with the
band arriving daily at noon and preparing
until their 1:00 run-through with the
whole crew. As the ever-smiling drummer
explained his routine, it became clear just
how creative, eclectic, and adaptable he
needs to be for this gig. For instance, the
show that was airing that night required
song selections ranging from Baliwood,
Blues, and Rockabilly. Worm told us
that his ability to play/learn a spectrum
of music came from his time as a gigging
musician in New York, as a member of
the Musician’s Union. He explained, “If
you’re going to be a New York drummer,
you have to be able to answer the call”
and with an excited air, acknowledged,
“I’m still learning all the time!” Even
though the music being played for the
show is often on the air for a short while,
James specifically stated, “The two most
important things for us are: 1) Heading
out to commercial together, getting it right
every single time and 2) When we come
back from commercial, we need to end all
together. And we take pride in doing that.”
Aside from the daily pressure and
expectation that Wormworth deals with, it
is abundantly clear that he loves his job
and he realizes how important it is to have
the right attitude for a gig like this. “It’s so
much fun, man. My job is to, basically,
come to work and laugh for a few hours.”
He likens it to being able to play with
his friends in the sandbox. The barefoot
basher states, “The whole day is filled with
laughter, but when it’s time to make the
hit, that’s what we do. That’s what we’re
here to do.” I asked him if the band’s
relationship with Conan is strengthened
because the host is also a musician and
understands their role better than someone
who has little, or no, musical training.
“Absolutely! Conan loves to play music
and he’s a drummer, too. Sometimes
during commercial breaks, he’ll come
over and boot me off of the drums and start
whacking around on them.” How cool is
that? This level of familiarity and mutual
love of music definitely adds to the feel
of the show and provides an on-set bond
that is one-of-a-kind. Worm refers to the
disposition of the band as “professionally
loose” and it’s demonstrated with their
spot-on playing and the sincere smiles on
their faces on any given night.
Whereas the studio for the Conan
show is on a walled lot, the Jimmy Kimmel
Live! show tapes at the El Capitan Theatre
in the heart of Hollywood Blvd. As
Jonathan Dresel led us to the rehearsal, we
had to pass through throngs of folks on the
street, some dressed as movie characters,
some doing street performances, all of
them energetic. Once inside, Mr. Dresel
showed us the theatre’s world-famous
green room, the backstage area, the band’s
hang out room (complete with dozens
of funny quotes/inside jokes written on
scraps of paper that they have amassed
over the years hanging on the walls), and
the stage, featuring a framed pair of Gary
Coleman’s pants above the venue’s seats
(seriously).
Like the Conan show, they film
Monday through Thursday with rehearsals
starting around noon, at which time the
band (Cleto and the Cletones) learns
a selection of songs and goes over the
bumper music for the show, sometimes
picking tunes that are specifically related
to certain guests. We watched Jonathan
and the band run through four songs,
including a Foo Fighters cover, for that
night’s episode. Incidentally, I asked all
three of the gentlemen for this article if
there were ever any drummers that played
as guests on their shows that really stood
out to them, and they all responded with,
“Dave Grohl.” Jonathan explained that
the band gets to choose the bumper music
and that he charts out the music for the
show during the previous night. He has
even written some original songs for the
show, demonstrating that “everybody gets
a taste of the process.” At 1:00, Jimmy
Kimmel, along the writers and producers,
took the stage to go over videos and
potential jokes for the monologue. Again,
like SNL and Conan, it is astounding to me
that these shows are having the material
written and finalized a mere hours before
being performed, but that is what allows
them to remain fresh and topical.
I have to say that getting to watch
Jonathan at work in rehearsal gave me
a deep appreciation for the level of
professionalism that he and his band mates
display. They learned a handful of songs,
never playing one more than twice, while
making adjustments on the fly (“When we
play it tonight, make the verse four bars
shorter…”). Cleto asked for Dresel to
start with a ‘shaka-doom, shaka-doom,’
Jonathan knew exactly what he meant
and off they went. There is a conditioned
familiarity present with this band, as
Dresel says, “There is a lot of energy. This
is our tenth season together and because
we’re here so much we get to develop
relationships with each other.” When I
asked him about the immense audience
that he plays for nightly, he acknowledged
that he factors in the viewership while
playing, “We’re playing for the audience,
that’s why we’re here.” Like Pelton and
Wormworth, when watching Dresel play,
it is obvious just how much he enjoys
what he’s doing. As he told us, “Music is
about having fun.” Trust me, it shows.
These three musicians understand
the hard work and sacrifice that it takes to
get, and keep, the jobs they have earned
(between the three of them, they average
fifteen years with their shows). All of them
have transplanted from long distances in
order to play music, they had extensively
trained and studied before landing the
gigs that led to their television roles, and
they adhere to an open-mindedness that is
essential in dealing with both people and
music. They are lucky in the sense that
their shows are entertaining and varied
from one episode to the next, as to keep
things continually fresh and innovative
for them. As Jonathan Dresel says, “There
is a danger in being complacent.” As
viewers and fans, we are lucky, too. Pay
attention to these drummers the next time
you watch one of their programs. Chances
are, they will be playing with a heartfelt,
abundant energy while smiling from earto-ear.
These guys are enthusiastic about
their instruments, they appreciate their
jobs, and they love being able to perform
for the audience. Night after night.
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