NICK FORCHIONE-NEW RELEASE FROM THE BAYOU BANDITS-ARIZONA STEPSON-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--4 X 15......

The Bayou Bandits released Arizona Stepson on April 28th, and I wanted to send out a huge Thank You to Nick Forchione (Carvin Jones, The Peach Pickers, Rex Carroll)  for using his 1.5 Steel–4 x 15 on this record.

I recently posted in the Latest News on  3/31 on another release, from Carvin Jones, that Nick had used the same drum on. I absolutely love both of these records, and I am so proud to have my drum on it with a player like Nick.

Congratulations as well my friend on your gig at the Whisky this last weekend opening for Angel. I just would have given anything to be there. So happy you got to meet Billy Orrico from Angel as well!

Will be in touch, and always know how much I value our friendship, and so appreciate knowing about these releases, and the messages from sessions you are so awesome about sending…

https://thebayoubandits.com/

 

MATTHEW RHYNER-LIVE IN DE PERE, WISCONSIN-JULIO REYES TRIO-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--5.5 X 14.....

Sending a big Thank You out to Matthew Rhyner today. He recently appeared live with Julio Reyes in De Pere,Wisconsin for a show, and he had along his 1.5 Steel–5.5 x 14

That drum has been one of his mains for a number of years now, and I have had several occasions where I got to see him live with industry legend Sammy Llanas. Incredible drummer, incredibly educated Musician, and I am always just thrilled to see that he selected my drum for one of his many gigs.

Thank You Again my friend. So looking forward to seeing you soon….

https://julioreyesband.com/home

https://matthewrhyner.weebly.com/index.html

 

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE BIRTHDAY MESSAGES.....

Thank You All so much for all of the Birthday emails, texts and messages! I really appreciated them...Every single one!!

 

CANADIAN LEGEND CHAD MELCHERT-NEW RELEASES-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--6.5 X 14 & 4 X 15......

Catching up on a long list of latest releases here, and I got to touch base with Canadian legend and longtime pal, Chad Melchert (Abbigail Road Drum Studio, Gord Bamford, CCMA Hall Of Honour) the other day.

There were over 15 releases I wanted to discuss with him, and I truly loved listening to every one of these. To date he has recorded dozens and dozens of singles and albums with his drums from here, and he is among the best of any drummer I've ever dealt with on letting me know the details of each record. I've said it many times, but that is because it's true, that just means everything to me. When a drummer selects your drum for recorded or live work…That is the highest compliment that could ever be paid, and is the sole hope I had, and still have, in choosing to make drums in the first place.

Chad has toured/recorded with his 1.5 Steel–4 x 15, 6.5 x 14 & 7.5 x 15, and we have been kindred Musical Spirits since our first discussion. He is one of the most recorded drummers in Canada, and his touring experience ranks among the top as well. He is also the only drummer ever to be inducted into the CCMA Hall of Honor which was so deserved.

Thank You Again my friend.

https://abbigailroad.com/

 

BLAKE SHELTON'S BARMAGEDDON-USA NETWORK-TRACY BROUSSARD-BEIER 1.5 STEEL SERIES.........

Barmageddon, Blake Shelton's new TV series, is entering its second season on the USA Network. I wanted to send out a big Thank You to Tracy Broussard for including drums from the 1.5 Steel Series on his kit for the show again.

Tracy also included his 1.5 Steel–5.5 x 12 for the current tour with Blake (Latest News-February 27th)...Back To The Honky Tonk Tour which goes through September 2023. 

Thank You Again Tracy…..!

https://www.usanetwork.com/barmageddon

https://www.blakeshelton.com/

 

UFO-A VISUAL BIOGRAPHY BY MARTIN POPOFF-ANDY PARKER-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--8 X 14........

I have been thinking a lot about my longtime pal, childhood drum hero, and one of the most avid users of my drums for the last 15 years: The Legendary Andy Parker of UFO. Elizabeth recently picked up the new Martin Popoff book: UFO-A Visual Biography, and of course I was thrilled that some of the images contained Andy with my drums. This would be the second book on UFO from Martin Popoff that contained images of him with my drums.

Andy has used my drums as his main on all tours, the last four studio records from UFO, and The Best Of A Decade release. His main in recent years has been his 1.5 Steel–8 x 14 in the US,  but prior to that it was a 1.5 Steel–6.5 x 14 for many years. That drum was one of the first produced in that size. For his European rig, his main has always been his 1.5 Steel–5.5 x 14. He also used his 1.5 Steel–6.5 x 15 in Gloss White on a segment of their European tour, and there are some excellent clips from the UK with him and that drum.

It would be difficult to list all of the great times over the years with Andy and the band, and Elizabeth and I are so hoping to see them again. We scheduled a trip to Greece in the Fall of 2022 to attend what would have been their final show in Athens. Due to Phil's health at the time, the final run of shows was canceled. We had an absolutely wonderful time still in Greece, and we talked about how we are hoping, like fans around the world are, that they will continue and finish sometime soon. 

Andy and I have always stayed in close touch, and I spoke to him recently. No news yet from the UFO camp. But…You never know. Let’s just hope the world gets to see a string of shows from one of the most influential Rock bands of all time…UFO.

http://www.ufo-music.info/

http://ufo-music.info/andy/

 

JARRED POPE-BROTHER CANE-DAMON JOHNSON-TOM KEIFER 2023 TOUR-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--4 X 15 & 5.5 X 14.......

Nashville great, long time pal, and one of the finest all around Musicians and people I know, Jarred Pope, has been unbelievably busy lately.

He has been doing multiple shows with Brother Cane and Damon Johnson & The Get Ready, Don Felder, and he is getting ready to set out on the 2023 Tom Keifer Tour. For the Brother Cane and Damon Johnson shows he has been using his 1.5 Steel–5.5 x 14, his main for Tom Keifer will be his 1.5 Steel–4 x 15 again.

I have seen Jarred live many, many times. We have been friends for a long time now, and of all of the drummers I know that truly and deeply care about music, he is one of them. He is an amazing Musician, supporter, and a professional from A to Z.

Jarred will also be doing a demo of the Anniversary Drum when I see him in July on this tour in Chicago, and Elizabeth and I are delighted that he will be with us for the second year in a row to celebrate her birthday! She was so happy about this, she absolutely loves Jarred, and we all have had wonderful times over the years.

Thank You Again for all your support my friend, cannot wait to see you this summer….

https://www.gretschdrums.com/artists/jarred-pope

http://www.tomkeifer.com/

https://www.damonjohnson.com/

 

HAPPY EASTER FROM BEIER DRUMS......

 

ELLIOTT PAULIN-LIVE IN WISCONSIN-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--5.5 & 6.5 X 14........

I recently had an invitation from Elliott Paulin (Rebel Grace, Andy Griggs, Anthony Orio, Dustin Lynch) to attend a show here in Wisconsin, The Songwriter Showcase, that I was very excited about it. It was an incredible show, with a long list of talents. Elliott was one of my first customers many years ago, and it was so nice to see him again.

The drum he picked up initially years ago was the 1.5 Steel–5.5 x 14. That drum was used extensively for many years live, remains unchanged like all of the drums, and it continues to be a part of his kit. The second drum that he picked up from here was a 1.5 Steel–6.5 x 14 which was his main for this show, the 5.5 x 14 was his auxiliary.

We had a great conversation and it was so nice to catch up. It certainly has been quite some time. Thank You again Elliott for everything, Looking forward to seeing you very soon again….

Image by Photgraphy By Ryan

 

THE BEIER 15" ANNIVERSARY DRUM-TO BE RELEASED SUMMER 2023......

 I'm in the process of making the shells for the Anniversary Drum…Finally.

While there was no set timetable for this drum, I truly wanted to get it out last year. I couldn't do it for some reason. I lost count of the number of times that I walked in my shop, turned on the lights, then only to turn around and walk back out. I talked with many players about it, that I just for some reason could not sit down and do it. It was a huge struggle, and very dismaying. I love this as much as I always did, and I talk to drummers daily. I'm incredibly active in writing articles and collating media for the website, etc,. But when it came to sitting down with this drum, I just couldn't do it.

I've never really had a time in my life where this happened. I've always been a blitzkrieg on the move, sometimes for the better, sometimes still trying to figure it out, but was always extremely productive at something like most of us. But some switch went off in my head, and I am over the top excited about this drum now, and I am flying through these shells. The demos for this drum start June 2nd in Chicago with a Nashville legend, and a great friend. I am not returning to full Retail production, I will just be producing this drum, and select drums here and there as stated in June 2021. The Anniversary Drum is a 15” of course, the Special Edition will be as well to continue my long, fully documented chronological work, and sole efforts, in the revival of the 15” snare drum to the industry. Details coming soon!

Also coming out at the same time will be #1 of a drum, a one- off which I'm making for a very special and patient friend of mine. I'm late with this drum which I never have been before, and I just cannot wait to get this in his hands. Thank You Again my friend for your patience, friendship, and support.

CARVIN JONES NEW RELEASE-BORN TO WIN-NICK FORCHIONE-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--4 X 15.........

Carvin Jones just released his new album Born To Win, and I am just over the top happy that Nick Forchione chose his 1.5 Steel–4 x 15 for this recording.

Nick sent me these pics on January 15th of this year, and as always, I marked this down, and anxiously anticipated this release. I love the way this record was put out. These guys went in, put it together, Let It Be, and it is out for the world to hear. It's not possible with all records of course that they move at this pace, but a lot of the greatest records ever produced were done 1-2-3, or even over a weekend. By the same measure, I mark sessions down and it might take two years, and that is something worth waiting for. So many players have been so great at letting me know details, dates, etc..,...I will never forget that, or never get tired of waiting for release dates.

Thank You Again Nick. To a drum maker, there is no greater honor than when a drummer remembers your drum and selects it for a record, live performance, or entire tour. When a Musician remembers those sounds…That is not “Business”. That is Real. That is Music. 

And Carvin…I truly hope you come around soon. Chicago needs a visit from the King Of Strings. I mean seriously: Carvin Jones...Blues Master...Chicago. Nuff said!!

Kent Slucher (Luke Bryan), Myself, Nick Forchione (Carvin Jones, Peach Pickers, Rex Carroll, Bayou Bandits)

https://www.carvinjones.com/

 

 

ANGEL-LIVE IN CHICAGO-BILLY ORRICO....THANK YOU!

My beautiful and thoughtful girlfriend Elizabeth surprised me recently by picking up tickets to one of my all-time favorite bands in Chicago since I was a kid-Angel. 

This definitely was, as it is for everyone, a trip through time watching and listening to these songs as a fan. I saw this band countless and endless times as a kid and a teenager, and to date, they would still be in my Top 5 favorite bands of all time.

Being a huge fan of this band, and setting that aside to prevent bias, from A to Z this show was utterly spectacular. Every single one of these musicians in this band are incredible. Billy Orrico, the current drummer for Angel, and the drummer on the last and upcoming studio release, did a masterful job at replicating Barry Brandt’s original tracks, and adding his own style to the new material. That is what great drummers do. They respect the original tracks, and add and do their own thing from there.

It was so nice of you Billy to come out and introduce yourself to Elizabeth & I. I so enjoyed our conversation. Congratulations on a job Amazingly Done, and I will really look forward to staying in touch with you.

https://www.angelbandofficial.com/

JOSH GERBA-LIVE AT SXSW WITH ANNE ELIZA-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--6.5 X 14......

Sending a huge Thank You out to Josh Gerba (Independent).  He recently picked up one of my 1.5 Steel–6.5 x 14 drums, and he absolutely loves it. He told me he wishes he knew about my drums much earlier. He used it most recently performing live with Anne Eliza at SXSW for a string of shows.

I'm really looking forward to staying in touch with you Josh, Thank You Again for letting me know you had this drum. It is always amazing to hear from drummers when they pick up one. I really appreciated that. Will look forward to staying in touch….!