Tuesday, January 25 – Sunday, January 30 Vital Information played for a week at one of our favorite jazz clubs, Catalina’s Bar and Grill. We had a great week of music. It’s always an ideal situation to play in one club for a number of nights, since it usually leads to a relaxed creativity because we’re well rested each night. That is the opposite of what life on the road is usually like with a series of one-nighters where each day has an early wakeup, long travel, hotel check-in, unloading of the van, set-up, soundcheck, play the gig and then tearing the gear down and packing the van.

During the week I had the pleasure of playing for some of the top drummers in the world. On Tuesday, January 25 Jeff Hamilton, Richie Garcia, Danny Carey and Sonor A&R man Milan Goltz came down for our first night.

Thursday, January 27 turned out to be a real highlight of the week. Vic Firth A&R man Marco Soccoli came to the club with some of the top Vic Firth stick endorsers and the vibe was electric! Marco had managed to bring an amazing lineup to Catalina’s: Gregg Bissonette, Myron Grombacher and his son, Todd Lane, Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats), Danny Carey (Tool), Ricky Lawson, Ndugu Leon Chancelor, Steve Sidelnyk (Madonna), Tommy Igoe (Lion King), Zoro, Brendon Buckley (Shakira), Alicia Warrington (Kelly Osbourne), Jen Lowe (Jason Mraz), Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir), Dino Cavares (Fear Factory), Chris Antonopoulos (Opiate for the Masses), Bobby Jarzombek, (Iced Earth, Halford), Mike Fasano (Dads Porno Mag), Bruce Jacoby, Chris Delisa, Chris Stankee, Walter Earl, Carmine Appice (who brought guitarist Pat Travers with him). My friend Richie Garcia came down for another set and brought his son with him.

During the week Diane had traveled to NYC to visit her two kids who live there. In fact, her daughter Kasia works at The Drummers Collective. Sunday, January 30 completed the week when my friend and drum guru Freddie Gruber came down for the final set and stayed late and had us all roaring with laughter at his stories.