Howdy From Bakersfield

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Hey everybody!

I’ve posted a few times but haven’t introduced myself. I’m Ryan from sunny Bakersfield, CA, home of the “Bakersfield Sound”. Buck, Merle, Red Simpson and many others pioneered that sound here. Although I grew up with it all around me, and it’s in the blood, I’m not really a country music fan.

Ironically enough, as a trailer trash white kid growing up in a poor, racist community north of Bakersfield, my first musical influence was old soul records (Stax, Muscle Shoals, Motown, etc...). My best buddy was a McGyver-type kid who rigged up some weird antenna that got us a soul, blues, R&B FM station from St. Louis, of all places. We would listen for hours each day after school.

Later on would come 70’s AM pop, which remains a guilty pleasure to this day, followed by all the big rock influences of the 70’s and 80’s. My drum epiphany came with “Message In A Bottle” when I was 8. I had been banging on the pots and pans and air drumming since I was 2 or 3, but The Police were my first real HOLY SH!T drum moment. Got an old beater MIJ set the next year and have been playing ever since. I’m in 3 bands in the Bakersfield area and was gigging quite regularly before the virus hit. Looking forward to it picking back up.

This downtime has found me practicing a ton and recording demo tracks for friends and bandmates to keep fresh and in the groove. I am a fan of Yamaha drums, vintage Ludwig snare drums, and Paiste cymbals, especially their Masters Thins and Extra Thins. I’ve been on several forums over the last 20 years. I was Ryno on Cymbalholic and Drummer Cafe and rculberson on DFO, which I recently left due to some sour grapes fouling things up. Looking forward to contributing here.

Thanks for having me!

Ryan
 
I love that Bakersfield beat, spent some time in Maricopa and Taft, you must like it hot.
I did some radio shows on KRAK, Live from the Yellow Rose on Thursday night in the 80's
 
Welcome Ryan! I've only played in Bakersfield a few times at B Ryder's back in 2010, but dug the vibe there. Is Front Porch Music still open?

Bermuda
 
Welcome Ryan! I've only played in Bakersfield a few times at B Ryder's back in 2010, but dug the vibe there. Is Front Porch Music still open?

Bermuda

Hey Bermuda!

B-Ryder’s was a great venue, but unfortunately closed down due to some mismanagement issues. Front Porch is still open but Artie the owner had major heart issues just before COVID hit. Not sure if he’s recovered yet or not.
 
Hey everybody!

I’ve posted a few times but haven’t introduced myself. I’m Ryan from sunny Bakersfield, CA, home of the “Bakersfield Sound”. Buck, Merle, Red Simpson and many others pioneered that sound here. Although I grew up with it all around me, and it’s in the blood, I’m not really a country music fan.

Ironically enough, as a trailer trash white kid growing up in a poor, racist community north of Bakersfield, my first musical influence was old soul records (Stax, Muscle Shoals, Motown, etc...). My best buddy was a McGyver-type kid who rigged up some weird antenna that got us a soul, blues, R&B FM station from St. Louis, of all places. We would listen for hours each day after school.

Later on would come 70’s AM pop, which remains a guilty pleasure to this day, followed by all the big rock influences of the 70’s and 80’s. My drum epiphany came with “Message In A Bottle” when I was 8. I had been banging on the pots and pans and air drumming since I was 2 or 3, but The Police were my first real HOLY SH!T drum moment. Got an old beater MIJ set the next year and have been playing ever since. I’m in 3 bands in the Bakersfield area and was gigging quite regularly before the virus hit. Looking forward to it picking back up.

This downtime has found me practicing a ton and recording demo tracks for friends and bandmates to keep fresh and in the groove. I am a fan of Yamaha drums, vintage Ludwig snare drums, and Paiste cymbals, especially their Masters Thins and Extra Thins. I’ve been on several forums over the last 20 years. I was Ryno on Cymbalholic and Drummer Cafe and rculberson on DFO, which I recently left due to some sour grapes fouling things up. Looking forward to contributing here.

Thanks for having me!

Ryan
Nice welcome- my wife and daughter are San Joaquin valley natives.
My wife was born in Madera grew up in Kerman and daughter in Clovis.
Bakers is nice city, and it’s starts to get green if your coming up from Barstow.
You have a gem of a drum shack up north called Bentleys in Fresno if your up for a couple hour drive.
 
Nice welcome- my wife and daughter are San Joaquin valley natives.
My wife was born in Madera grew up in Kerman and daughter in Clovis.
Bakers is nice city, and it’s starts to get green if your coming up from Barstow.
You have a gem of a drum shack up north called Bentleys in Fresno if your up for a couple hour drive.

Hey Ransan, thanks for the warm welcome. Been friends with Dana for nearly 30 years. Was just there yesterday, in fact! It’s kinda nice having Bentley’s a couple hours north and Pro Drum a couple hours south.
 
Hey Ransan, thanks for the warm welcome. Been friends with Dana for nearly 30 years. Was just there yesterday, in fact! It’s kinda nice having Bentley’s a couple hours north and Pro Drum a couple hours south.
Yes Dana has been there for years.
My reintroduction to him was couple of years back, I called about vintage parts and told him how I walked in ‘03 and they had the DW timeless timber kit was a 3 up 2 down for a little over $10k - And he remembers it of course!
Again Bentleys is truly a diamond in the rough of a music haven.

Stay cool - if I understand correctly you are in heatwave hell.
 
Stay cool - if I understand correctly you are in heatwave hell.

Yezzer, been in triple digits for quite awhile now. Today it should dip back down into the high double digits. Ugh...
 
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