Monday, November 03, 2008 1:26:00 PM
300 musicians drum-struck at Woodstick in Kirkland
Hundreds of drummers gathered in Kirkland Sunday for the sixth annual Woodstick fundraiser.
By Ángel González
Seattle Times staff reporter
COURTNEY BLETHEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
This year Woodstick was held simultaneously at eight different locations across America, including the gym at Juanita High School, where 300 drummers gathered. Each site had unique venues and its own celebrity drummers participating.
Related
Drummers rock the House at Woodstick
If a drum kit in the garage could be many a parent's nightmare, imagine 300 of them. All banging at the same beat — more or less — for the better part of two hours. That makes a lot of noise, but in this case, it was for a good cause.
This drumming extravaganza — called Woodstick 2008 by its organizers — gathered 300 amateur drummers Sunday at Juanita High School's gym in Kirkland. The money raised by the event — about $4,000, according to organizer David Cotant — will go to music education and to the University of Washington's research on hearing loss.
Three hundred drums are loud. But when played in sync, they produce a visceral, hypnotic sound like that of a marching army.
"It's quite a strong, powerful feeling when they're doing it together," said spectator Bill Lynes, of Everett, whose wife, Gail, participated in the event.
Drummers are surprisingly social. They gawked at each other's kits, taking pictures (talking was difficult because of the noise).
"They're pack animals," said Ben Goldberg, a musician who helped organize the event. "Guitarists would never do this."
Goldberg, who plays in a band called The Boinkers, won an award for the coolest drum set — an instrument he calls "Skittles" that has the colors of the rainbow. A drum collector and salesman, he's participated in all six annual Woodstick gatherings. "If it's goofy and ugly, I like it," he said.
The drummers followed the direction of Brad McDavid, UW Husky Marching Band director.
They ended the event with the rhythms of rock classics like The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and Tom Petty's "Refugee." On the stage, a wall of 10 professional drummers, including main organizer Donn Bennett of Bennett Drums, and three guitarists led the crowd as if conducting a massive version of the video game "Rock Band." It took awhile for the crowd's energy to wind down: As the last song ended and the onstage band began packing up its instruments, some drummers kept rattling.
Pam Kludt, of Redmond, began playing four years ago after her younger son "started and quit."
"It's one of the hardest things I've ever done," she said of drumming.
Now Kludt has formed a domestic garage band with her guitar-playing husband.
For grown-ups, especially those intent on getting everything right on the first try, it's a challenge. "I've learned a lot about myself," she said.
Hundreds of drummers gathered in Kirkland Sunday for the sixth annual Woodstick fundraiser.
By Ángel González
Seattle Times staff reporter
COURTNEY BLETHEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
This year Woodstick was held simultaneously at eight different locations across America, including the gym at Juanita High School, where 300 drummers gathered. Each site had unique venues and its own celebrity drummers participating.
Related
Drummers rock the House at Woodstick
If a drum kit in the garage could be many a parent's nightmare, imagine 300 of them. All banging at the same beat — more or less — for the better part of two hours. That makes a lot of noise, but in this case, it was for a good cause.
This drumming extravaganza — called Woodstick 2008 by its organizers — gathered 300 amateur drummers Sunday at Juanita High School's gym in Kirkland. The money raised by the event — about $4,000, according to organizer David Cotant — will go to music education and to the University of Washington's research on hearing loss.
Three hundred drums are loud. But when played in sync, they produce a visceral, hypnotic sound like that of a marching army.
"It's quite a strong, powerful feeling when they're doing it together," said spectator Bill Lynes, of Everett, whose wife, Gail, participated in the event.
Drummers are surprisingly social. They gawked at each other's kits, taking pictures (talking was difficult because of the noise).
"They're pack animals," said Ben Goldberg, a musician who helped organize the event. "Guitarists would never do this."
Goldberg, who plays in a band called The Boinkers, won an award for the coolest drum set — an instrument he calls "Skittles" that has the colors of the rainbow. A drum collector and salesman, he's participated in all six annual Woodstick gatherings. "If it's goofy and ugly, I like it," he said.
The drummers followed the direction of Brad McDavid, UW Husky Marching Band director.
They ended the event with the rhythms of rock classics like The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and Tom Petty's "Refugee." On the stage, a wall of 10 professional drummers, including main organizer Donn Bennett of Bennett Drums, and three guitarists led the crowd as if conducting a massive version of the video game "Rock Band." It took awhile for the crowd's energy to wind down: As the last song ended and the onstage band began packing up its instruments, some drummers kept rattling.
Pam Kludt, of Redmond, began playing four years ago after her younger son "started and quit."
"It's one of the hardest things I've ever done," she said of drumming.
Now Kludt has formed a domestic garage band with her guitar-playing husband.
For grown-ups, especially those intent on getting everything right on the first try, it's a challenge. "I've learned a lot about myself," she said.
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