Drummer’s don’t often get the recognition they rightly deserve, yet a wise man have once said that a band is only as good as its drummer -- which is why SoundDiego wants to give a shout out to some of the drummers that take the San Diego music scene to the next level.
Here’s our list of a few of our favorite SD drummers (in alphabetical order).
- Travis Barker: The drummer for Blink-182 may top the list in terms of popularity, but, luckily for Barker, he has the chops to back up that claim.
- Wuv Bernardo: The co-founder of alt-rock heavy hitters P.O.D. banged out some of the most memorable radio anthems of the last two decades
- Bobby Blotzer: Ratt nailed themselves down as the San Diego’s flagship hair metal group of the 1980s, and Blotzer was on deck to rock out on their standout hits of the era, including “Round and Round” and “Lay It Down."
- Matt Cameron: Along with fellow San Diego native Eddie Vedder, Cameron went on to help shape grunge music drumming with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
- Duncan Moore: Moore lands his name on this list for his undying support for the local drumming community. He is the founder of the SoCal Drum Society and the San Diego Drum Summit. Some of his big-time collaborators include rockers Eric Johnson and Kenny Loggins.
- Ryan Moran: RyMo is at the top of his class as the funky drumstick-wielding practitioner for the reggae rock juggernauts Slightly Stoopid.
- Jake Najor: He’s undoubtedly one of the most active drummers in San Diego. When he isn’t laying down the rhythm for other artists in the studio, he’s behind the kit for a number of bands, including the Styletones, Chess Wars and Lord Howler.
- Mark "Fonda" Vernon: The guy is so cool that he gets away with a slick nickname like Fonda and rocking full-blown muttonchops. It also doesn’t hurt that he rocks out just as hard as anyone in San Diego when he’s thumping away behind the blaring throwback tunes of Shake Before Us.
Of course, these aren’t the only notable players in the San Diego drumming game. Hit us up on Facebook with your favorite local beatmakers.
