Damon Che | The Godfather Of Mathrock Drums
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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This is a new style video for my channel and I hope you like it. Damon Che of Don Caballero has always been one of my favorite drummers and I really thought he deserved a documentary here on youtube, so I thought I would make one. #mathrock #doncab #drummer
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American Don changed my life. his drumming is so fluid on that album, I didn't even know this kind of playing was possible.
The handful of times I saw/opened for Don Cab/Bellini I was blown away at how he kept his kit steady. He toured with these two, big, flat, square pieces of wood attached to each other with door hinges so he could fold it up. When it was laid out flat he had perfectly shaped holes drilled in the wood so the feet of all his hardware, stands, & drums could snugly fit inside. I remember being so blown away by the frugal ingenuity of something SO effective as I stared down at my shitty rug & cinder block.....
I'm a big King Crimson fan and now 53.
I only heard Don Cab about 10 years ago and it was "Stupid Puma" that blew me away, it was so insanely busy and technical. As a Captain Beefheart fan as well the weirdness of math rock just suited me perfectly.
Just an awesome band and unfortunately never got see them. That was never going to happen, living in Australia, anyway.
Hell yeah dude❤
Fripp seems big on the Math of Music, so that makes sense.
American Don will always be one of my favorite albums of all time. I was lucky enough to see them live once. Was in a small packed bar in Cincinnati. Everyone went nuts. It was like a wild dance party.
What club in Cinci? Also from the area
@@hasteovertrample2483 Almost positive it was the Northside Tavern.
@@hasteovertrample2483 punkgasm tour
Damon Che is such a force, every drummer who’s heard him will try to play like him
I agree, he changed my view on drumming forever. Grand máster indeed
My brother saw Don Cab years ago in San Diego CA. My brother said that, as they everyone was milling around before Don Cab's set, Damon Che walked onto the stage, got behind his drum kit, then backed into the corner of the stage and faced the wall. Then he took of his pants, switched into tiny running shorts, so he could play. He was bare ass naked from the waste down when he did this, full moon. The audience just silently watched him. No one laughed. The show ruled.
lol, sounds about right
i feel like a lot of what damon did was to eschew the typical drummer 'look' IE the kinda humble guy who wants to just sit in the back and not stick out. Damon was a very extroverted personality on stage, pretty much everything about him and his drum kit DEMANDS your attention, he took the huge stage show vibe of cheesy 80's hair metal with 30 piece drum kits and re invented it in a down to earth punk rock way.
interesting, "What Burns..." is my absolute fav Don Cab album and one of my favourite albums of all time.
I also play drums and love it because of Damon's performance.
I love the album, but you can audibly hear him slow down and drag in several songs. Even though there are a lot of creative drum parts on there, I would almost put money he was drunker than usual on It haha.
@@demonicsweaters haha fair enough, but i love those sloppy parts!
@@demonicsweaters This feels 100% intentional to me. I think this is his most masterful performance on record. The swing is handled so deftly, and the band all around is playing with the rigidly structured improvised sections where harmonies are hinted at and then fade away. We know he can play straight. Don Cab 2 is basically a masterclass in this, I think this record is just a little more psychedelic. A little more John Coltrane and a little less King Crimson.
I've seen a ton of these shows and am actually the one who uploaded the clip which shows up at 1:12, though I was not the camera man. That performance is absolutely stunning. I felt the need to upload it because of all the negativity surrounding the post Ian Williams band.
@@clocklife great comment!
Great Video! Don Cab is probably my favorite band. Damon reinvented the drums. I've been trying to capture his sound and feel in my music and it's impossible.
I feel the same way about Ian. His guitar playing changed the entire way I think about the instrument and writing riffs and songs.
They were a magical band. I don't think we'll ever see another band come close to their sound and vibe.
Thank you for this video! Damon had a unique style and approach to the music. His drumming is just so wild, like over the top and sort of sloppy, but still matching the precision and energy of the rest of the music and driving it with amazing interplay. He deserves more recognition for inventing the math rock style of drumming
I drove Damon to buy those black Pearl drums. He bought them for Half Life, years before Don Cab existed.
That's awesome. Any other details about the trip you wanna share? New or used? Cost? Where'd he get em?
Mike Lavella! Tall Paul Brainard's friend from Half Life!
Oh man, history there
I'd never heard of math rock when I walked into a music store in 1995 and heard the Don Caballero 2 CD playing and I was just gobsmacked. It was like jazz musicians playing heavy metal, or metal musicians trying to play jazz...and...was that a shovel??? That sounded like a shovel! I saw them live in 2000 and still have this slight ringing in my ears from that show. "Slice Where You Live Like Pie" is probably the most gonzo song I've ever heard, too.
I'm so glad that this video still pops up in my recommended every 9-12 months or so. It gets better every time.
Don Caballero 2 is so good. I love that Red-era King Crimson touch to the guitar riffs, way more than the clean twinkling on American Don.
B🎯🎯M, 110% axiom, no buts about it.. and thank you,sir...
Don Cab is pissed AF and the rhythms and timings are far more “advanced level” than anything made after that release.
Tho I do love what cake after.
I seethe every so often,when I listen because I never got to see them with that stellar 1st guitarist...
I mean, Ian’s delay runs and building loops was just as incredible as his aggressive gum chewing and signature smirk.
In 95” I would try to wake up at 6am,hop on a bus across San Francisco to the rehearsal space,with DC2 blasting in the Walkman and start the day trying to learn what I could from Che.
Definitely life changing Musick
This is fantastic! First saw Don Cab in ‘94 in Detroit... Don Cab 2 was recorded at the White Room by Al Sutton, also in Detroit. Favorite drummer by a mile and I’m a guitarist.
Seriously man, great vid. It's good to get the word out about Don Cab to these kids who've never heard them. They were one of my favorites back in high school and still blow me away today.
Man, I just found this and literally just found the Don albums...this is an amazing run down of Damon. Bravo, you have done a remarkable job here! Thank you!
I remember catching him perform at Kilby court. He toured with a folding wood platform with hinges that his drumset sits on. Areas in the wood were cut so his drum hardware sits perfectly in the cut grooves to prevent sliding, and the perfect template for setup.
What Burns Never Returns is one of Thomas Haake's favorite drum albums.
Ah that's pretty cool! You can definitely hear some Damon influence in his playing for sure!
I think it was intentional but it does go way out on a limb. Thanks for making this!
Where did you see this? I'd like to hear/see it and I'm going nuts trying to find it.
@@brandonvu5429 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Caballero#Legacy
Kolby K Idk man if Wikipedia is the only source, then I wouldn't say that is credible. Not that I'm against using Wikipedia for research, but using it alone isn't enough.
Loved this. He is definitely one of my all time favorite drummers. I might have to go do some experimenting and rearrange my kit a little after watching this.
I recently discovered don caballero. First i listened to american don and got into shock....i thougt "dear god....this is amazing" and then into the whole thing. World class and what Burns turns to be my favourites....Am Also a drummer and che it's just phenomenal to study. A great drummer indeed
Im late to the party here but I was an early adopter of this music and all of these amazing albums. Fortunate enough to catch them live several times over the years. I once drove home from a Colorado trip early to catch the World Class tour gig at my favorite local bar. After an 8 hour drive, I made it there just in time to see him carry in a HUGE piece of plywood with a bunch of drilled holes in it and set it on the stage floor. His drums came next and their stand’s feet were then positioned & held in place by those holes. Genius diy tour idea from an amazing talent. Respect.
I feel like there is some kind of mistery surrounding don caballero and specially Che... I havent seen good quality videos, the info on internet about them (him) is very poor and outdated, they are so underrated... but their music has such a good sound, full of expressiveness. Its just amazing. Thanks for the vid!
the whole thing is a mystery. how did he play with that ridiculous set-up? how did he play to that standard whilst seeming to be rather drunk? how did they write that beautiful music? especially towards the end when it seems as though weren't really getting along at all! it's just a wonderful mysterious gift, the whole thing.
Great vid! One of my all time favorite bands. You should do a vid about ian williams the guitarist. He set a new bar on the guitar and the tapping these kids do today all stem from him singlehandedly.
Steve Albini nailed it on those records. Hear the room vibrate.
"Don Caballero 3" changed my life in the first 4
bars
Don Caballero II is one of my favorite albums of all time. Everything about it is busy and wild. It blends elements of noise rock, math rock, and even a bit of droning pretty well. The industrial noises in please this is tokio kind of suprised me when I first listened to it. It sounds like someone brought their power tools on set and some metal.
Fucking rad, man. Anytime these guys get love, I am all for it. They seriously do not get enough of it. Don't play much these days, but my drummer ears are definitely what attracted me to these guys initially. Overall though, they were just so damn unique, and _good_ that to this day, they still have me coming back for frequent listens. Lot of it was thanks to Che, for sure.
Thanks for shining the light on these guys, appreciate the video. Cheers!
Also, I let out a pretty good chuckle when you mentioned what kind of sticks he used...and then _flipped them around_ . :D
Playing drums in underpants is an underappreciated display of dominance
😂
That was great. Yes, he is a monster. I saw them once but honestly it was a bit over my head even though I was well aware there was something unique going on. This inspired me to go back and check out their records with a fresh perspective, thanks for making the documentary. Also, if you want to hear someone play drums like no one else I recommend Steve Shelton from CONFESSOR, he totally reinvented the instrument and its impossible to even think like him, mind blowing drumming.
First heard Don Cab in 1995 with their second album & it's still a mind-blowing experience to listen to, even after 30 years. Later on, i found out he was also the drummer in Pittsburgh Hardcore punk band HALF-LIFE. Mr Che is the MOST underrated drummer ever !
Check out his new band, Yesness!
@@demonicsweaters Thanks for the heads-up ! Appreciate it.
Incredible video, I loved how you analized his drumkit and style in detail, an awesome work all around!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
This is really interesting. I think I like Mathrock (Hella, Dillinger Escape Plan, Lightning Bolt), but I've never heard of Don Caballero or Damon Che. Super underrated.
Good video.
Breadwinner?
ruclips.net/video/xnZbmXYlD8w/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/c4e_r8_Jg0g/видео.html
Don't sleep on The Fucking Champs, either.
ruclips.net/video/dcv9VOhIMzI/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/nZZkZ3jdUho/видео.html
Ever checked out Cheval de Frise?
You just met your dad.
None of the bands you listed are math rock in anyway. Not even close,,you would have mentioned KING CRIMSON if you knew about math rock or even SLINT for that matter
@@zebulongilbert8313 slint's post rock/post hardcore and king crimson is prog rock dummy, you don't even know what math rock is lmao
The guy who made this video and Damon Che are my favorite drummers. What Burns is my favorite Don Cab album.
Don Caballero 2 will rule your ass.
Saw them in New Orleans many years ago. I'll never forget that one. The Fucking Champs played at the same joint not long after that. Incredible as well.
Thank you for giving props to sir Damon, no one knows.
Great mini doc man. Absolutely agree with you that Damon needs to be recognized as one of the greats. I, as well play drums and was heavily influenced by Che. Had the chance to open for the later incarnation of Don Cab in Denver twice. Let me tell you, seeing Damon watch me play the drums was a "tad" bit intimidating, but I got through it. During his set (the second time I opened for Don) he lost a wing nut while playing. I quickly interpreted his hand gestures, and gave him the "I got this" look accompanied by a thumbs up. I quickly retrieved a wing nut off one of my stands. This offering of support scored me the invitation to chat with him after the show. He was appreciative of the wing nut, and I think he could see the crippling intimidation in my eyes and painfully offered me some backhanded back pat. I believe he said "Uh… You look like you had fun up there…". As a young drummer, that was definitely enough for me. At least he was trying to be polite, right? Anyway man, great mini doc. Che is one of the greats, and one of my favorite drummers.
hah, "looks like you were having fun up there", one of the classic lines
Damon rips beyond belief!!! Legendary drummer extraordinaire!
Thanks for this. Damon was my biggest inspiration growing up. Used to drive to Baltimore from Norfolk Va. Still in high school
I'm 23. I'm not a drummer, but I've always wanted to be. I typically listen to the bands I like specifically because I love their drummers. black midi is especially of note. I only discovered don cab about last year and since then I've been incredibly obsessed with Damon's style. His sound, the way he phrases things, his fills, and just how he manages to improvise so cohesively. I have a lot of drummers I am obsessed with, but Damon is so insanely awesome that he has pushed me past the point to stop wasting my life and find the motivation to get lessons. I'll likely never be able to own a real kit in my entire life, and I'll just barely be able to afford an electric one, but I'd rather have something rather than nothing at all. He's such an incredible inspiration and I don't think there will be another drummer exactly like him. It makes me want to find my own style someday.
I could really tell that world class listening problem has some of his absolute best work on it. I honestly think it's my favorite album with him on it (don't get me wrong, I adore and own both American Don and Burns). It's a very fun album compared to the albums that came before, everyone's let loose and is having a blast and you can totally hear it. It's so difficult for me to choose a favorite song on that album because the band just plays so well with each other.
Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm
I definitely agree that WCLP has a more “fun” vibe than their other releases. It may not be a groundbreaking as some of the earlier work, but I probably play it more than the others because of its energy.
Great vid!!!! “What burns never returns” should’ve been number one imo if you are basing rank from a drumming perspective. It’s an experience that every drummer should embark on , listening from start to finish is a must. It has a continuity concerning the drums that is absolutely genius thus, making it a quintessential album for our time.
uvonky check out an album by Bellini. Snowing Sun. There's clips on you tube. Damon is the drummer on that their first album. Think it's recorded by Albini too
monkeygonetoheavensi I shall thanks for the insight!!!
For me, What Burns is their best moment, though I can't really quibble with your list, because I like all their stuff.
I will also say I agree with you on American Don. I saw them on that tour and when it was Mike and Ian on earlier tours putting down loops it was seamless, but when it was just Ian, it took a long time to build the same wall of noise and I think Ian wrote that album to spend more time on loops so that live shows were less cumbersome to build up the song.
So grateful I've gotten to see Don Cab play so many times in Chicago at Lounge Ax. Now I live in Pittsburgh and wish they were still playing!
Hey neighbor.
I've a pair of Damon's sticks. They're signed by him and he used them. They're Promark DC-10 which are almost baseball bats and not happy enough with that he has to hold them upside-down to get even more weight out of them. He's a monster on the kit!
That's awesome
Cheers to you, brother, for making this video.
Great content on a great drummer!! It was so interesting and informative, really enjoyed it. Thank you 🙏
Great video. I saw them three times in Minneapolis. Once for the What burns tour (as a four piece) and a three piece before and after American Don came out.
This comes at a good time, because my old instrumental project has decided to start again and we were inspired by King Crimson, Don Cab and a few others. Thanks
Early Don Cab is raw and has some of the best drumming! For Respect and Don Cab 2 are my Favs.
Cool that you have footage from that show.
World class listening album cover in Yosemite i noticed driving through like whoa have I been here then I listened to record after that good record for driving through Yosemite
Same exact experience- saw them open for the band called Wool, had not idea who the opening act was and when they started the whole place was looking at eachother like what the fuck is this band? It was 1993 Orlando. Before they broke into the last song he took a chug of what looked like water but it was 151, he then blew a massive fireball! Shit was fucking intense!!! Thanks so much for doing this doc!!!
Wool! Pete Moffett is an old buddy of mine, we played in a band called Dart Swinger together!
@@demonicsweaters sick!!
@@demonicsweaters you gotta ask your buddy in wool about that show, one if the dudes in wool mooned this hecler and the dude literally kicked the dude in wools asshole with a cowboy boot......fully chaotic!
Dude the way you talk over the video with the background music feels like a Slint song. Nicely done!
haha, nice
Heyyyy fellow West Virginian, don’t see too many of us, going to WVU right now as we speak
I saw them live only once. Yes, they were incredible.
You really capture the essence of his style. Exactly how I've viewed his drumming. But does Singles Breaking Up not count? Some of my favorite tracks of theirs are on that album. Also, What Burns is underrated. Very impressionistic. My favorite. But great video.
I watched 👀 him nail 💅 his drums 🥁 to the floor at the call the office in London Ontario
so awesome that someone mentionet Tar!!
First LP "For Respect" is my favorite, but it's all amazing stuff!
I heard Don Cab on the John Peel show on BBC radio 1 in about 1993 or 4. When I need creative energy it's Don.
My brother in law went to Pitt in the early to mid 90's and tells me stories of seeing them live in shitty little places. Wish I would have been there. Thanks for the vid.
Great video, thanks. The other thing about the highly unorthodox drum set-up that I read somewhere is that the kick drum pedals were so tight that most people couldn't even play a beat on them. I think I read this in an Al Sutton interview.
interesting, I hadn't heard that one
@@demonicsweaters it was in an emusician interview that seems to have been taken down but someone has mirrored it here: www.wattpad.com/amp/738488937
damon
Thanks so much for making this! Clearly a big effort. Che's influence on 'underground' rock drumming is unfortunately little-known and highly underrated. In the spirit of sharing opinions, I respectfully disagree on your assessment of his drumming on What Burns. What I hear is deliberately flexible time and a band taking risks with the priority of daring and expression in the moment over clockwork precision...something that (what became) the sub-genre and it's influences has largely migrated away from over the years.
Corey Mark I agree 100%
yes just beautiful musical playing
World class is such a good album
I haven’t even watched this yet but I will comment Damon was the first person on my radar to scue me away from anything stupid.
I don't really understand what that means, but cool! haha.
Singles Breaking Up and Bellini are good too
Hi, it's me again. O, susana from that indie rock drummer comp is REALLY good too. Could this be the only example we have readily available of Damon playing drums to his own guitar playing?!
Remember his song on the scat records tape sampler?? It wuuuzzz ggguuuuudddd 😊
Honestly agreed with the love for World Class. Great album overall imo.
What about "Singles Breaking Up"... The blast section on Lucky Father Brown, coming out of nowhere, still kills me every time.
There's definitely some great tracks on there.
My favorite Damon Che drumming performance goes to, What Burns... He uses more novel extra-musical technique here over every other recording from the band. Sheer fervor goes to 2, but as far as altering technique and show-off chops, no record even comes close.
Also, I'll speculate that a bit of Damon's shift in style from 2 to What Burns.. is from Kevin Shea's influence on Ian while in Storm and Stress and the progression from mostly riffs in odd time signatures to a looser, jazz influence about making riffs/pockets and transitions much more elastic and non-deterministic, especially from the guitar side - half the time the pocket in the songs is from the bass and drums, with the guitars being much more liberal and loose within the tempo. If anything the guitars sound drunk. However, I think that the guitar on What Burns... makes this record as novel as the drums. All around, this record and it's players exert styles that none of the other records do with as much focused interest.
@Melora Beecroft I love a lot of Albini's work, but the records he's done with Don Cab are their least musical sounding, ultimately to the detriment of the compositions and performances. That's just my subjective experience.
Glad I was able to find the video again. Did you take it down for a bit? Either way I can finally show this to my dad
I did. I was getting too many snarky comments and it was driving me a bit crazy. But I decided it was best to keep it up.
Damon Che
Greg Saunier
Tatsuya Yoshida
This, to me, is the holy trinity
World class listening problem is my favorite album
I´m late to the party. Nice vid mate. Keep up the good work. :)
Thanks. He gives the back fingers massive air and drops them wide open on the snare. The snare angle and height facilitate a maintenance of a type of single plane between his hand and stick. The stick resting position is angled way up. A more in depth analysis of the beats would be great! Thankyou though this awesome!
I remember him stopping a show until the audience returned a dropped stick
I remember him stopping a show, grabbing a coffee can full of gigantic nails and pounding them into the floor.
Nice video. Damon is a huge inspiration to me with drumming. I think once things that really grounds things together is his hi hat pedal work which I've been trying to introduce more into my playing. Also weren't you the drummer for Lincoln? The cymbal work on benchwarmer is some nice stuff in my opinion.
Thank you my friend. Yep that was me a looooooooong time ago.
@@demonicsweaters like "Saint Bernard" Lincoln? or is this a different group i havent heard
@@GrampaPiggie had to google that, no, definitely not that lol
Great video!!! But whats the song at 4:55 ?
love your drumming!!
Thank you :)
Best fucking band of all time!
Incredible drummer indeed !
A great job and tribute to an interesting player.
no note about him bolting his kit to the ground, I saw him doing this the first time I saw them and I thought why would someone need to do that. soon I understood.
he plays inanely well .
The kids don't even know about Don Cab.
Crazy, I actually have those DC-10s.
World class listening problem is king prove me wrong
I love that album, highly underrated
It's great but it definitely lacks the magic the Ian williams era had.... that stuff is special and rightfully legendary ... I really think the fact that they hated each other brought this perfect tension to the music where as the post Ian and eric emm stuff lacks that
a genius
love tar, love don cab, and loved this video. mwa
totally agreed on Don Caballero 2... their best. and damon's best.
Is the narrator the lead singer for Slint?
Enjoyed the video. I feel almost outraged by how often Damon Che is left out of discussions about greatest drummers! Totally agree on your first 3 album picks, but could never really get into Punkgasm. How about Singles Breaking Up? No More Peace for the Quiet and Warlike is one of my favorite songs. Also the best live footage I found of don cab was their performance in Princeton NJ on May 6, 2000. You even see Steve albini in the crowd. Hope Damon che puts out some new music soon
Yeah, singles breaking up is great too. I love how it's the classic lineup (including Mike Banfield), Also, "Gangbanged with a Headache, and Live", which is the live record with the WCLP lineup on it kicks major ass. I'm gonna look for Albini in that Princeton show!
Also, yes Damon COME BACK if you're reading this by chance!
I heard don cab on wbrp Princeton NJ college radio. Great drummer, the Buddy Rich of math rock!
@@MicroSoftner I played them on WPRB pretty often, but I was not the only one!
I remember that Princeton show. That was an annual event by the Terrace Club. That year was an exquisite time capsule, Shellac, Oxes, Uzeda, U.S. Maple....
What song starts at 4:54?
The world in perforated lines
what burns is definitely don cab's best
2>What Burns>American Don>Singles Breaking Up>World Class Listening Problem>For Respect>Punkgasm
Joe Flaherty- the OG Don Caballero SCTV Count Floyd and also Pittsburgh legend RIP
Sick
i played drums in a math rock type band back in 2003-2005 and my band mates would tell me to play drums more like don cab haha
A great ispiration for me too
_
Don Cab 2
Singles Breaking Up
For Respect
What Burns Never Returns
American Don
then the 2 comeback albums which are also amazing...
all of it is super good though.