The Rambling Gypsy

The Beat Goes On with Brooks Robinson

• The Rambling Gypsy • Season 2 • Episode 8

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Join Tiff on this special episode of The Rambling Gypsy Podcast for a sit-down-and-spill-the-tea with Brooks Robinson, a renowned drummer who's shared the stage with legends like Wade Bowen and Charlie Robinson.

In this candid conversation, Brooks opens up about his journey from aspiring musician to touring professional, sharing stories from the road, the highs and lows of the music industry, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

This is just Part 1 of the story! Be sure to tune in next week for Part 2... 👀

The Rambling Gypsy podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of real Texans doing real sh*t. We're pulling back the curtains on our daily lives - and you're invited to laugh and learn along with us.

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Speaker 1:

Hey, social butterflies, this is Tiffany Foy coming to you from the Ramblin' Gypsy podcast. I know it's been a minute since you guys, since we have talked and since we have hung out on the porch. There's been a lot that's been going on and I'm coming to you from a little bit of a different angle. There won't be a guest, I just have a little bit I'd like to tell you. We have had some production changes, we've had some growing pains, we've had things that things that happened. They happen on your porch, they happen on my porch.

Speaker 1:

They happen in the real world and they happen in the real life and they're happening, and sometimes when the walls come crumbling down, they come down hard. Sometimes when I fall, it hurts harder than than others. Um, amongst those things, my father has taken a a big turn for the worse, and so I've been dealing with a lot of personal things for the for the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to share that with you guys and we will talk about it on the podcast, because I do want to get y'all's opinions. I do want to. I think it's very concerning with what I've been through going through this with my dad, and I know a lot of people have experienced any and all kinds of aspects of health and death and and unforeseen circumstances and what have you. But I just want to let you guys know that we are coming back. We've got some big production changes that we are super, super excited about. Y'all bear with me, hang tight. We're going to, we're going to fix this and we're going to make it all right.

Speaker 1:

Hey dad, thank you. Thank you for teaching me the things that you taught me this, and we're going to make it all right. Hey dad, thank you. Thank you for teaching me the things that you taught me. I love you so much and I'm so glad that you were with the angels and I know you're going to take such good care of us. Big prayers for anybody out there that is having a hard time. Hey, get up, shake the dust off. Let's make big H proud. I love you guys. Stay tuned and I'll see you soon. Hi Hi, hey everybody, I'm Tiffany Foy. Welcome to the Ramblin' Gypsy podcast and we are on my porch today. Fortunate to be fortunate and I got a new guy on the porch.

Speaker 2:

An old new guy, not new to me.

Speaker 1:

Not new to me, not new to me. We've been very, very good friends for a very, very, very long time. This is Brooks Robinson. Hey, everybody, you know a lot about me. Everybody else knows a lot about me, but nobody knows. Well, some might, but nobody knows who Brooks Robinson is. Oh, we got to start there. Well, you do a lot of things you have. Let's start. Which part do you want to start on? I want to start on the music side. You want to start on the motorcycle side? You?

Speaker 2:

want to start on the street side. You want to start on the hood side the building side the building side building something.

Speaker 1:

Uh, you've done a lot of projects with me business.

Speaker 2:

We have done a lot of projects we've done a lot of projects, a lot I was actually just talking to a customer today who has stayed out at the resort really that I was like yeah, the little cabana things and he was like yeah, I was like built those yeah, bungalows yeah, there you go, yeah, yeah yeah, that was fun I think pops hated me after that project no, maybe you, but not me no, well, no no, I think he's my biggest fan and I'm kind of his biggest fan too.

Speaker 1:

That's brook's dad, by the way, yeah, so tell us about you, uh about me let's start with the music side.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let's start worked in the music industry for a lot of years let's tell them how you got there, which this is kind of ironic because you and I have known each other for a very long time and I really didn't realize where you picked so much of that up from. Until one night, you were playing at green hall with josh ward, um, and if you guys don't know who josh ward is, you need to look him up. Josh ward, josh ward music.

Speaker 1:

He's on all the platforms and one of the nicest humans in the world, and incredible guy, incredible guy, um, and you were with Josh for five years, five years, five years and so and that was that was really good time. But at this particular time, um, you were playing at green and me and pops were standing back there and we were talking and, um, josh made an announcement.

Speaker 1:

I think it was at green it was a shit, maybe it was some other yeah no, I think it was because I remember telling him to do it okay, okay, because he, um yeah, so he was announcing the band members and said, hey, I want to give a shout out to yeah, I had a dad.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, yeah yeah so so tell, tell that, tell. That's pretty cool, because I didn't realize. I'm not kind of stupid, I'm like how literally your family's my family, so it's kind of like what the fuck? Where? Well, was I like in the pasture when we were having this conversation, or it was just kind of like wait what?

Speaker 2:

But yeah, so I was always drawn to music from a young age, wanted to perform. Um saw my first rock show when I was eight.

Speaker 1:

And who was that?

Speaker 2:

Kiss.

Speaker 1:

That's one to remember. And um not too many eight yearolds go to a kiss concert no, no where was it at?

Speaker 2:

lubbock coliseum no shit and billy squire was the opening act. No shit, yeah, it took lots of years before I knew who billy squire was right, but now it's like, oh, that's cool I actually saw him back in the day and it was a lot of fun. Um, that sealed the deal. In the middle of that performance, peter chris had a drum solo and of course the drums raise up yeah, you know, to the top of the stadium and I was like that that is what you want. That's what I want eight Well.

Speaker 1:

Most people are still picking their nose and eating their snot or trying to figure out how to put sand in their dump truck or yeah. I mean.

Speaker 2:

That's impressive. It was about the time I was still. If I had a shovel, I'd dig a hole anywhere. Yeah so you know they had to be careful.

Speaker 1:

When my grandmother would leave me alone in the backyard, she'd give me specific areas. Yeah, please don't dig up the rose bushes. Yeah, or yeah, my cat, or or whatever you know, my long lost turtle that I've had buried for whatever.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, okay, yeah, but pops was a drummer and my grandmother's shop in the storage shed was his old drum kit no doubt so at nine years old was the first time I picked up sticks and started beating on things so that is what I was just going to say.

Speaker 1:

So most parents and you know, we, we talk about Tyler all the time. My nephew and you know Tyler because we don't know where when he came out of the womb or why, but he literally came out and I don't know how. His first word was not guitar or music or whatever, we just, but that's just how Tyler came out. But there was no real influence in any part of our family whatsoever for Tyler to pick that up Really, real influence in any part of our family whatsoever for tyler to pick that up really. But most people you don't. When it happens, like the last thing that you do when you hand you is a fucking drum set, because they just are. I mean, we hand them pots and pans as their little because because it's right there and it entertains them or whatever, but it drives you batshit crazy. So for you to be eight years old, but it was okay, I'm assuming, because pops played drums.

Speaker 2:

So it was kind of okay. I mean I caught, but you still got on their nerves and over the years a lot of grief, you know, constantly tapping, sitting at the dinner table with see, I do that and I couldn't.

Speaker 1:

I wouldn't even know the first fucking thing about playing a drum, but I'm a fidgeter and I sit and do the good, twist things non-stop and I just can't sit.

Speaker 2:

Still, I think I may have gotten it all out of my system that, that you know what that's a valid point I say that, but I know it's not true no, I think I have more self-control now. That's because back then I had no we're old and we're fucking tired.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we don't have time to sit there and fidget anymore or whatever, but yeah, so go ahead. So yeah, you got your drums, and.

Speaker 2:

So at nine I started playing around with them and I never really had any formal music education other than school band. I started in school band in sixth grade. I did not get the athlete gene.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I mean I played peewee football, baseball, all of that stuff. But when it started getting real.

Speaker 1:

I haven't heard the word peewee since they locked up Herman Do they not do that anymore?

Speaker 2:

I don't, I mean, I guess they do locked up Herman. Do they not do that anymore? I?

Speaker 1:

don't, I mean, I guess they do, but I just they call it something else. I don't know Y'all if you know like or comment or say something or whatever. But I mean it was like flag football and that's where kids played. But yeah, there probably was, and maybe there was peewee football back.

Speaker 2:

I mean I can't wait to see comments, because I'm sure there's a lot of West Texas going to come out of my mouth.

Speaker 1:

It's going to make people it's going to happen Raise an eyebrow. It's going to happen. I was about to say why don't you tell them where you were playing peewee?

Speaker 2:

football Midland. So I was born in La Mesa, podunk Town, if nobody knows where that is, way out West Texas, halfway in between lubbock and midland, kind of right in the middle of everything, um little cotton farm in town where it was back then anyway yeah um, lived there for a while, lived in midland for a while and then grew up in del rio.

Speaker 2:

Lived in del rio the longest, went to high school there, did all that fun stuff, but I was a midget until I was a senior in high school and in sixth grade, playing football, I was good for a tackling dummy and I decided that that was not what I wanted to do. No um, so I immersed myself in band, you know the full band stage band, where I got to play a drum kit and had some great band directors Nice.

Speaker 1:

So you were like the drum line.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I've always been infatuated with that movie. Isn't that what it's called Drum line?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yes, that was just like I mean, it's super impressive. And so you did that and you stuck with it, and and then you graduated, and then, ooh uh graduated on a Friday night.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, how do you? Flew out to California for nine days of intensive rehearsals the very next day, and then was on the road for an international tour for 90 days With who? A group called the Continental Singers, the.

Speaker 1:

Continental Singers the church we attended. That makes me want to sing. Do your sanglo, do they want you? You know the Continental Soldier.

Speaker 2:

So this touring group would come through the church every year and they had auditions. So my junior year of high school I signed up for the auditions and they send you a packet and you had to have uh, you had to do your bio, which was no big deal, I didn't have much to put down.

Speaker 1:

I was about to say what'd you say?

Speaker 2:

when you're 16, um, the biggest deal was you had to have a demo tape.

Speaker 2:

Well, I remember those days at the time I didn't know anybody that had any kind of studio for me to get into and didn't really have the wherewithal and if it didn't come easy, I just kind of went yeah, maybe next time, my senior year, when they came through, I went up and talked to him again about auditioning and the guy that's there, so I got gotta backtrack a little bit the continental singers approximately 35 to 40 people in a choir and an eight or nine piece band wow. So no tracks that's.

Speaker 1:

Isn't that like an orchestra?

Speaker 2:

well, I mean kind of. I mean we had a traditional five piece guitar, bass drums acoustic guitar, and then there was a small horn section with it, so we were the music that's for the choir. Um, I talked to the director after the performance and told him I said, yeah, I want to audition. I said I wanted to audition last year and he said, well, why didn't you? And I said I got hung up on the whole, you know tape thing. And he said well, what if we do an audition right now?

Speaker 1:

Did you panic? No, not at all. Well, because I was very active, very at my senior because you're cocky, I mean let's be, it's my porch you can say what you want to y'all, I told you I've known him for a long time go I don't think I've had people tell me that I'm pops over confident. I don't think I'm cocky oh my god, just like I tell everybody I love you and you're cute. Yeah, yeah, you're cocky.

Speaker 2:

Go ahead.

Speaker 1:

Carry on Overly confident.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

How's that Okay, fine.

Speaker 2:

That makes it a little more palatable for me. Go Carry on. And then my senior year in high school, I only went to school half a day. I was in a work study program.

Speaker 1:

I was too so we had and I sucked at just the half a day thing. I was like, oh shit, I thought maybe I could just like, well, I would drop off breakfast tacos for the uh assistant principal and the principal. And then I'd be like, see ya, I'm gonna head over to the gym and get some. I need to do therapy.

Speaker 2:

Well, just to just to give you an idea of how immersed in music I was. Nothing else mattered really mattered to me. I went to homeroom the first day of my senior year and explained to them how I was preparing for state competitions with band and things like that. We hadn't even done regionals. I was manifesting the future, I guess. So I had a deal where I didn't have to stay in homeroom.

Speaker 1:

I went and checked in for attendance and then I went straight to the band hall and then I need you to start changing your terminology, because right now you've said a homeroom and peewee and other things that I have not heard in like a lot of years, I know I'm sure a long time you're, we're right, we're neighbors in the age department, asshole. Yeah, yeah, so a year apart, okay ish so anyways, so we got to the.

Speaker 1:

Do we do this? And then, how far from the continental singers stager sing. What were they? The continental soldiers, continental singers, continental singers. But I have to tell you the audition that that night because I was reading music.

Speaker 2:

That's all I did when I was in school. So basically I had check-in at homeroom marching band music theory stage band. I went to my work-study program, checked in and went to work. So my whole senior year was just music, music music.

Speaker 2:

The director said would you audition for me right now? And I said sure. So we went and talked to the drummer. I sat down at his kit. He put a piece of sheet music on the music stand and said I want you to play from right here to right here. And I said okay, and I did. And he looked at me and he said let's sit down and talk. And he told me. He said what if I told you that I want you on my tour, that I will direct next year and I will sign you up right now? You don't need to do anything else? And I was like I'm in.

Speaker 2:

So that got me my first road experience. And how old were you again? I left the day after I graduated high school 18, wow, and we did one-stop shows from California to the east coast. We were in Europe for two and a half weeks, flew back into the east coast and did one night stands all the way back to california wow it was an education yeah, I can imagine and a lot of fun at 18. At 18. Yeah, see ya, thank god it was with a gospel group yeah, my wheels.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if y'all can see the smoke and shit coming out of my ears right now, or maybe my flaps are covering it, but I'm thinking yeah, that's just because you know me too well yeah. Thank God, can we all bow our heads and pray to Jesus right now? Yeah, we're going to say a little prayer on the porch today, but yeah, so then after that you.

Speaker 2:

I went back to Del Rio. Mom enrolled me into junior college.

Speaker 2:

That's adorable that didn't really take junior college. That's adorable. That didn't really take. Um, I had a scholarship offer that I turned down because I couldn't see past the end of my nose when I was 18. Um, I've said it for a long time the music program at south plains, in level land. If I had known about that at the time I would have gone uh, but going to uh either north texas or to baylor. I didn't want to be a band director. I didn't like my band directors that much right and I didn't.

Speaker 2:

I didn't that. I didn't want that to be my fallback and at the time I didn't care if I had a fallback gotcha. So I went back to del rio I did one semester of uh, junior college and was like, yeah, I'm not doing that. Um had some odd jobs. So that was so. We're in 90. I worked, lived a little life and in 96 I auditioned for a touring top 40 country cover band, landed that gig and that started the country thing that's when you got your foot into the in the texas country music scene.

Speaker 2:

Well, I did that. 96 97 moved back to del rio, built houses with dad for two years and then the developers that we were building for started a development in dripping springs. So mom and dad moved to san antonio and I went oh, that's just close enough to Austin Just close enough. That I don't have to be in Austin all the time, but I can get there.

Speaker 1:

Right. So who was your first gig with in the music scene? Oh hey, brady. Yeah, yeah, y'all are going to get to see some snippets of me and Brady in Cabo. We all just got back from Cabo and yeah, that was a good time, but yeah so.

Speaker 2:

I played with a guy named Dean Seltzer.

Speaker 1:

That conversation came up when we were in Cabo. I'm sure it did.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we had a residency at Shakespeare's on 6th Street back when 6th Street was way cool.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Um, every Thursday night and the first night I went out to play with this guy. Well, the guy wanted to audition me and fortunately I had some friends from back in Del Rio uh, one in particular that had a studio in Austin. I hadn't even moved any of my drum gear. I was living in Dripping Springs at the time. I hadn't moved anything up yet. I was living in like a 16-foot travel trailer. Right At a job site and I told him I said, dude, I don't have a kit, so let me figure something out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Of course, this is was it was. I found it in the back of the chronicle. That's where I found this audition setup. Uh, if that doesn't, I thought you were talking about your drum set. I was like wait what can you even get a paper copy of the austin? Fuck, I don't know what it was called anyway, um. Call my buddy hey, can you give me an hour or so in the studio just for an audition? I need a kit that I can sit behind. He was like, yeah, come in, knocked it out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So the guy was going to blow me off when I told him that no, I don't have a drum kit here with me.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

I didn't learn until I had experienced Austin for a while that that was pretty typical. People moved to town, but anyway. Anyway ended up playing with this guy and the band when I started was dean seltzer acoustic guitar, brady black on fiddle and me playing drums, no lead guitar.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

No bass player, no full rhythm section. It was three piece and we had a blast. Drank way too much on occasion. Can't speak for anybody else, just for me.

Speaker 1:

I'm not saying nothing.

Speaker 2:

And yeah, that's where I started meeting a lot of the players around Austin. I forget who it was. I was just talking to somebody about Fowler's band and I was like, yeah, I can remember I don't remember the name of the venue night Fowler and another artist, pete Benz. They had a gig every Tuesday.

Speaker 2:

They had it at this one particular club and they flip-flopped who was the opener and who was the headliner and they were at at the time they were honing their show at this residency gig, just local in austin, I mean, I'm talking this before fowler had the first bus way back in the day I want to text him really dating.

Speaker 2:

I want to ask him yeah, wow, so then from there uh, I left dean to go play for a kid named Peter Dawson who had I won't say he was a one-hit wonder. He did have one national hit Willie for President, I think was the name of the song Great guy. I worked for him for five years and that kind of got me further out on the road.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Kind of in a touring situation I ran into. We played something that Gary P Nunn's band was playing, that's a big name around these parts I had heard the name Gary played big name around these parts. I had uh, I'd heard the name um gary played. So dad subbed gigs back in the day, yeah, and he had subbed with a band that opened for the band that gary was playing in at the time the old school I want to say the Sparkles, something like that.

Speaker 2:

You'll have to ask Pops about it, I will for sure, but anyway. So I had that opener to talk to him. Turns out he needed a drummer. We got along well, yeah. So I went out on the road with Gary. No, I got that flip-flopped. I played with Gary first. I left dean to go play with gary got you that got me on the road gotcha I left gary to go with peter because it was younger I don't know, I don't either never asked that that's.

Speaker 2:

That was a long time it's not because I never asked.

Speaker 1:

I mean hey b, what are you later you want to talk about? You play with Gary P Nunn. I mean, I just got a quick question for you. Yeah right, let me just scan through the old school musical Rodex and go hey, so what do you know about the old P Nunn? You've been, yeah, what you never ask, shut up.

Speaker 2:

And then Peter had an opportunity in Nashville that did not include the rest of the band, so he went to Nashville after I licked my wounds because we didn't get to go who else? Where did I go after that?

Speaker 1:

Somewhere. You had to jump in from that to I think I went to the texas music that is current. It's current. I'm trying to get, I'm trying to, I'm trying to showcase, get to the. I don't want to say the good shit, because this is really I mean this is, I should have microcised the beginning. What yes Y'all want to know how our conversations go. All the time it's like this I'm like B Okay, no, there's a lot of shit. You just told me. That's really pretty freaking impressive.

Speaker 2:

So after so, Gary was 2000.

Speaker 1:

Dawson was the end of 2005 last week and you're sitting here like we have a whole spreadsheet giving you and at four o'clock PM at 2003, on a Monday afternoon. What is wrong with?

Speaker 2:

you Of all the things that I can't remember Shit Cause they were great experiences. I love that.

Speaker 1:

That's really cool.

Speaker 2:

It wasn't always you know peaches and cream but sometimes it was a shituation at him using the gypsum every yep, and there were lots of fucking things yeah yep um, so I found out about an audition in 2005 at three o'clock on a wednesday afternoon I don't even remember how I heard about what it was you know I how many musicians that I can sit and go?

Speaker 1:

hey, what time is your gig? Friday? Uh what do you mean, do we have one? Yeah, I mean, aren't you on the bus?

Speaker 2:

oh, ever since master tour came out. I didn't need to know anything.

Speaker 1:

No, none of them.

Speaker 2:

I don't know and I never knew until I checked my phone. Yeah, exactly. Check the app.

Speaker 1:

And you're sitting here. I'm just. That's just things that go through my head, because I'm thinking in today knows where in the fuck they're going at all. Well, when I like poked their thing out of the little blinds, out of their little bunk, and well, I saw like a cactus or something.

Speaker 2:

Cheese and rice, bro, you're in arizona there was a lot of times when I've been on the road that I would get back to town and be out, and so, hey, where'd you play last weekend?

Speaker 1:

and it was always uh well, it started like I haven't completely recuperated.

Speaker 2:

Ask me next week where I played week before last.

Speaker 1:

There you go, the recollection of the musician parts coming out. There, it is Okay 2000.

Speaker 2:

I had a buddy that managed the Comfortate downtown in Austin I believe is the way I found out about this gig Um, and he told me that Wade Bowen was possibly looking for a drummer and gave me the right numbers to dial and made that connection and showed up incredibly overprepared At the time Wade's original drummer from the West 84 band was moving on and, um, as far as I know, they really hadn't had any auditions.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it was the strangest thing to me, Cause I expected I would go in, set up, sit down and they'd go. Okay, we're going to play this one Right. And I don't remember where I was in the pecking order as far as all the drummers that auditioned that day.

Speaker 1:

Got you.

Speaker 2:

But I showed up and I had gone through. I used to call it Brooks's brain. I always had a three ring binder Anytime I went to work with a new project, whatever the set list with Gary. It was ridiculous, because with Gary it could have been there. There was no set list. He called all the songs and every album he had ever recorded was in play. I'll tell you about my favorite gig later. That was very, very similar the same way, but it was always an adventure yeah um.

Speaker 2:

So I had this three ring binder full of charts. This my roadmap for the song right and I sat down and I remember wade turned around, looked at me and he said so what do you want to play? And I flipped through my book and I said well, let's do this one. It would be golden if I could remember whatever the first song was.

Speaker 1:

I wonder. If he does, I'll have to ask him. You know, I want to say I want to say Lost Hotel was the album that was coming out.

Speaker 2:

I mean they hadn't done the album release yet.

Speaker 1:

And if I remember correctly.

Speaker 2:

I've damaged a few brain cells over the years.

Speaker 1:

Um falling hit my head you know, yeah, you know just slipped, or something I don't know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, uh slipped and fell in the bottom of a solo cup somewhere one time at a bar, yeah uh, but I, if I remember correctly, lay it all on you was on that album, yeah. And I was like, let like, let's do Lay it All On you and, you know, started the metronome and I said is this about the tempo that you do it? That's how the audition went. I called the songs and I started right after that.

Speaker 1:

So answer me this so if there's in that situation in the music deal, I mean drummers at this point in your career, did you know other drummers that were in the lineup to play or be interviewed or any of that? I mean, did you like for that? Yeah, I mean, is there like a like I know how it is now, where it's a big circle? I mean?

Speaker 1:

Texas music is a very tight niche circle in Nashville's. Nashville and Texas is Texas and red dirt music and blah, blah blah. But was it that way back then, where? I mean, did you guys all kind of know each other, or did? Or was it like hey, I'm Brooks and I I was so?

Speaker 2:

new at that point.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I mean I had met some of the guys like John Owens was Corey Morrow's drummer at the time. And Corey would play at the Copper Tank on occasion. Right, I had met John.

Speaker 1:

Because I know, like Raid, raid, that's what they should be called. You're welcome guys. Yeah, that's exactly what we were doing. We were raging and raiding in Cabo with those two. But, yeah, wade and Randy and Cody, and, you know, pat and Corey, and blah, blah, blah. They, they've all, as leads, known each other and but I mean is it that way with back then? Was it that way with guitar players? Was it that way with?

Speaker 2:

oh, it was, but I was so far out of that loop until I was in until you got got in it yeah. And then y'all.

Speaker 1:

Okay, wade's band was really that introduction into that To that scene, that scene Right that circle, which is the scene we all love so much.

Speaker 2:

See, when I started with Wade and I could completely be misspeaking, but if I remember correctly it was before Randy's band is what Randy's band?

Speaker 1:

is now.

Speaker 2:

I think Les and Brady might've still been working with Dub Miller, so that's been. That's been a minute.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I think I was still working with Gary P, like when I met all the Ragweed guys. I was still working with Gary P, like when I met, uh, all the ragweed guys, I was still playing with Gary P. So that was, of course. I was playing with the old guy Right, very different circle than all the new up and coming guys.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Uh, but when I started working with Wade that was a whole thing. I have to tell you a funny story it was my first weekend out with wade. We started out in um oh, I don't remember the town somewhere in kansas opening for charlie. Nice robison yes um which? So no, we can't go there yet which you played for yes, which I did play for. So it was kind of uh, maybe a foreshadowing yeah, foreshadowing of, I knew what you meant.

Speaker 1:

I changed my words up all the time, as you know so very cool.

Speaker 2:

First note, so I've said brooks's brain yeah, I had my brain right we ended that run at Joe's on Weed Street in Chicago? No, we didn't. We played Joe's on Weed Street on a Friday night and Saturday night we played somewhere else, on the way home. All the guys were in randy's band because we played with randy up there and I remember that we actually closed that show at joe's, so this was before the whole.

Speaker 1:

Hold my beer and watch this shit started. Oh yeah, is that?

Speaker 2:

yeah, yeah, no I'm I'm pretty sure it was probably, but it was I mean shortly after that.

Speaker 1:

It sounds like the timing would be right.

Speaker 2:

when all that kind of started, yeah, it happened pretty quick right after that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and if you guys haven't figured out the whole Raiden. There I go again. This is going to have to stick. Are you trying, raiden and Randy? Yeah, it's exactly what I'm doing I've just made. I got a new click for them new click for them. Yeah, you're welcome. But yeah, wade and randy have their. The hold my beer, yeah it should be exactly. Yes, we just coming up with shit on my porch as usual, but usually it's not that cute.

Speaker 1:

But yeah um, yes, exactly the raid twins. Yeah, before they started their rage with hold my beer and watch this, you guys. If you haven't checked any of that out, you need to. It's really epic and it's a lot of fun, so, but yeah, so then, so you did the whole wade gig.

Speaker 2:

So we're breaking down after that gig and I remember laying my binder up on top of the the drum field, the drum, my monitor right we got to the town the next night, it never got packed. I'm three, two, three nights into a new gig and I left my whoopee yeah, my security blanket yeah and um, the guys had told me, man, you need just relax and play, and and I'm like, yeah, but the parts and the stops and starts and I want to remember all that stuff.

Speaker 2:

You know, and Matt Powell was in the band at the time and love that dude.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Um. I was walking by him in the hallway backstage pre-show and I was freaking out.

Speaker 1:

I was a little nervous. Just say you were freaking out. I was a lot of bit nervous.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was freaking out, um, and I told Matt I was like dude, he goes, what's up? And I was like I left my chart book in Chicago and he goes are you cool, are you cool?

Speaker 1:

And I'd been listening to the songs all day. I've any kind of composer that I've ever had. All shot to hell. It's all been out the window. I cannot do this and I told him.

Speaker 2:

I said, dude, just don't say anything to wade. I said, just just let it go. I said I'm gonna be all right, it's gonna be okay. And he goes all right, it's going to be okay. And he goes all right. I shit you not. We're walking to the stage and Wade, kind of.

Speaker 1:

So you left your fucking binder.

Speaker 2:

He goes, so you left your charts to Chicago and I'm like oh God, okay, don't screw this up.

Speaker 1:

Don't screw this up. Don't blow the opening number no pressure.

Speaker 2:

But if you fuck this up, you're done. Skis yeah, yeah, but you know, I I kind of that's kind of where I developed my, my train of thought, uh, when I've had the opportunity or the need to sub for other bands, where I had to learn a lot of songs in a rush.

Speaker 1:

Um, so that, so it being around a lot of the guys that are around us all the time that come and hang out at our place and and um, just like when we had the benefit you guys heard me mention good fest and we you were there and we had the benefit for um keen on Sunday. So there's so many musicians that are all involved and you've seen it a million times over. I've seen it a million times over, but it's, it's. We're spoiled by it in New Braunfels because we have such a beautiful little music family that's here. It'll happen at the resort, or even if we're all just sitting there hanging out, next thing you know, one's got a guitar out, you're sitting on a cajon, whatever is happening and we talked about this in cabo.

Speaker 1:

as a matter of fact, it's because those guys don't ever really get to see each other, big guys that you've played with all over the place that's what's really unique about that festival is it's they all get to come together and sit down and and see each other and be like man, I didn't know you had this new album coming out and these are.

Speaker 1:

You know, it was really kind of cool. But, that being said, it's where you guys can just you don't have your binky and your will be in your little music, bible and thing. You don't have that and you guys will jump up on stage or sit around in a circle around a fire and then the next thing you know, there's a number one hit that pops up that y'all just it's all by ear, it just happens, you just feel it in the moment I mean, at that point was that where you, you finally realized that you had to get away from that security blanket, that your music bible, or to to transition, transition on how you, your confidence level, how you learn things, or to be able to just jump in, cause I watched.

Speaker 1:

I mean Mitchell and court and Eric, and those guys I mean they'll, they'll sit there for two seconds. And I mean Rio, god forbid. I mean you've seen that guy a million times. He sits there and goes it, he hasn't hurt. Nobody's even said hi, rio, how are you? And he's just like.

Speaker 2:

And then I'm ready, yeah, ready so it's done, boom.

Speaker 1:

It's mind-blowing to me as a drummer.

Speaker 2:

It's different. It's different for me and probably for a lot, maybe not to the extreme, because I'm so OCD.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you are very much, so I thought I was bad, but you are.

Speaker 2:

OCD you take the cake. A lot hinges on the rhythm section. I mean that's the foundation of the band.

Speaker 1:

It is.

Speaker 2:

So say you go out see a band that you are very familiar right and if the drummer misses a break or an intro fucks everybody up and you're, you know, you notice, yes, um, so that's why I always had my charts until it was second nature. Um, I, man, you know, man, you know. I don't even know if Wade knows it, let's tell him when. When I was prepping for that audition, all I did was listen and chart. I never sat down behind a drum kit until the day of the audition.

Speaker 1:

Explain chart. Uh, we all know what listening is and we all know that I don't do it. So that's explain chart. So you listen in chart so basically to the naked world out there. What is, what does that?

Speaker 2:

I would write myself a cheat sheet of the how the song was made up and where there were stops, if there was a stop or if there was a break, or when it you know, if there was a very particular feel, drum feel that led from the verse to the chorus or from the chorus into the bridge, I would actually write out staff and notate exactly how that feel was. And, prepping for the Wade gig, I never, um never, sat down behind the kid until I was there at um, oh, what was the name of the place? Singer hall. That's where I did my audition. Yeah, wow. So every gig I've ever had, I start out first writing charts before I would ever sit down behind the kid.

Speaker 1:

You guys have heard, um, when Kel Kel's on the porch with me, my girl, um, that was her first bartending gig and she talks about when Wade and and the guys used to come in there and play at Sanger hall.

Speaker 2:

And yeah, I was just talking to her about yeah, how did we not ever run into each?

Speaker 1:

other. How do I?

Speaker 2:

not know you from back in the day, but it was back in the day.

Speaker 1:

Remember when I said one time at a bar yeah, that had probably all happened at Singer Hall.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it very well could have yeah.

Speaker 1:

You know, Jeremy and I I told Kel this we actually have the original jukebox from Singer Hall. Really we do, and it works, works. I got to play. It's got all the guys cds and everything in there.

Speaker 2:

Man, my whole crew raid first raids it's got both theirs in there, yeah I said I'm going straight to merch with this yep um, I got to play one show at Sanger Hall while I was with Wade and it was New Year's Eve with Ragweed back in the day and we left immediately after that for Steamboat. That was my first Steamboat experience.

Speaker 1:

What year was that? When did Steamboat start? Why do I not? I mean, I should probably know this.

Speaker 2:

It was before then, but this would have been 05. Wow. I mean, I should probably know this. It was before then, but this would have been 05. Wow. So that steamboat would have been. It would have been the 06 steamboat was my first one, nice, nice.

Speaker 1:

So after Wade, then we'll give them the you went boom boom.

Speaker 2:

Nah, I spent a little time with, so you were with Wade six years, eight.

Speaker 1:

Eight, kind of like six, but eight yeah yeah, felt like six.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, really fast everything guys. I mean really cheese and rice, yeah, but yeah, got to got to do a lot of fun stuff with wade in my time there and um met a lot of in my time there and um met a lot of lifelong friends yes, I love that guy I do and you know he's a great dude. Hey um bowen. Bowen family foundation looky there.

Speaker 1:

That is awesome.

Speaker 1:

We're gonna have to, yeah, well, um, when we were in cabo, we talked in um shelby was down there, which was really good to see her, because I don't get to see her very much because she's always kind of with the boys and doing all the things, yeah she does, she does and, um, I I did record a podcast when I was down there and so and I really really wanted, I wanted to talk to Shelby and so she promised me that she would come and hang out on my porch and I'm super excited because I can't wait to introduce her and so many people that don't really ever get to see her. I don't know if you've seen her I'm sure you have, but she was in his last one, the song before music video with the horse and the thing.

Speaker 2:

Really? Yes, it was really cool.

Speaker 1:

It was really cool. So, yeah, I'm super excited for them to come and hang out. But yeah, he knows he's my fave. You know he's my fave. You always get.

Speaker 1:

So when Brooks and I do projects together, building projects, which he he helped me with, my porch too it is ironically, and it is very hilarious, because it doesn't matter what is happening, where we are, whatever where we are, whatever we're working on or whatever we're doing, if we're all just hanging out. But every single time and you have played it's always in the playlist. It's of course it is. It's my, first of all. It's my playlist. Second of all, I put the shit on shuffle, but it doesn't freaking matter, it can be, it's always wade. When he walks in the door into winter, wherever the thing, and he'll go, how are you doing wade? And I just look, I'm like I don't know why or how, and it's just. You've played with so many people and they're all on my playlist and I I mean there's thousands and thousands and thousands of them on there. But it's so funny, it's just like it's it. Just it cracks me up because it never fails.

Speaker 1:

It never, ever fails. I can't, I cannot remember off the top of my head one time with us doing something together, whatever that you walk in, because I've always I mean especially when kel's with me.

Speaker 2:

You know she is about the music always have music on.

Speaker 1:

I can't do the silence does not work for me. I get nervous, I start freaking out. I mean I even turn it on for the animals when I leave. Hey, alexa play. Yeah, and I tell her. Yeah, you tell alexa to play some wade?

Speaker 2:

I do, and she knows.

Speaker 1:

And when she, when rowan changes her to my thing and she's like I'm sorry, I don't recognize. And I was like what do you mean? You don't recognize you, you're going to get fired or I'm chunking you in the pool? Yes, you know who wade is. Yeah, what do you mean? Absolutely not. That is unacceptable behavior.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but so after Wade, I worked with Brandon Ryder for a little bit Nice, and then Shannon, canada yeah Hollered at me and said hey, I've got a guy that I'm managing that is in need of a drummer, you guys don't know who Shannon Canada, canada is, because it's that is our scene here.

Speaker 1:

That is cody canada's better half. Love you codes, but she is. She is the, the brains behind the outfits. Very, very involved. They have school of rock here in new braunfels, here in town, which is amazing, and we've we've been a big part of that, jeremy, and I and I got to see her today here in the studio.

Speaker 1:

Well, you know, when I pulled up because I'm in the rink car I saw Dierks and Willie walking by and yeah, but they were already in the vehicle. So, yeah, I didn't get to see either one of them. It's just stupid.

Speaker 2:

I hadn't seen her in a minute. Yeah, her in a minute.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, so I hadn't seen her since all of this happened. Oh lord, it's been a minute, yeah, so shan.

Speaker 2:

So shan calls you in and said that she had an artist wanted to know if I was looking to change gigs. And you know, she told me it was charlie robison the infamous and I was like, absolutely, I want to audition for that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Because I hung out with Charlie earlier prior to this Right and felt like we got along well Right and it was interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

It was very interesting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, to say the least.

Speaker 2:

That was I thought I knew some interesting. Yeah, To say the least, that was I thought I knew some shit. Yeah, until I went and worked with Charlie and then I really learned a lot.

Speaker 1:

I've been to many of his deals, his gigs, his shows and then seen him in Steamboat and in different festivals and have seen different aspects of him. But talking to you about just like you're saying you've learned, I mean thinking that you know something. And then, of course, bramble was with him forever and ever and ever and him telling some stories. There's some cool shit out there about that guy. I mean, yeah, really really interesting yeah, one of the things that.

Speaker 2:

I'm just glad that you guys were able to be such a part of that and can share his history and his stories and stuff with the coolest thing about working for with charlie for me is I always felt like and I don't know what started it, but I felt like I needed to have some kind of connection with the lead singer that I was working with so that I could kind of read them.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

During the show to know where they wanted to go, and when I came into the band with Charlie he wasn't really hanging out a whole lot yeah there was some transition stuff going on uh, within the band and, um, we had a sub tour manager come in, which was odd because he's cousins with a girl that I went to high school with. So we had this instant camaraderie.

Speaker 2:

Right and he had worked with Charlie prior to coming in as sub. Our tour manager had to go coach Little League for his boys or something for a while and I told him I said, hey man, I need some one-on-one time with the boss. Yeah, because with Charlie that was the first gig that I'd had in a long time that I didn't use a click track. I didn't have a metronome for the tempos of the songs Because, depending on how Charlie was reading the room, the tempos of the songs changed from night to night.

Speaker 1:

See, that makes sense to me. I don't know if it makes sense to other people, but it, um. I've talked about it many times and I explained to the kids when we book music for the resort because you know, you've been out there many times where we have live music on Saturday night and I know my client base is so well on the customers, they become family and you've seen them how they're just like if I'm not there, when they think I'm supposed to be there. They're like you know where are you at, what are you doing where you know, um, but my music style, or what have you will, is based on who's going to be there. That weekend.

Speaker 1:

You've got reservations for that weekend to make sure that they're having exactly exactly so. I'm not yeah, but it's so.

Speaker 2:

That makes perfect sense to me, yeah so I spent a late night with charlie Over some cocktails and we talked about everything under the sun but music, but doesn't that. And that it got me where I needed to be comfortably Right. And quite possibly one of the coolest things that he ever said to me when I finally raised the shades and looked out and saw, hey, the sun's coming up. And I looked at him and I was like, dude, I've got to go lay down for a little bit because, unlike you, I have to load in set up sound check, you know Right.

Speaker 2:

I got up and I was reaching for the door and he said hey, Brooks, did you find what you're looking for? Wow? And I said, hey, Brooks, did you find what you're looking for, Wow? And I said, yeah, I think I did. And he said I'll make it real simple. I know you, I knew what I hired. Now I need you to be you and drive my band Changed my whole outlook.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's a lot to I mean, that's a lot to think I could take that in I mean it put put a lot of weight on my shoulders did it a little bit because, he told me, said as long as you are being you and you're driving the band, he said the only person you follow on that stage is me. He said if anybody else tries to pull you one way or the other and you do it, that's when I'm going to be mad at you.

Speaker 1:

That makes perfect sense to me.

Speaker 2:

And I love all of my brothers from that band. But one night the bass player leaned over to me mid song I don't even remember what the song was and me and Charlie were we were on the same wavelength. After we had that sit down, it never failed. I mean, I was in his back pocket every night.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And he gave me a lot of leeway. Um, every every night when we did. Uh, oh, was it bar light? Yes, every night when we did bar light. My goal was to push that song so hard. Right we did bar light. My goal was to push that song so hard that Charlie had to give me the sign to back it off a little bit, because I I would try and run it into the ground playing it so fast.

Speaker 1:

So I have seen those signs and have, and I'm one of those that pays attention and knows what was his sign.

Speaker 2:

Oh, if I wasn't right where he wanted me, and it was the greatest thing, I mean. I've seen the hand come down.

Speaker 1:

I've seen the look, I've seen the and I've seen the yeah, well, you know there's so many different. What was charlie's sign to you? Where you know, where you knew, change your tempo, back it up, move it forward. What was his?

Speaker 2:

if I wasn't right where he wanted me to be right, if he wanted me to pick it up a little bit, he never got angry. He never turned around, kicked the drum riser you know, and he wasn't. And I asked him about it one time and he said it's not that you're inconsistent, you're just not where I want you, to be right at that particular moment. Right, he said once I get you where I want you, you stay right there, but on stage.

Speaker 1:

What was his sign?

Speaker 2:

if he wanted a little faster. He put his hand behind his back. Give me a little thumbs up back here, and if he wanted it slower, he'd point it down, yeah, yeah so he that that part was gravy yeah but on this one particular occasion, when everything was groovy and he wasn't giving me any signs, yeah. Our bass player leaned over to me and he goes hey man, charlie likes this one a little slower. It was very recent, after our talk.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I leaned over to the bass player and I said hey man, charlie told me I could tell you to fuck off.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So take your bass and go thump over there if you don't mind.

Speaker 2:

And I kept it right where it was. I probably could have done that a little less harsh, but if there's any cockiness, in me.

Speaker 1:

I was about to say there it was.

Speaker 2:

Well, I will say that the person that gave me the what am I looking for? The confidence.

Speaker 1:

Right To carry that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah Was Charlie.

Speaker 1:

That's interesting. What a cool dude.

Speaker 2:

Extremely.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Had a lot of great great times with him. We had so much fun. That's awesome. And a lot of great great times with him. We had so much fun, that's awesome and a lot of the fun. Well, if you've ever been to a Charlie show, you know you never know what's going to happen?

Speaker 1:

No, never.

Speaker 2:

It was always magic, but you never know Right. And I'll let you all in on something the band didn't know either.

Speaker 1:

So, it was not like on the okay, on the third song, what we're going to do is I'm going to do a backflip, you're going to do the da-da-da-da, but yeah.

Speaker 2:

So there was no set list. Yeah, the first five songs of the night were always the same.

Speaker 2:

The last song, the last song of the show maybe not the encore, but the last song of the show was always the same and Charlie did not call the songs he'd just start playing them charlie would just start strumming yep randomly, sometimes not great on his guitar right, and if you were ever at a show, you know the stage would get kind of dark, except for charlie right, and if you caught it, we were all shooting, looks at each other, waiting for the first person because he would play one. It got to the point where there was one note in his noodling that would tell you where we were going with that and once one of us picked it up, then we broadcast it to everybody else.

Speaker 1:

Oh, this is this.

Speaker 2:

Because we didn't know.

Speaker 1:

That was one way to keep your ass in line. Keep you on your toes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you could not drink a lot.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I was about to say Because you would not be paying attention.

Speaker 2:

But it was always so much fun and it made every night an adventure right on stage. I love that, um, and, of course, like and and working with josh, I mean, for the longest time. I mean we did not change the set list very often, uh, so you had to make it feel like it was that kind of adventure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And it being mapped out Right, which is a whole other skill set. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was a blast. It was so much fun we are going to. We've got to get off our porch for a little bit and we're going to come back here in a little bit and we're going to do a part two.

Speaker 1:

So this is a two part thing, Well it is because you have so much to say and I absolutely love it because I want everybody to know all these things, and there's so much to the story that I thought I knew that I don't know. And you're on my porch and so we're going to go take a piddle break and we are going to come back to part two with Brooks Robinson and you're going to tell some some some other stories with some other big name musicians and then we're going to talk about a couple of other things that I want to share with everybody. Awesome. Thank you guys for hanging with us and we will see you guys shortly.