It was 11pm on my 27th birthday in Brooklyn. I was getting ready to see a band called The Drums at Baby’s All Right. However, it was my second time seeing them that night, in that same venue. They just happened to be playing back-to-back shows on my birthday and I was not going to miss the opportunity to see either of them. I was given a very strange look when I had to leave the venue and re-enter to get my second ticket scanned. The Drums are one of those bands that I could see every day and never get tired of them. Their show always brings me joy, in the same way their music has through the past few years.
The Drums are an indie pop band formed in Brooklyn, NY, comprised of founding members Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham. Through just seven years together, they’ve created three albums and gone through a few incarnations of the band. I first heard about them by stumbling upon a video of the NME Awards from 2010. They were a new band that hadn’t released a full-length album yet. Their song “Let’s Go Surfing” caught my attention. It was fun and catchy and everything you’d want in a pop song. When they released their debut self-titled album, it instantly became my soundtrack of the summer. The songs sounded like they were recorded in another decade, which I found all the more intriguing. I was completely hooked. Their sophomore release is called, Portamento, which features one of their most popular songs, “Money."
As with most bands, I’m initially drawn in by the front man. Jonny Pierce has progressively fit the bill. His dancing alone is something worth seeing, which feels almost like an extension of whatever song he’s singing.
I’ve watched first hand the fans at a Drums show worship Jonny, similar in a way to Morrissey. I believe Jonny is one of the best, and under-appreciated, front men today. He’s not putting on an act. What you see is what you get. He’s not afraid to share his true feelings. Most of his songs are deeply personal, which connects the audience even more. I sort of get the feeling he didn’t mean to become the ringleader for anyone who feels they don’t have a voice, but he gladly takes on the challenge. Additionally, he has become a spokesperson for the gay community. Many of their songs reference controversial subjects such as religion or gay rights, particular on their most recent album, Encyclopedia, which I find refreshing and almost necessary for the way the world has become.
Over the years, I’ve seen The Drums six times. Every show is better than the next. Since they haven’t become a large band (yet), each show has been at a small venue. I always appreciate those shows more. It’s more intimate and I feel you get so much more out of the experience. My favorite show was the first one I attended in 2011. The show was in a small club called Voyeur in Philadelphia. After two openers, the band didn’t come on until after midnight. However, you wouldn’t have known how late it was by the crowd’s reception. Everyone was so present and the band clearly gave back as much as they could. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended in general, and only partially because they were giving out free beer. Not only was I enamored by Jonny’s showmanship during their set, but he stood in the crowd for the whole beginning of the show, just like the rest of us, watching the opening bands.
The Drums are currently finishing up recording their fourth studio album. My hope is for as many people to hear it as possible and that they only grow from here on out. It might seem easy to throw them on the pile of “beach rock music” but if you delve deeper into their collection, you’ll find a whole different band with so much more to offer.
