John Eckstein Drums
My music career began as a young lad, walking and skating all over my teenage cousin's record collection. throwing Beatles, Temptations, and Supremes records like frisbees at the walls. That's what happens when you leave a 4 year old kid alone with your records.
With no cable or video games, I learned to play with the phonograph, and without understanding what I was hearing, I started to memorize all these songs.
Born and raised in San Francisco, there was music (and hippies) everywhere. In 1967 I remember that ALL the kids on the street dropped their bikes and ran for the nearest house every Tuesday night to watch The Monkees. I remember seeing an actual drum set for the first time when they sang I'm A Believer. That was it, I was hooked.
It took me about 8 years of harassing my dad to buy me a drum kit. The deal was I had to promise never to quit. So I never did. I taught myself to play through whole albums. I had so much fun I even forgot to go to school some days.
I then started my first cover band at 14 in Jr. High School. I called it The Flaming Eddies, named after a shot of whiskey you light on fire before you shoot it. I pulled out all those dusty records and my buddies and I learned as many songs as we could. We got out right away playing garage parties and school dances. We actually got paid. Lots of fun for us but my poor mom must have gone deaf during our rehearsals.
Through the next 20 years or so I must have played in at least 25 bands. Some covers, some originals. Many tribute bands as well: The Beatles, Hendrix, Stones, Led Zeppelin, Janice Joplin, Johnny Cash, and even 12 shows of Jesus Christ Superstar. I took every opportunity I could.
One night I was playing a set with my 2 brothers at our rock club in San Francisco. It was there I met Toni Bryant. She came up and sang some real rock and roll. She belted out some power vocals that cut right over my drums. We had good dynamic control together. She sat in a few more times with us and it was always exciting and fun.
Some time later I got a call from Toni. Her band needed a drummer and asked me to try out with Cover 2 Cover. So I gave it a whirl. We had a Russian Roulette try out. No rehearsal. They just threw me up there live, turned the key and we took off. We got on very well. All the guys are totally cool and great musicians. I thought; "this is the band for me", playing good music and having a great time doing it.
The atmosphere we generate on stage seems to spill into the crowd, creating this great interaction between the band and audience whereby anyone in the room can become part of the excitement. After sitting in for 6 or 7 shows, the band asked me to join the lineup. I gladly signed on.
To be a part of this band is really great. I'm never sure what's going to happen, what we're going to play. I only know it's always fresh, exciting, and really sounds great.
Count it off, 1-2-3-4 and the party is on. Never a dull moment with Cover 2 Cover.