John Wackerman - The Wackerman Dynasty :: Ep 250 The Rich Redmond Show

In this episode, Rich and Jim sit down with drummer, composer, and educator John Wackerman to talk about the Wackerman dynasty, from their band-director dad Chuck to brothers Chad, Bob, Brooks, and John’s own genre-hopping career.John shares stories from the road and studio with Frank Zappa, Maynard Ferguson, Alan Holdsworth, Family Matters, Vegas headliners, and more. He breaks down his all-star drum duets project with Steve Gadd, Alex Acuña, Ronnie Tutt, Steve Smith, Terry Bozzio, Taylor Hawkins, and others, plus the origin story of DW Drums, a private masterclass with Stuart Copeland, and why discipline and reading still matter in a click-track world.Timed Highlights0:00 Show and sponsor intro1:00 Jim on his son’s musical talent and parenting a creative kid2:12 Rich on being an “overeducated rock drummer” and closet rocker5:18 Mapping the Wackerman dynasty: Chuck, Chad, Bob, Brooks, and John7:56 How the drum duets project was born and why Alex Acuña went first12:12 The real DW Drums origin story: Drum Workshop, Camco, and the double pedal16:00 Vegas era: Mandalay Bay, Zumanity, and drummer coffee hangs21:12 Moving from L.A. to Vegas to Nashville and lifestyle tradeoffs26:01 A half-day film-scoring masterclass at Stuart Copeland’s house33:30 Recording Steve Gadd in Rochester when the SSL console dies40:48 Maynard Ferguson’s band: 300 dates a year, buses, clinics, and survival48:02 Growing up in a house full of drums, vibes, and serious practice54:20 Their dad’s pioneering jazz program and what “passion” meant at home1:03:00 Brooks’s journey from Bad For Good to Bad Religion to Avenged Sevenfold1:10:20 Charts vs memory: how different drummers approach complex gigs1:18:30 Drummers and cars: classic 911s, Audis, and gearhead confessions1:32:40 John’s vegetarian routine, health, and daily fuel1:40:52 Letting go of CDs and DVDs and living in a streaming world1:49:05 John Wackerman Drum Academy plans and Rich’s clinic/tour schedule1:52:10 Closing plugs, mugs, and where to find John onlineLinks:The Rich Redmond Show site:therichredmanshow.comRich Redmond:richredmond.comPodcast production:itsyourshow.coDrum-tensive study with Rich:drumtensive.comGuest:johnwackerman.com