Episode 133 - Tribute Drumming Featuring Wayne Viar

Drummer's Weekly Groovecast

Tribute bands have been around for quite a long time. However, over the last several years they’ve become significantly more prevalent and a viable alternative to the original artist. In fact, some will even say that many tribute acts perform the music even better than the original artist. When you also consider that many classic bands are charging several hundred dollars per ticket while their corresponding tribute band may charge less than a typical parking fee, the choice becomes even clearer. This week welcome to the show Wayne Viar. Wayne has been a friend of the podcast since its inception and has known the hosts for 20 years. In recent years Wayne has become the tribute band drummer of choice for several high-profile acts. Wayne regularly performs with Abba Mania, A1A (Jimmy Buffet tribute), Almost Elton John, and Piano Men (Billy Joel tribute). In this show we discuss how he became involved with tribute acts and how that led him to work with others. Wayne tells us about preparing for the shows, the venues, travel, and the backline provided for each gig. He goes over the perks of the job as well as the challenges. Finally, Wayne talks about a typical day on the Abba Mania tour. On our way out of the show please check out Wayne’s playing on the track: Hard Eight Join us each week for brand new shows. We can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and anywhere you access your favorite music and shows. If you are an Apple subscriber, the next time you are in iTunes please take a moment to leave us a 5-star review. We’d greatly appreciate it. Lastly, go by our website at www.drummersweeklygroovecast.com There you can listen to all of our shows, visit our social media, and contact us via email.