Well let’s see if I remember this correctly… I received a telephone call from Bryan Beller sometime in late September 2002. He wanted to know if I was interested in playing a gig that was to be a tribute performance of The Shaming of the True (TSOTT), a rock opera, composed by the late songwriter/musician Kevin Gilbert. Most of the musicians in the show would be from the Mike Keneally Band. Of course I agreed immediately – any chance to play alongside Bryan is always a welcome opportunity – the guy is a monster bassist! He explained the general concept, then handed the phone to someone he identified as “Nick”. I listened intently as Nick discussed the gig – but he also said that there were other drummers he had in mind to play the show. I was an unknown player to him, though Bryan and Mike were familiar with my playing and personality.

Though I didn’t realize it at that moment, Nick was Nick D’Virgilio – the fantastic drummer in Mike’s band and progressive rock messengers Spock’s Beard. Nick had worked extensively with Kevin on recordings and in live performances. In this tribute Nick would be singing lead vocals and playing guitar for much of the show, so another drummer was needed. After that initial correspondence, I was very excited about getting the gig. It wasn’t official until I could get Nick some samples of my playing. I sent him a copy of Yogi’s Any Raw Flesh CD, which I feel is a good representation of my technique in a hard rock format. Nick was totally trusting of Bryan and Mike’s opinions, but as a drummer himself, I’m sure he wanted to get a sense of my feel – which was completely understandable. Within the first few days of October, Nick and I finalized the plan.

I would play the show, and I would also learn some of Nick’s songs from his solo CD Karma and some classic Spock’s Beard selections. Three rehearsal nights were scheduled for the last week of October with some additional dress rehearsals a few days before the show on November 10th. What followed for me was an intensive three and a half weeks of writing charts, practicing patterns, and discovering a sincere appreciation for the music I was studying. Without question, Kevin Gilbert is one of the most creative and emotionally stirring writers I have ever heard. And Spock’s Beard is exactly like the bands with which I have always wanted to be involved. I love progressive rock! From a technical standpoint, learning Nick’s drum parts really had me concentrating on the executions. They definitely required a lot of practice. He’s awesome – completely inspiring!

I traveled to Los Angeles for the first group of rehearsals on October 28th – 30th. For these rehearsals, only a core band (most of it) would be involved. That included Mike, Bryan, Nick, and me. I had seen Bryan and Mike a couple weeks before at one of their Taylor guitar clinics in Seattle. We had talked about the upcoming rehearsals, which was helpful before playing together. We assembled at Bryan’s company, SWR, in the amplifier testing room. It had a nice Drum Workshop drumkit set up. This is where the Mike Keneally Band rehearsed for the 2001 Dancing tour. I auditioned for that tour April 2001, but the gig went to NDV... This whole production was starting to feel like one of those “full circle” things. I won’t deny that I was a little nervous, even though I was very prepared for the list of songs - my notebook of charts faithfully at my side.

It’s not everyday that I play with such technically astute players, so I tried to stay focused on the material. The first song we “casually” played through was Nick’s The River Is Wide off Karma. It was a very pleasant ice-breaker to see Nick’s smile after we wrapped up that song. He said it sounded great, and I think he realized that this was going to work. It can be hard meeting another player for the first time – on both sides. But at that moment Nick and I probably felt more relaxed knowing the rehearsals could move forward with certainty. The vibe was very productive and supportive throughout the three days. We played most of the songs on TSOTT and the chosen Karma songs. Nick played acoustic guitar and sang lead on everything. Mike contributed electric guitar and doubled on keyboards, while Bryan and I cemented our rhythm section roles.

Nick’s friend Wayne Perez was on hand to record the scene in pictures and on video. He would be putting together a nice program for the show, so all of us submitted our written thoughts about the preparation experience. Because we were so prepared, we went through each piece without much difficulty. Some songs required more direction and study. Most notable for me was Best Laid Plans. Bryan said, “Play 70s rock on this one…. no ghost notes. Think Nigel Olsen with Elton John.” Nick echoed the need for that feel. A Long Day’s Life gave the melody players pause with its clever trickiness in the outro chord progression. Mike would play the CD a few times – dissecting the chord structure with each pass. Within twenty minutes or so he had it. The amazing thing is – he played it correctly every time once he had it. His command of musical memory is astounding.

I had a revelation with the song’s breakdown section in which the drums play a pattern involving an open/closed hi-hat part. Bryan gave me a big cheer for nailing the song, including the Toss part (Toss Panos, the original drummer on the track). Nick wanted to see me do it. I played the part using my crossover system, and he said it was cool, but then told me the execution was incorrect. He went on to demonstrate the bizarre hi-hat foot splashing technique used – not a difficult thing in itself – but adding it to the three other limbs doing their own independent actions was too much for me. I decided to stay with my watered down version for the show. I’ve since learned the real part (to redeem myself) and Nick was right - it flows smoothly out of you when you finally “get it”. It made me remember Toss’ linear pattern genius when I studied with him at PIT in 1991-92.

The core band was somewhat limited in the amount of work we could do because several other instrumentalists and vocalists would be taking part in the performance. They would not be arriving until the next block of rehearsals November 6th – 8th. Thus far however, a solid foundation had been laid. I was back in Seattle for the few days between the scheduled rehearsals. I concentrated on the Spock’s Beard material since that band was expected to rehearse during some of the days while the TSOTT band worked in the evenings. None of Spock’s Beard had been able to get together during the October rehearsals. I was so thrilled to practice the songs Nick chose from the SB catalog for the performance. For me it was so reminiscent of playing to some of my progressive rock influences. Spock’s Beard is certainly keeping the spirit of that style alive and well!

The overall environment for the next set of rehearsals was on such a professional scale that it began to feel as if the production was preparing for a tour. The Power Plant was the location – a pro sound/rehearsal facility near Burbank, CA. Many top name groups such as The Eagles and Toto have prepared for major tours in this place. I arrived a bit early on Wednesday, our first day to play, to help Nick set up his two drumkits. He would use his Mapex set and I would use his older Gretsch set, which sounded great. It had been decided from the start that Nick would play certain sections of the sets of TSOTT and SB, as well as performing songs with the Mike Keneally Band. We would also do a double drumming spot at the ending of one song. We arranged the huge room so that the drum risers faced each other diagonally with space for a keyboard rig in the center.

We spent the next few hours changing drumheads, micing up instruments, and checking monitor levels. Every piece of gear in the room was capable of duplicating a full-on concert stage – which was the type atmosphere in which the show would be performed. Vocalists and musicians began arriving in the afternoon hours. Marc Ziegenhagen came in and he and I talked for a good while about the music we had been practicing. He’s a great keyboardist. Vocal practice was the first order of business – especially for songs like Suit Fugue. Some new faces emerged as the performance troupe grew to its full size. Joining Nick and Mike on vocals were Jon Rubin, Stan Ausmus, Charlie Davis, Marc McCrite, and Rick Musallam – who was just off the road with the Ben Taylor Band. He would also join the core band, adding another guitar to the mix.

Watching the full vocal harmonies come together for Suit Fugue and Long Day’s Life was amazing to me. Hearing all those parts ring out with such clarity blew me away. Later in the day, Bryan and David Levita arrived (David having found some time away from his Alanis Morissette commitments). Now the whole band began to play through the varied songs of the set. Along the way, line-up changes from song to song started to take shape. Different members of the choregraphed show would rehearse while everyone else either watched, took smoke breaks outside, or shot pictures or video for posterity. For these three days, this would be the routine – twelve hour days for most of us – 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. The next day I met the other members of Spock’s Beard for the first time – Ryo Okumoto, Dave Meros, and Al Morse.

This ProgWest live performance would mark the first appearance of SB without Neal Morse, who officially left the band the past October. We spent three hours working through their songs for the show, as Nick and I choreographed our drumming duties. Nick would play some of the instrumental sections and I would drum while he sang the lead vocals. It was a lot of fun to provide the drumming for their excellent music. As with the preceding day, vocals were rehearsed for TSOTT material as more musicians arrived - Russ Parish and Paul Ill, two players who had worked with Kevin Gilbert in various projects. At times as many as ten people would be playing together on one song. It was a sincere pleasure to meet all of these musicians and share a stage with them. Witnessing the respect that each player would give to others was the epitome of professionalism.

I remember thinking how fortunate I was to be involved with this production as I retired for the night after these long, full days. Friday, November 8th was the final dress rehearsal for the show. Same schedule – SB played, vocal practice, then TSOTT. There was such a sense of excitement by this time. Wayne, fellow Dividing Line host Papa Jim Harrel, and I would talk about the progress made thus far, and we agreed that everything was getting really tight. By the time we were ready to perform a complete run-through of TSOTT at 7:00 pm, a group of friends and well-wishers had gathered. They took their seats on couches along the far wall facing the band. The mood in the studio had the air of a private performance. Fluorescent lights were replaced with more appropriate colored stage lighting and we began. The CD backing tracks announced the beginning of the set.

We played each piece with conviction, as each song highlighted the contributions of this diverse assemblage of players. Every ending was greeted with the appreciative applause of the gathered guests who watched this special occasion. One of the most powerful songs was Certifiable #1 Smash. As the closing kicked into high gear, three guitars were screaming out unison solos, and Nick and I were in full-on double drumming mode, matching grooves and fills note for note. All of us completely nailed it! I think the onlookers and the band knew that it was a point of climax for sure. We continued until the final song was played. Afterward, Jim Harrel said the night was one of the most intense live rehearsals he had ever witnessed, with plenty of goose bump moments. He made sure to post that sentiment on the Spock's Beard message board!

As we began the tearing down process, I knew we had a achieved a great level of satisfaction in bringing Kevin’s music to life. All thoughts now looked forward to Sunday’s real performance. November 10, 2002 dawned clear in Los Angeles, this after several days of uncharacteristically heavy rainfall in Southern California. Being a Seattleite, everyone delighted in proclaiming that I brought the rain. I in turn blamed it on my friend Darin Di Pietro, who had arrived late in the evening on the previous Friday. My drive to the concert venue took some time, for it was in Claremont, about thirty-five miles east of LA. The ProgWest 2002 festival was in its second day and the stage of the auditorium was a scene of shifting equipment and sporadic sound checks. It was clear that everyone would have to do his or her part to make this go smoothly.

I wandered about with my knapsack in tow, visiting Wayne at the merchandise booth. He was pretty busy selling the works of all the groups involved in our production. Like the day before, different bands would play onstage for about an hour or so, with changeovers in between. The first group would begin to play at 3:00 pm. I met Nick in the mid afternoon and we began setting up our drumkits in a tight corner of the backstage area. I really enjoyed this moment. Two drummers, amid the scattered equipment of a concert stage, talking shop while assembling the tools of our chosen craft. It was one of those times where you think to yourself – “This is cool.” There was still quite a bit of time to kill before any playing started, so I decided to take a drive for a cup of coffee. When I returned, there were performances in progress. IZZ and Azigza were quite good.

Watching with Darin I thought to myself how entertaining it was to see such complex music pulled off live. At 6:00 pm, the dinner break commenced, and the backstage area became a swirl of chaotic activity. Drums and risers were positioned, amplifiers lined up across the stage, vocal mics and monitors set up, etc. Everyone was rolling, pushing, or carrying equipment to help transform the stage into our plot that was constructed at The Power Plant. The curtains remained closed throughout the changeover until we were finally ready to start the sound check. For this the organizers closed the auditorium to the patrons who were eager to regain their seats after the break. The instruments and vocals were pumped through the house PA and then the monitor mixes began. Time was at a premium so our monitor mixes were less than desirable.

But the show was waiting to go on... We took our places in the wings to let the first portion of our sets begin. The opening synths came over the mains and a blue shimmer of stage lights illuminated Nick’s lone figure as he sang to the packed house – “My name is Johnny Virgil…” The rest of the core band waited in the shadows, ready to take our places. Standing there – hearing the shouts and cheers from the audience, watching flashlight beams dance around on darkened floors, following along with the guitar lines - my senses became unbelievably excited. I suppose every performing musician lives for that moment just before he or she goes onstage. When the audience is with you, it’s unforgettable. Within the last building notes of the intro, the band found their stations on a stage crammed with equipment and performers, and listened for the cue.

Nick shouted his quick four count that launched us into City of The Sun with its slamming accents punctuating a solid wall of sound. Everyone was playing so well, just digging into the feel. Suit Fugue became the most theatrical piece of the night with backup vocalists wearing A&R man suits, Marc and I throwing huge money bills all over the stage, Mike “snorting” the telltale white powder with a gigantic straw, and Gruno sweeping up the mess as an after-party janitor. It was all quite hilarious! Aside from inevitable technical difficulties, we were able to play through the songs without any major flaws. The band was simply giving an outstanding performance. Water Under The Bridge brought a nice lilting 6/8 feel to the flow, calming the intensity under blue and green lights. At the end of that song, Nick jumped behind his kit to propel the outro with his fluid style.

With the beginning of each new song, different players came into position and it was here that the technical issues surfaced. There wasn’t nearly enough time to perfect every monitor mix for every station at the sound check. During Ghetto of Beautiful Things, Mike’s main vocal mic cable disconnected so he instinctively grabbed a backup vocal mic. Unfortunately, that mic was not in my monitor, so I was trying to read his lips for the ending cue. We made it, but it wasn’t like our rehearsal! By the end of The Way Back Home, I was just gushing. The show had gone well. Standing in the wings to hear Nick sing Johnny’s Last Song, handshakes and embraces went around to everyone. All of the hours of practice and rehearsal had gone racing by. Strange…  when you are doing something, it is difficult to appreciate the act of doing it. It needs reflection.

I can only hope that the various people filming/recording this event captured the moment to be preserved forever. I suppose that would help in reliving it someday. Amid tumultuous applause, Nick presided over a gracious introduction of the players to the audience, and we took our final bow as a long line of musicians stretching across the stage. Then, as quickly as humanly possible, the stage was again transformed to accommodate the instruments of another group of players. The Mike Keneally Band gave the audience a serving of the avant-garde flair that is standard in Mike’s music. It’s always great to see these gentlemen perform. Coming out from behind his drumkit yet again, Nick took to the acoustic guitar and lead vocal as he, Bryan, Mike, and I belted out The River Is Wide. Practicing drummers should try to decipher this song. It’ll keep you counting!

Ryo, Nick, and Dave then played a couple of Ryo’s tunes – Nick singing some vocals while charging through the drum parts. This man has no limits! He was the busiest person on the stage this night. Spock’s Beard was on next. Al and I came onstage to round out the quintet. We started with The Doorway as Ryo began Neal’s keyboard intro. A standing ovation ensued! We rocked out hard with Devil’s Got My Throat. Finally, Nick and I traded drumming spots as he came back and forth into vocal sections on the prog epic Go The Way You Go. The accents of this piece were a blast to play onstage. I think the Spock's Beard faithful in the audience were happy to see the band in performance following Neal’s exit. Perhaps the future will hold a similar greeting for them. All I know is – it was a special honor to be able to take a final bow onstage with these guys.

If they ever need a tour drummer, put my name in the hat! The show finished at a very late hour - nearly 1:00 am when the last notes were played. Everyone was elated. It would be a memory to last a very long time. It was also perhaps the only time The Shaming of the True would be presented as a live show. As Bryan commented later on his website, it was the most barely held together production from a technical standpoint. Three hours of needed soundchecks were condensed into just under an hour. Yet, the pure emotion exuded by the players transcended any of the mishaps to help make this show the performance of a lifetime, certainly one I'll never forget.