The long search is finally over. For a guy with such little feet, Hoagie left some mighty big shoes to fill, and we weren't gonna settle for just anybody. It was starting to get frustrating.
I got a call from Donny a few weeks ago in response to our drummer ad, and was immediately impressed, and excited about the future of the band. Donny is the drummer for the legendary Zeke, probably the most successful and hard-hitting bunch of punk rock reprobates out of Seattle today. They've released a shitload of great albums, they've toured the world and elsewhere, and they've got a list of accomplishments longer than your arm. And I don't care how long your arm is.
If you know Donny, you'll know that he's one of the biggest Ramones fans you'll ever meet, and a friend of the Ramones themselves. In 2003, Johnny Ramone brought together some of the biggest names in rock for the Ramones tribute album "We're A Happy Family: A Tribute To Ramones". Zeke played two songs on the album (I Believe In Miracles and Daytime Dilemma), with Eddie Vedder singing.
We were finally able to get together with Donny last weekend. We played a few songs, and that elusive sound we'd been looking for was right there, and it felt great. We gave him the gig on the spot. Then we played a bunch more songs, just because we were having so much fun.
Welcome aboard, Donny. Here's to the future!
- Dan
