Damon Che | The Godfather Of Mathrock Drums 

American Don changed my life. his drumming is so fluid on that album, I didn't even know this kind of playing was possible.

The handful of times I saw/opened for Don Cab/Bellini I was blown away at how he kept his kit steady. He toured with these two, big, flat, square pieces of wood attached to each other with door hinges so he could fold it up. When it was laid out flat he had perfectly shaped holes drilled in the wood so the feet of all his hardware, stands, & drums could snugly fit inside. I remember being so blown away by the frugal ingenuity of something SO effective as I stared down at my shitty rug & cinder block.....

I'm a big King Crimson fan and now 53. I only heard Don Cab about 10 years ago and it was "Stupid Puma" that blew me away, it was so insanely busy and technical. As a Captain Beefheart fan as well the weirdness of math rock just suited me perfectly. Just an awesome band and unfortunately never got see them. That was never going to happen, living in Australia, anyway.

Damon Che is such a force, every drummer who’s heard him will try to play like him

i feel like a lot of what damon did was to eschew the typical drummer 'look' IE the kinda humble guy who wants to just sit in the back and not stick out. Damon was a very extroverted personality on stage, pretty much everything about him and his drum kit DEMANDS your attention, he took the huge stage show vibe of cheesy 80's hair metal with 30 piece drum kits and re invented it in a down to earth punk rock way.

American Don will always be one of my favorite albums of all time. I was lucky enough to see them live once. Was in a small packed bar in Cincinnati. Everyone went nuts. It was like a wild dance party.

interesting, "What Burns..." is my absolute fav Don Cab album and one of my favourite albums of all time. I also play drums and love it because of Damon's performance.

I drove Damon to buy those black Pearl drums. He bought them for Half Life, years before Don Cab existed.

My brother saw Don Cab years ago in San Diego CA. My brother said that, as they everyone was milling around before Don Cab's set, Damon Che walked onto the stage, got behind his drum kit, then backed into the corner of the stage and faced the wall. Then he took of his pants, switched into tiny running shorts, so he could play. He was bare ass naked from the waste down when he did this, full moon. The audience just silently watched him. No one laughed. The show ruled.

Playing drums in underpants is an underappreciated display of dominance

Steve Albini nailed it on those records. Hear the room vibrate.

I'd never heard of math rock when I walked into a music store in 1995 and heard the Don Caballero 2 CD playing and I was just gobsmacked. It was like jazz musicians playing heavy metal, or metal musicians trying to play jazz...and...was that a shovel??? That sounded like a shovel! I saw them live in 2000 and still have this slight ringing in my ears from that show. "Slice Where You Live Like Pie" is probably the most gonzo song I've ever heard, too.

"Don Caballero 3" changed my life in the first 4 bars

Man, I just found this and literally just found the Don albums...this is an amazing run down of Damon. Bravo, you have done a remarkable job here! Thank you!

Loved this. He is definitely one of my all time favorite drummers. I might have to go do some experimenting and rearrange my kit a little after watching this.

Great Video! Don Cab is probably my favorite band. Damon reinvented the drums. I've been trying to capture his sound and feel in my music and it's impossible. I feel the same way about Ian. His guitar playing changed the entire way I think about the instrument and writing riffs and songs. They were a magical band. I don't think we'll ever see another band come close to their sound and vibe.

What Burns Never Returns is one of Thomas Haake's favorite drum albums.

Thank you for this video! Damon had a unique style and approach to the music. His drumming is just so wild, like over the top and sort of sloppy, but still matching the precision and energy of the rest of the music and driving it with amazing interplay. He deserves more recognition for inventing the math rock style of drumming

Seriously man, great vid. It's good to get the word out about Don Cab to these kids who've never heard them. They were one of my favorites back in high school and still blow me away today.

oh my god this is amazing. i hadn’t even seen half this footage before, and don cab is still basically my favorite band

Thanks for this. Damon was my biggest inspiration growing up. Used to drive to Baltimore from Norfolk Va. Still in high school

Incredible video, I loved how you analized his drumkit and style in detail, an awesome work all around!

This is fantastic! First saw Don Cab in ‘94 in Detroit... Don Cab 2 was recorded at the White Room by Al Sutton, also in Detroit. Favorite drummer by a mile and I’m a guitarist.

Cheers to you, brother, for making this video.

I recently discovered don caballero. First i listened to american don and got into shock....i thougt "dear god....this is amazing" and then into the whole thing. World class and what Burns turns to be my favourites....Am Also a drummer and che it's just phenomenal to study. A great drummer indeed

Im late to the party here but I was an early adopter of this music and all of these amazing albums. Fortunate enough to catch them live several times over the years. I once drove home from a Colorado trip early to catch the World Class tour gig at my favorite local bar. After an 8 hour drive, I made it there just in time to see him carry in a HUGE piece of plywood with a bunch of drilled holes in it and set it on the stage floor. His drums came next and their stand’s feet were then positioned & held in place by those holes. Genius diy tour idea from an amazing talent. Respect.

Great content on a great drummer!! It was so interesting and informative, really enjoyed it. Thank you 🙏

Don Caballero 2 will rule your ass. Saw them in New Orleans many years ago. I'll never forget that one. The Fucking Champs played at the same joint not long after that. Incredible as well.

Fucking rad, man. Anytime these guys get love, I am all for it. They seriously do not get enough of it. Don't play much these days, but my drummer ears are definitely what attracted me to these guys initially. Overall though, they were just so damn unique, and _good_ that to this day, they still have me coming back for frequent listens. Lot of it was thanks to Che, for sure. Thanks for shining the light on these guys, appreciate the video. Cheers! Also, I let out a pretty good chuckle when you mentioned what kind of sticks he used...and then _flipped them around_ . :D

Don Caballero 2 is so good. I love that Red-era King Crimson touch to the guitar riffs, way more than the clean twinkling on American Don.

Great video. I saw them three times in Minneapolis. Once for the What burns tour (as a four piece) and a three piece before and after American Don came out. This comes at a good time, because my old instrumental project has decided to start again and we were inspired by King Crimson, Don Cab and a few others. Thanks

That was great. Yes, he is a monster. I saw them once but honestly it was a bit over my head even though I was well aware there was something unique going on. This inspired me to go back and check out their records with a fresh perspective, thanks for making the documentary. Also, if you want to hear someone play drums like no one else I recommend Steve Shelton from CONFESSOR, he totally reinvented the instrument and its impossible to even think like him, mind blowing drumming.

I remember catching him perform at Kilby court. He toured with a folding wood platform with hinges that his drumset sits on. Areas in the wood were cut so his drum hardware sits perfectly in the cut grooves to prevent sliding, and the perfect template for setup.

Great vid! One of my all time favorite bands. You should do a vid about ian williams the guitarist. He set a new bar on the guitar and the tapping these kids do today all stem from him singlehandedly.

Thank you for giving props to sir Damon, no one knows.

Cool that you have footage from that show.

Don Caballero II is one of my favorite albums of all time. Everything about it is busy and wild. It blends elements of noise rock, math rock, and even a bit of droning pretty well. The industrial noises in please this is tokio kind of suprised me when I first listened to it. It sounds like someone brought their power tools on set and some metal.

So grateful I've gotten to see Don Cab play so many times in Chicago at Lounge Ax. Now I live in Pittsburgh and wish they were still playing!

The guy who made this video and Damon Che are my favorite drummers. What Burns is my favorite Don Cab album.

I saw them live only once. Yes, they were incredible.

World class listening album cover in Yosemite i noticed driving through like whoa have I been here then I listened to record after that good record for driving through Yosemite

I feel like there is some kind of mistery surrounding don caballero and specially Che... I havent seen good quality videos, the info on internet about them (him) is very poor and outdated, they are so underrated... but their music has such a good sound, full of expressiveness. Its just amazing. Thanks for the vid!

Great mini doc man. Absolutely agree with you that Damon needs to be recognized as one of the greats. I, as well play drums and was heavily influenced by Che. Had the chance to open for the later incarnation of Don Cab in Denver twice. Let me tell you, seeing Damon watch me play the drums was a "tad" bit intimidating, but I got through it. During his set (the second time I opened for Don) he lost a wing nut while playing. I quickly interpreted his hand gestures, and gave him the "I got this" look accompanied by a thumbs up. I quickly retrieved a wing nut off one of my stands. This offering of support scored me the invitation to chat with him after the show. He was appreciative of the wing nut, and I think he could see the crippling intimidation in my eyes and painfully offered me some backhanded back pat. I believe he said "Uh… You look like you had fun up there…". As a young drummer, that was definitely enough for me. At least he was trying to be polite, right? Anyway man, great mini doc. Che is one of the greats, and one of my favorite drummers.

Incredible drummer indeed !

A great job and tribute to an interesting player.

World class is such a good album

First LP "For Respect" is my favorite, but it's all amazing stuff!

damon

I watched 👀 him nail 💅 his drums 🥁 to the floor at the call the office in London Ontario

This is really interesting. I think I like Mathrock (Hella, Dillinger Escape Plan, Lightning Bolt), but I've never heard of Don Caballero or Damon Che. Super underrated. Good video.

Great vid!!!! “What burns never returns” should’ve been number one imo if you are basing rank from a drumming perspective. It’s an experience that every drummer should embark on , listening from start to finish is a must. It has a continuity concerning the drums that is absolutely genius thus, making it a quintessential album for our time.

My brother in law went to Pitt in the early to mid 90's and tells me stories of seeing them live in shitty little places. Wish I would have been there. Thanks for the vid.

For me, What Burns is their best moment, though I can't really quibble with your list, because I like all their stuff.

You really capture the essence of his style. Exactly how I've viewed his drumming. But does Singles Breaking Up not count? Some of my favorite tracks of theirs are on that album. Also, What Burns is underrated. Very impressionistic. My favorite. But great video.

Dude the way you talk over the video with the background music feels like a Slint song. Nicely done!

Heyyyy fellow West Virginian, don’t see too many of us, going to WVU right now as we speak

I heard Don Cab on the John Peel show on BBC radio 1 in about 1993 or 4. When I need creative energy it's Don.

love your drumming!!

I'm 23. I'm not a drummer, but I've always wanted to be. I typically listen to the bands I like specifically because I love their drummers. black midi is especially of note. I only discovered don cab about last year and since then I've been incredibly obsessed with Damon's style. His sound, the way he phrases things, his fills, and just how he manages to improvise so cohesively. I have a lot of drummers I am obsessed with, but Damon is so insanely awesome that he has pushed me past the point to stop wasting my life and find the motivation to get lessons. I'll likely never be able to own a real kit in my entire life, and I'll just barely be able to afford an electric one, but I'd rather have something rather than nothing at all. He's such an incredible inspiration and I don't think there will be another drummer exactly like him. It makes me want to find my own style someday. I could really tell that world class listening problem has some of his absolute best work on it. I honestly think it's my favorite album with him on it (don't get me wrong, I adore and own both American Don and Burns). It's a very fun album compared to the albums that came before, everyone's let loose and is having a blast and you can totally hear it. It's so difficult for me to choose a favorite song on that album because the band just plays so well with each other. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm

Honestly agreed with the love for World Class. Great album overall imo.

I've a pair of Damon's sticks. They're signed by him and he used them. They're Promark DC-10 which are almost baseball bats and not happy enough with that he has to hold them upside-down to get even more weight out of them. He's a monster on the kit!

I´m late to the party. Nice vid mate. Keep up the good work. :)

World class listening problem is my favorite album

Great video, thanks. The other thing about the highly unorthodox drum set-up that I read somewhere is that the kick drum pedals were so tight that most people couldn't even play a beat on them. I think I read this in an Al Sutton interview.

Same exact experience- saw them open for the band called Wool, had not idea who the opening act was and when they started the whole place was looking at eachother like what the fuck is this band? It was 1993 Orlando. Before they broke into the last song he took a chug of what looked like water but it was 151, he then blew a massive fireball! Shit was fucking intense!!! Thanks so much for doing this doc!!!

Crazy, I actually have those DC-10s.

The kids don't even know about Don Cab.

My favorite Damon Che drumming performance goes to, What Burns... He uses more novel extra-musical technique here over every other recording from the band. Sheer fervor goes to 2, but as far as altering technique and show-off chops, no record even comes close.

Glad I was able to find the video again. Did you take it down for a bit? Either way I can finally show this to my dad

Singles Breaking Up and Bellini are good too Hi, it's me again. O, susana from that indie rock drummer comp is REALLY good too. Could this be the only example we have readily available of Damon playing drums to his own guitar playing?!

A great ispiration for me too

Damon Che Greg Saunier Tatsuya Yoshida This, to me, is the holy trinity

totally agreed on Don Caballero 2... their best. and damon's best.

love tar, love don cab, and loved this video. mwa

I haven’t even watched this yet but I will comment Damon was the first person on my radar to scue me away from anything stupid.

Thanks so much for making this! Clearly a big effort. Che's influence on 'underground' rock drumming is unfortunately little-known and highly underrated. In the spirit of sharing opinions, I respectfully disagree on your assessment of his drumming on What Burns. What I hear is deliberately flexible time and a band taking risks with the priority of daring and expression in the moment over clockwork precision...something that (what became) the sub-genre and it's influences has largely migrated away from over the years.

a genius

Nice video. Damon is a huge inspiration to me with drumming. I think once things that really grounds things together is his hi hat pedal work which I've been trying to introduce more into my playing. Also weren't you the drummer for Lincoln? The cymbal work on benchwarmer is some nice stuff in my opinion.

I remember him stopping a show until the audience returned a dropped stick

Sick

What about "Singles Breaking Up"... The blast section on Lucky Father Brown, coming out of nowhere, still kills me every time.

what burns is definitely don cab's best

Cool vid! Which song have you laid in at the 4 minute mark?

_ Don Cab 2 Singles Breaking Up For Respect What Burns Never Returns American Don then the 2 comeback albums which are also amazing... all of it is super good though.

good shit, love what burns & american don. what's the song playing at the beginning? sounds like A Minor Forest or something... feels like i've heard it before but i can't put my finger on it

Best fucking band of all time!

Joe Flaherty- the OG Don Caballero SCTV Count Floyd and also Pittsburgh legend RIP

Enjoyed the video. I feel almost outraged by how often Damon Che is left out of discussions about greatest drummers! Totally agree on your first 3 album picks, but could never really get into Punkgasm. How about Singles Breaking Up? No More Peace for the Quiet and Warlike is one of my favorite songs. Also the best live footage I found of don cab was their performance in Princeton NJ on May 6, 2000. You even see Steve albini in the crowd. Hope Damon che puts out some new music soon

he plays inanely well .

What song starts at 4:54?

World class listening problem is king prove me wrong

Is the narrator the lead singer for Slint?

I like American Don, 3,2 and For Respect

Lucky father brown. That's all you need to hear. Then u can see amazing

Steve Shelton was in. Group called confessor,fly machine and loincloth,try loincloth just for bananas

no note about him bolting his kit to the ground, I saw him doing this the first time I saw them and I thought why would someone need to do that. soon I understood.

The first Don Cab album I ever heard was What Burns Never Returns. I immediately recognized the Sabian B8 Pro Power Rock Ride on the first track, Don Caballero 3, as it was my first ever ride cymbal. Unmistakably sonically inappropriate. I had cracked my original one long ago, but recently bought a used one for nostalgia’s sake.

i played drums in a math rock type band back in 2003-2005 and my band mates would tell me to play drums more like don cab haha

That snare is giving me anxiety

2>What Burns>American Don>Singles Breaking Up>World Class Listening Problem>For Respect>Punkgasm