Josh Manuel, drummer for the metalcore group ISSUES, is taking his love for drumming on the road this September to help aspiring musicians chase their passion.
During the week-long tour across the northeast, aspiring drummers will have the chance to attend a drumming workshop with SJC Drums and Manuel. Attendees can score some free goodies, partake in a Q&A and meet and greet, and hear some live music.
While Manuel hasn’t participated in a full drum clinic like this before, he’s not new to teaching; during each tour with ISSUES, he teaches a drum lesson to either individuals or a group. Manuel said in an interview with TicketNews that he’s been passionate about holding a workshop for a while. His goal is to create a comfortable, relaxed environment for drummers to have a good time and learn from one another.
Manuel explained that people with different skill levels can come out to the clinic — whether you picked up sticks just a few weeks ago or you’ve been playing for 15 years, all are welcome. At first, he’s going to teach a broader curriculum and then narrow it down to cover a lot of different tips and tricks.
At just two-years-old, Manuel picked up drum sticks for the first time. Since his parents were musicians, he often found himself around a lot of drummers and gravitated toward the instrument. Over the years, he became more and more serious about the craft before joining the band in 2013. He encourages aspiring drummers to find an album or song they love, and play along to it to get their body used to the drums.
“When I was young I didn’t care about rudiments or the stuff I dive into nowadays,” he said. “I was just young and pure and I enjoyed it so I liked playing. I think that’s an important thing – no matter how old you get or how long you’ve been playing, you remember why you’re playing in the first place.”
ISSUES, best-known for tracks like “Mad At Myself” and “COMA,” are releasing their third studio album Beautiful Oblivion on October 4 and heading out on a North American tour shortly after. So far, they’ve released singles “Tapping Out” and “Drink About It,” but ahead of the release, Manuel said the group will drop at least one more single, which he notes is “very polarizing.” He highly recommends ISSUES fans to come out to the clinic, as he’ll play a few songs, and potentially some new tracks.
The Loyal To The Craft Tour, presented by VANS, is free and open to the public. The outing will kick-off on September 6 in Middletown, New York, followed by events in Philadelphia, Columbia, and Detroit. Along the way, the tour will stop at venues like Worcester’s Railers Tavern, Neshaminy Creek Brewing in Croyden, and Skully’s Music Diner in Columbus before wrapping-up in Chicago at 2744 W. Superior Street and Riot Fest.
RSVP for a spot at the free event here and check out the full list of tour dates below.
VANS Presents: The Loyal To The Craft Tour
September 6 — Middletown, NY @ Alto Music
September 7 — Worcester, MA @ Railers Tavern *also feat. special guests
September 8 — Croyden, PA @ Neshaminy Creek Brewing
September 9 — Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Drum & Percussion
September 10 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Black Forge Coffee * also feat. local School of Rock Bands
September 11 — Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music-Diner *also feat. Pray For Sleep, The Lost Boys Collective and Northern Remains
September 12 — Detroit, MI @ The Underground @ Dime *also feat. Antighost, Forest Green, Gold Route
September 13 — Chicago, IL @ 2744 W. Superior Street *also feat. local School of Rock Bands
September 14 — Chicago IL @ Riot Fest *we’ll be hanging out with SJC Family!