The Missing Drummer

The kickoff for the Florida winter season begins on New Year’s Eve and every restaurant, bar or hotel is always competing for the ultimate New Year’s party to draw the best crowds. For any year-end celebration to rank among the best venues there must absolutely be live entertainment. Any musical group that can perform and qualify with the criteria that make up a full band will be in extreme demand. There are simply not enough musical groups to fill every venue for New Year’s Eve, and because of this scenario, a full band on New Year’s Eve can request an outrageous amount of money for the biggest party night of the year.

Our story begins on a Thanksgiving afternoon when a group of Marco Beach Boys were sitting around at an open house and playing guitars. The turkey day household was full and everyone was relaxed and listening to the live music. Stevie was singing and he was very good. He was our friend from Naples. Stevie could sing anything from classic rock to Bob Dylan and anything in between. Stevie was also outrageous in every way. His personality was stunning. He knew no strangers. He wanted to disappoint no one, and as the late afternoon progressed, Stevie and the three Marco Beach Boys that were playing the two guitars and electric bass began to sound better and better.

Toward the ending of the evening, a newcomer from Bonita Springs approached the impromptu musical group. “Wow,” The stranger began. “You guys sound great! I am hoping you can help me out. I have a big restaurant and bar up in Bonita Springs and I cannot find a band for New Year’s Eve. Every band I try is already booked. I would be willing to pay a very good price if you could come up and play in Bonita for New Year’s.”

When Stevie smiled, his expression was wolfish in anticipation. “I think we might be able to work something out,” the singer replied. “How much money are we talking about?”

When the bar owner came up with a figure, Stevie countered, and after a few more rounds of bantering, a final deal was settled for $5,000. The owner of the restaurant and bar, however, was an astute businessperson and apparently familiar with the unpredictability of traveling troubadours. Before he shook hands with Stevie to seal the deal, the barman from Bonita outlined exacting stipulations. The requirement was for a full band. The band was to include Stevie as singer and emcee, two guitar players, one electric bass player, and one drummer.

After Stevie struck the deal with the Marco Beach Boy impromptu minstrels listening in awe, we could not fail to hear the final words of the Bonita barman as an ongoing echo. “The four of you are good,” the man with the money warned, “but don’t show up without a drummer. A full band requires a real drummer and not a drum machine. No computer drums! You can’t be a full band without a drum set.”

During the following days and weeks, the Marco Beach Boys were constantly reaching out to Stevie in Naples about who would be the drummer and when and where rehearsals would take place.

Stevie’s reply was a consistent laugh followed by, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine.”

The week before Christmas became stressful. There was still no drummer anywhere. Stevie refused to rehearse anything and only laughed louder when he came on speakerphone. “You Beach Boys worry too much,” he chided. “Relax, it will all work out. We will be fabulous!”

After the frustrating phone calls to Naples, the Marco Beach Boys were freaking out, but the answer was always the same. Every drummer was booked for New Year’s Eve because, as everyone knew, a full band was not a real band without a drummer.

The day before New Year’s Eve there was a breakthrough. One of the Beach Boys reaching out for a drummer found a drum set. The drums, symbols, and all the hardware for a complete drum set were in a friend’s garage and we were welcome to borrow the apparently abandoned equipment.

On New Year’s Eve afternoon, the newly found drum set was dusted off and riding alongside every guitar, bass, amplifier, and microphone that could be scrounged together. When Stevie and his Marco Beach Boy band made an arrival at the Bonita Springs restaurant and bar, the pressure was on because the place was enormous and so was the empty stage. The upcoming stress for the evening was also increasing because no one had any idea where we would find a drummer. The idea that someone would, “fake it,” went down the drain when the big Bonita barman gave everyone a warm welcome for New Year’s Eve. “I remember you guys,” The barman recounted. “Stevie sings, one of you plays bass, and the other two play guitar. Where is your drummer?”

Before the barman could become critical, Stevie spoke up and pointed to where a Marco Beach Boy was bringing in the biggest part of the begged and borrowed drum set. “You can see the set,” Stevie embellished. “But our drummer won’t be here until later.”

The barman shook his head and looked doubtful. “I hope you're right,” he said, “For your sake!”

The rest of the early evening was equal parts of panic, setting up a drum set that we did not know anything about, and stringing together speaker cables, amplifiers, and electric guitars.

When all the equipment was ready, and the stage lights were shining on the lonely drum set and the guitars that were waiting, the dinner crowd began to wander in for the big New Year’s Eve full band celebration.

The band - according to the verbal contract - was to begin at 9:00 PM and play until 2:00 AM with ten-minute breaks, but Stevie picked up a guitar and was singing “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” at half past eight. He was singing alone with an acoustic guitar and everyone in the huge venue stopped to listen. He sounded great.

Just before 9:00 PM as Stevie was finishing “New York State of Mind” everyone could tell the talented singer recognized someone in the bustling audience - the crowd that was growing larger by the minute.

When the Billy Joel song was over, Stevie came down from the stage and hugged the stranger who was waiting by the front row of dancers in the audience. After the quick embrace with the singer, the stranger who was the new arrival, climbed up onto the stage, and took his place behind the begged and borrowed drum set. After the newcomer made a few rudimentary adjustments with the symbols and the snare drum, the Marco Beach Boys picked up their guitars and electric bass and joined in with Stevie at the microphone.

The stranger on the drums flew in from New York earlier in the day, but only because Stevie’s sister called and asked for a helping hand. Stevie did not know he was coming, nor did any of the Marco Beach Boys. He was one of the best drummers ever, and every song sounded like the rehearsals had been endless. The first song was, “Take it Easy,” by The Eagles.