Drummer Mike Wengren got to play for the first time on a new drum set that took four months to paint by the official artist for the Orange County Choppers. "I just showed him the album art and said 'do your thing,' and got this back... it was definitely worth the wait," Wengren said.
The drums had a black background with skeletons climbing through flames. On one of the bass drums, was 'The Guy', who is the band's mascot. "He's kind of like our mascot. With every new album, we try to have him become more 3-D," Wengren said.
Nate Wlazalek puts together the new drum set.
Photo: Maddie Leiren
Wengren's new drum set is ready to rock.
Photo: Maddie Leiren
Rumor has it that The Guy started as a small sketch one band member did, just two squinty eyes with a smile, and with every album, he's evolved more and more.
THEN:
NOW:
A lot of time, for me at least, was spent uploading pictures and editing them on the tour bus. There are three tour busses for the DISTURBED group, one for the tech/crew, and another two for the band and management. The whole Mayem Festival is sticking together throughout the whole tour, which yields about twenty busses in all.
Tour busses are more luxurious than they sound. There's a full kitchen area with a pantry, fridge, coffee pot, microwave, sink and counter space, there are 12 bunk beds which each have their own lights, power plugs and mini tv's and curtains for privacy, there's a table in the front of the bus near the kitchen for eating, couches in the front and back room, and widescreen tv's in the front and back room.
The front room of the tour bus.
Photo: Maddie Leiren
The front room has the kitchen and small dining area, as well as the exit from the bus be the driver's seat. Then, walking back in the bus, is the bunk room, six bunks on each side piled three high, and then the back room.
Bunk beds on the bus.
Photo: Maddie Leiren
"This is like our home," said Nate Wlazalek, drum technician for the group.
It was amazing to see the finished product everyone had worked on. Even if only four people are out there playing, It seemed like the team effort was showcased. Watching my dad working for hours on stringing guitars, tuning them, then re-tuning them and re-stringing them, watching Rob Lightner, the monitor engineer, do sound check for all the microphones, setting up different levels for different songs and all, watching Wlazalek tune every drum head until it made just the right sound, it was flawlessly put together.
It's my second day off the road, and I'm still a little tired, but not as bad. I can see why it takes dad a week or two to recover after a month- long tour. The hours are crazy, there's always something to do, and rarely time to yourself. "It's not so bad, but if something all-the-sudden, last minute, gets thrown your way, it can be bad," said Rudy Leiren regarding his job responsibilities, which he has many of, being the guitar technician.
I loved being on the road, as crazy as the hours were. There was enough coca-cola and coffee to keep you going, no matter how many hours of sleep you had, and the energy was great. Traveling will be a blast too. That's why I'm already packing my bags and counting down the days until I can get back out on the road.
DISTURBED at concert.
Photo: Maddie Leiren
But, don't think there won't be more reflections and updates until then! Keep checking back!
-Maddie
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