So next time you feel the floor shake at a football game, a parade, or a dingy club where a drummer is playing the kick drum with his forehead, recognize the crown.
The Sultans of Stomp have won the culture war. Pop music relies on the 808 stomp (think Beyoncé’s Formation ). Rock bands are only as good as their groove. Even classical composers are writing for marching percussion ensembles.
#Drumline #Percussion #MarchingBand #MusicCulture #SultansOfStomp sultans of stomp
For decades, the drummer was the guy hidden behind a kit at the back of the stage. The brass section was a supporting cast. But somewhere between the industrial clang of Stomp (the stage show) and the viral explosion of HBCU drumlines, the hierarchy flipped.
They are the Sultans of Stomp.
Long live the thud. Long live the crack. Long live the Sultans of Stomp. [Link] Read our interview with Blue Devils Drum Corps: [Link]
We aren't talking about the 1978 Dire Straits hit (though Mark Knopfler’s guitar certainly walked with swagger). We are talking about the modern reign of percussion—the era where rhythm section became the headline act. So next time you feel the floor shake
If you are a musician, you have two choices: fight the rhythm or bow to it.