Small Town Drummer Lands Dream Gig With National Band
It’s a sweet thing when a local drummer who isn’t well-known suddenly becomes the drummer of a celebrated rock band. – Author: Anne Erickson, Image is Primus with drummer John Hoffman via Instagram
There are millions of fantastic musicians around the world who will never get “famous” or be able to play in front of thousands of screaming fans, and that’s okay. As long as music is bringing joy and creativity into the world, that’s something that should make any musician proud.
But, it’s a sweet thing when a local drummer who isn’t well-known suddenly becomes the drummer of a celebrated rock band. That’s the case with longtime drummer John Hoffman of Shreveport, Louisiana.
John Hoffman Goes From Playing Shreveport, Louisiana, to the World
Hoffman has about 11,000 followers on Instagram, plus thousands of followers on other social platforms, who follow his drumming journeys. But, he wasn’t a brand name, so to speak, until now.
Les Claypool and classic rockers Primus have been looking for a new drummer. They held an open audition that ended up drawing 6,200 submissions.
Hoffman became a finalist for the gig to take the place of Tim “Herb” Alexander, who unexpectedly left the band in October. Even though Hoffman isn’t a famous name, he’s been a professional drummer for years and plays hundreds of gigs a year.
Claypool announced the good news, posting a photo of himself, with Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde and Hoffman, and stating, “Hoffington!!! Welcome aboard! @johnhoffmandrums.”
Some of the high-profile drummers Hoffman beat out for the gig include Nikki Glaspie (Snarky Puppy, The Nth Power), Thomas Pridgen (Fever 333, ex-Mars Volta) and more.
Maynard James Keenan Was Impressed
Hoffman, along with the other finalists, was invited to the West Coast to jam with Primus during a five-day “interstellar drum derby.” One big name who was at that jam was Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer frontman Maynard James Keenan, who seemed to be fond of Hoffman.
When Hoffman was at the event, he posted on Instagram about the experience, sharing a photo of himself with a blue towel and writing, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I came and did my thing the way I do it.”
He added, “It went as well as I could have hoped. Maynard James Keenan was sitting directly in front of me and watched my entire audition. He gave me this towel. It’s been one of the most incredible days of my life.”
Hoffman also posted a YouTube video of his road to becoming Primus’ drummer, titled, “How I became the NEW drummer for PRIMUS.” It’s a fun watch that shows his time auditioning for the band and his general road to becoming their new drummer.
It’s a good thing Keenan likes Hoffman, because the two will be together on the road. He’ll play for Primus when they embark on the “Sessanta V2.0” tour with A Perfect Circle and Puscifer this spring.
He might not perform with Primus at the Tool in the Sand festival, though, because it’s believed that Tool drummer Danny Carey will sit behind the drum kit for that show. The Tool in the Sand festival is set to take place in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in March.
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