I had a couple fun gigs last weekend with The Daniel Castro Band – Friday night at the Mojo Lounge in Fremont and Saturday night at the Saloon in San Francisco’s bustling North Beach neighborhood. Daniel likes to give me lots of solos every night (which is unusual for most bandleaders) and I enjoy the challenge of trying to give each one its own personality and motif. Anyway, to my horror, I dropped a stick during my first solo Friday night (which I rarely do … really!). For a nanosecond I felt like I was standing naked in front of a room full of people. But thanks to my handy stick holder, which clamps to my crash cymbal stand and places two sticks directly within reach of both hands, I was able to grab another stick without compromising the solo at all. It made me think back to the silly things we would do before companies began marketing such simple products, like trying to jam a stick between the tension rod and shell or resting them on the bass drum between leg casings (which kind of works, unless you get extra frisky with your feet). I love the fact that such a simple device can make life so much easier.

I keep a stick holder to my left with four pair and a stick bag to my right with ten pair. I never risk being without extra sticks. You never know when you might drop one. I do, however, do a lot of stick tricks,  so It would be pretty foolish of me to not have plenty of extra sticks within reach at all times.

I have a cheap-o, old cylinder style stick holder (Danmar maybe?  I forget the maker and the logo is long gone) on the left side of the set and my stick bag on the floor resting against my floor tom on the right side.  It’s nice to have something within easy reach on both sides of the set.