Jim Uding and the crew from Drum Headquarters in St. Louis will be hosting Zildjian on Tour this coming Sunday, June 7th from noon until 5:00 PM. This will be a phenomenal opportunity for your to:

• Meet company CEO Craigie Zildjian and other factory experts
• Play and buy one-of-a-kind Zildjian Sound Lab prototypes (these will be available only on the day of the event)
• Enjoy great prices on Zildjian cymbals, drums sticks and other accessories
• Get a free pair of sticks and a classic black t-shirt with the purchase of a Zildjian cymbal
• Register to win other great Zildjian prizes, including the nationwide grand prize:  A trip to the Zildjian factory
• Local rock station KSHE will be broadcasting live from the event from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and chat with Zildjian artist Steve Gorman, drummer for the Black Crows who will be there from 12:30 to 3:30.

All in all, this will be a great afternoon. You get the chance to meet the people who make Zildjian cymbals, meet a famous drummer who plays them and even get the chance to walk away with some new hardware and a great price. Not doing anything on Sunday afternoon. I can think of worse ways to spend it.

And, just to wet your appetite, here’s a quick video of Steve Gorman in action. Check out these groove chops and tell me you don’t want to meet this guy.

A couple of months ago, I posted about the "Drum Your Way to Hollywood Contest" that Dixon Drums was sponsoring. Well, Dixon announced the winner about a week ago and I wanted to be sure to mention it here. The winner of a Dixon Demon drum kit and a trip to Hollywood, CA to play live Westlake Studios in front of an A&R panel is Lou Mars. Here's a video of Lou's winning performance at Herried Music in California:

Congratulation Lou on a job well done.

Dixon Drums launched a contest last weekend that I think a lot of you are going to want to check out. They're calling it "Drum Your Way to Hollywood" and, if you win, Dixon is going to give you some great gear and you get to play on a television special.

First, watch this overview of the contest:

Now, here are the details:

1. Go out and visit your local Dixon Drum dealer (to find the one closest to you, click here)
2. Bring a friend along and have him/her record you playing your best 2 minute drum solo on the DEMON kit
3. Upload it to http://youtube.com/group/DixonDrumsContest and share your link with anybody you think will vote for you

The public will vote to decide the top six entries to be submitted to an A&R Channel panel in Hollywood who will declare a Grand Prize winner. The Grand Prize winner will win a 3-day/2-night trip for two to Hollywood, California and perform with studio musicians live in front of an A&R panel at a major recording studio! The performance will be filmed and featured on the A&R Channel on television! The winner will also get to talk music and drums with the execs. Five other talented, inspiring drummers will get free gear from Dixon.

< final the and voting public for eligible be to 2008 27, September on ET p.m. 11:59:59 by submitted completed must entries>

In addition, Dixon will present the Grand Prize winner with a Dixon Outlaw Series 7-piece drum set and a full complement of hardware (ARV: $10,000). The five runner-ups will each receive a Dixon snare drum (ARV: $300). Be sure to check out the full contest rules so your video is submitted properly and gets posted for voting.

All entries must be completed and submitted by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on September 27, 2008 to be eligible for public voting and the final judging.

One of the things I like best about this contest is that it's being held in small, independently owned music and drums shops, not in the major retails chains. Those huge warehouse style stores have their place, but for my money and time, I find a lot more knowledge and expertise in the smaller stores owned and operated by people with a passion for music.

This is a great opportunity to what you already love to do, just in front of a camera. And for an investment of one hour of your time you get a shot at winning some great gear and possibly flying to LA to jam and hang out with some of the top musicians in the country.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go look up my local Dixon dealer...