Zhach Kelsch

Likes: family, music, movies, open-minded people, randomness, summer, magazines, motocross, wakeboarding, local bands, California, interesting conversations, coffee, philosophy, business, politics.
Dislikes: People who are ignorant, egotistical, or inconsiderate. Meat-heads/Tough Guys, Cold showers, Winter, onions, garlic, waking up before noon, cigarettes, TV, the price of gas, shows without a soundcheck.
Endorsements:
Click here to visit the Silverfox MySpace!
Gear List: I play a Ludwig 6-piece Classic Maple kit (although I usually only travel with a 4-piece), Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans heads, Silverfox drumsticks and DW 9000 pedals & hardware.
I've had the privilege of sharing the stage with the following artists: Breaking Benjamin (Hollywood), Flyleaf (Octone/A&M), Hoobastank (Island Def Jam), Red (Essential/Sony), Rev Theory (Interscope), Trust Company (Geffen), Thriving Ivory (Wind-up), Tone-Loc (Rhino/Warner), Luna Halo (American/Columbia), Josh Ritter (Sony), Raheem DeVaughn (Jive)
Carbondale man will perform in national tour
STEPHANIE LONGO Times Leader Correspondent
It was an accidental find in his great-grandmother’s attic that set then 6-year-old Zhach Kelsch of Carbondale on a journey that would eventually take him across the country.
“I noticed these boxes that were a different shape than the rest of the storage boxes in her attic,” Kelsch said. “I got all excited when I opened them up to find out they were drums, as any 6-year-old probably would.”
Kelsch’s father, Brian, had once played the drums but hadn’t touched them for years until that fateful day in the attic.
“After that he actually came out of retirement – if that’s what you want to call it – to perform music for a play that my mother, Michelle, was acting in at the time,” Kelsch said. “After watching my dad rehearse and perform at the play, I was obsessed. He taught me a lot of basic drum stuff and turned me on to a lot of his favorite bands. It just kind of grew from there.”
Kelsch’s obsession with the drums led him to his first paid gig at the age of 14 as a drummer for Marshwood Road.
“I used to tell the bar owners that I was 18 so they would let me play,” Kelsch said. “I didn’t want to drink, I just wanted to play. I booked all of the shows, sent out press releases, and I printed out flyers on the computer to try to promote the shows as best as I could. I even printed out logos on the computer to iron on to T-shirts.”
By the time Kelsch graduated from Carbondale High School in 2004, he was positive that performing music would be his future. In fact, he turned down an opportunity to major in music at the State University of New York to record with Grammy Award-winning producer Sylvia Massy Shivy as drummer for the band, Fighting Zero.
“That was my most exciting experience as a drummer thus far,” Kelsch said. “She has produced so many of my favorite bands and albums, including those that influenced me when I was first learning to play.”
After his time with Fighting Zero, Kelsch performed with the award-winning group, Daydream on Autopilot, for its month-long FYE Music Store Tour.
“We played 30-some malls across the country in FYE stores and we sold a lot of albums. That’s how the nomination for the Hollywood Music Award came about because, in the music industry, if you sell a lot of albums, you get a lot of attention,” Kelsch said. “Accepting the award at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood was another highlight of my drumming career because it was a big red carpet event and it was presented to us by Gilby Clark, the former guitar player for Guns ‘N’ Roses.”
Later this month, Kelsch will join a new band, Don’t Panic, to record their debut album for Masquerade/Warner Music Group, an independent label that is a subsidiary of and is distributed through Warner Music Group.
After finishing the album, Don’t Panic will join the Warped Tour in July for a two-week run. The Warped Tour is a traveling rock/punk summer festival featuring more than 50 major artists, including Bad Religion, Bayside, Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and Less Than Jake.
“I’m super excited to play on the Warped Tour this summer,” Kelsch said. “It’s the biggest and most well-known tour that I have ever been part of.”Although Kelsch graduated from Penn State last December with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business, he said he believes his true passion in life is teaching and performing.
“I honestly don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t playing and teaching drums for a living,” Kelsch said.
“I am constantly thinking about music and drums throughout the day. Although I am very interested in philosophy, business, and politics, I don’t think I would ever be able to have a career in any of those fields because I have such an intense passion for drumming and music.” .
More Articles:
"Making Sweet Noise" - Diamond City Magazine
"Feel the Vibeline" - Electric City Magazine
"Indie Band Interview" - Audio Xposure
"Musicians' Message in the Spotlight" - The Times Leader
Fighting Zero - "Change My Mind" (Live @ Tink's)
Drum Solo at FYE Store in East Hanover, NJ. Thanks to Matty Rock at www.rockthegalaxy.com
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