Being from the Midwest, (born in Lake Forest, IL and raised in Sheboygan, WI) some might say it was a foregone conclusion that from grade school through high school, Kent Sisson would be influenced almost entirely by one drummer alone.
"I think due to Wisconsin being neighbors with Canada, Rush was bigger there earlier than in other cities. I quickly became obsessed. Actually, obsessed' doesn't accurately convey how much I loved Neil Peart. Put it this way, I air-drummed 'YYZ' almost daily for 12 years straight."
Then, something changed. It happened while Kent was attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison. That’s when Kent was introduced to what he calls the life-altering, funk/rock drumming-style of Jon Fishman and Phish.
"I actually remember the moment: Phish performing "2001" at Jazz Fest, April 26th, 1996. At that exact moment, I transformed from a straight-ahead rock drummer to more of a fusion of rock, funk and groove. At the time, I was new to Phish, this was only my second show, and I thought to myself, 'Please don't stop this beat. KEEP GOING!' I distinctly remember being intoxicated by the shuffle groove. Fishman changed everything for me."
Sisson always knew he needed to head west to "make it", and in August 1997 with his college band The Cartoon Physicists in tow, he moved to Portland, OR. The Cartoon Physicists disbanded after the summer of 98' and since then he has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians and bands including Fran Gray (pop), Acoustic Minds (vocal pop), Mars Retrieval Unit (jamband), Tocobebe (indie rock), Neighborhood Incorporated (jam rock funkgrass), and currently with Sophe Lux (Spin Magazine's Artist of the Day - Feb 7, 2007).
Along the way, Kent's drum style has continued to morph as he's discovered a new crop of drummers that have caused him to rethink what one can do behind a kit, particularly Stanton Moore, Rodney Holmes, and Jojo Mayer.
"Of course, there are a dozen other amazing drummers I love, but each of those three have specifically influenced my style in some significant way. For many, the 'Big 3' are Krupa, Rich and Bellson. My 'Big 3' are Stanton, Rodney and Jojo."
In 2009, Kent finds himself drumming for no less than four unique projects and is always looking to try something different and innovative with his playing. He is known to frequent electronica shows and is obsessed with The Disco Biscuits and any new band the can successfully blend a hook melody with a tight groove.
Kent currently plays with these Portland bands:
Sophe Lux - Read our reviews above.
myspace.com/sophelux
Trip2phan - T2P is me. Live drums. Laptop grooves. Lights.
myspace.com/trip2phan
Bicycle String Bandits - Bright light bluegrass with infusions of funk.
myspace.com/bicyclestringbandits
SpaceJunk - Drums. Bass. DJ Joel Barber (from Surrounded By Ninjas)
Contact:
SuperstarPR
651-207-6242
[email protected]
Moments like this are why I drum. Pearl Street, Boulder, CO
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Sophe Lux at Holocene - Portland, OR
Drumming for The Visitors House Band at Benefit for Yogi 2.4.09
