Buffalo, NY—This past weekend Mary Pat McNamara, an Investment Counselor with T. Rowe Price narrowly escaped a night out with local drummer “Bad Ronald.” McNamara posted on Facebook that she was attending the John Prine Appreciation Show at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Amherst Street to which the rhythmically impaired, punctuation challenged drummer responded: “pick me up??!!” Luckily for McNamara she was already at the venue providing her with a valid excuse not to pick him up.
McNamara explained that though “Bad Ronald” is a good guy, he’s a bit tedious. She said every time she sees him he introduces her to all kinds of other local musicians and goes on and on like she’s supposed to be impressed that he knows the bass player in the best KISS cover band in Buffalo. She also said, “He has this thing about saying he’s not a drummer, but rather “he plays drums.” When he tells you this— and he does tell you at least once a night—he’ll laugh and laugh like he’s Dave Chapelle or something and I’m like WTF is so funny?”
McNamara also noted that he critiques other drummers “people who play drums,” and gets all serious about the execution of their fills or the use of the kick drum. He becomes really downcast when they make bad choices, like using sticks when a part clearly calls for brushes. This always leads to the “time signature” conversation. He’ll go off on the 17/16 signature Bill Bruford uses on King Crimson’s “Discipline,” or the 5/4 signature of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” which was mind blowing in 1959 because the prevailing trend was the 3/4 or 4/4. “When the conversion turns to this my eyes glaze over and I go heavy on the Jamison shots,” she said.
McNamara didn’t want to think about the possibility of “Bad Ronald” having amorous feelings for her. She was just glad she didn’t have to pick him up for the Prine show, which, according to her, “was really great.” She added, “Like I said “Bad Ronald” is a good guy and if we were stuck on a desert island it’s not like I would pretend to be gay or something.” Then she paused and became pensive for a moment and said, “Maybe that’s not true, but I would sell it really hard and go all in on like Greta Garbo, Meredith Baxter Birney or that Australian model, Ruby Rose.”
McNamara noted that in the future she is going to be much more judicious in posting her location when she is out on the town.
