Paul Campanella
(drums EMERITUS, vox)
Paul hits the kit with sticks, fingers, and whatever else gets the job done—with reckless abandon and a grin that says he knows exactly what he's doing (even when he doesn't). He also sings just like the guy from Men at Work, which is both weirdly accurate and weirdly amazing.
While Aaron was sneaking into bars at 16, Paul was playing them at 15. Despite years of formal musical training, Paul maintains a strict “absolutely-no-practicing” policy. As he puts it: “I’d rather play a gig every other night for the rest of my life than sit in a basement working on rudiments.” He's not like other drummers—in the best (and worst) ways. He changes his drumheads once every 6–7 years, buys sticks when he remembers, and has never, ever used a road case for his beloved “vintage” Sonor Phonic kit. It's a miracle of muscle memory and duct tape.
Still, Paul’s made serious noise. In his hometown of Buffalo, he played with legends like Barbara St. Clair, Junction West, Leeron Zydeco, and country star Jim Yeomans. He also held down the groove with three former members of Gamalon—Buffalo’s cult-favorite jazz-fusion band on Amherst and MCA Records—and was voted Top Blues Drummer in Buffalo two years in a row (1995 and 1996), all while still refusing to practice.
After relocating to NYC in 1999, Paul hit the scene hard, playing with Spill, Paul Mark & The Van Dorens, and The Mary Anne Marino Band (November Project). Somewhere along the way, someone thought he was cool enough to be featured in the book Don’t Bother Knockin’, This Town’s A Rockin’—a history of Buffalo rock and R&B.
A little chaos. A lot of feel. Zero road cases. That’s Paul.
Hometown:
Buffalo, NY
Worked With:
A whole crapload of bands that no one has ever heard of...(mostly from Buffalo)
Favorite Artists:
Macy Gray, Deep Purple, Macy Gray, Firefall, Macy Gray (especially in the new Mountain Dew Commercial), Neil Diamond, Macy Gray, Evan & Jaron, Macy Gray and Wolf Blitzer...
Equipment:
Drums, sticks, razor. Paul uses Silverfox Drumsticks.
Things Paul Hates:
musicians, music stores, drummers that practice, slow drivers, Buffalo politics, corporate red tape, people who don't read the owners' manual for their consumer electronics products...
Things Paul Likes:
beer, loud women, being lazy, sleeping, buying things with credit cards, buying things on the internet, head rubs, shuffleboard...
Things Paul Does Alot but Doesn't Realize He Does It:
flatulate, throat clearing, spend money, sing outloud and off key, complain about lower back pain, eat, visits his own website...