A Not So Little Drummer Boy: A Sit Down with Lars Weeks

(Photo Credit: JR Hayes)

How long have you been playing drums?

Well, I started taking an interest in drums as a child, knowing I was named after the drummer of Metallica, drums just caught my interest. I started messing around with sticks around 8 years old, but at the time I wasn’t fully invested in the hobby. That all changed on my 11th birthday in 2005, I was gifted an absolutely terrible starter kit, but at the time I was floored. I finally had a drum kit! Off brand cymbals and dead, dented drum heads, I’ve sure come a long way since those days. So I like to think my real drumming career started on my 11th birthday.

What inspired you to start playing drums?

I took drumming on as a hobby, just something to kill time between riding bikes and playing video games. When I turned 13, I met a friend by the name of Morgan Elfers, he was a talented guitarist who played classic rock tunes including The Who, Led Zepplin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and all that stuff. We became friends quickly and soon put together a little project with us two, his brother Jake Lambert, and my brother Dakota Weeks. We called ourselves Sibling Rivalry, which I still think is very clever for a group of kids. We played our first show at Tillies Tap in Keosauqua, Iowa starting in spring of 2008. Ever since our first gigs, I had a fire of passion ignite within me and I knew I never wanted to stop playing music. It was nice to hang out with friends, make something positive, and have adults praise us for it. So I guess I can draw my inspiration from friends more than any band or artist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vas3BaPeCQk

Do you have a special ritual that you do before a show or before you record music, and can you talk to us about it?

Before a show or recording a track, I just like to be alone for bit. Clear my head, stretch, warm up. I guess most would call it “getting in the zone”, and that’s what I do. I grab a couple bottles of water, take a shot of rum to calm the nerves, and I’m ready to rip.

What would you say the biggest success as a musician has been?

Personally I feel like a very successful musician. I have the respect of my peers, admiration from people who like what I do, and my family is proud of what I’ve accomplished. There are people who have my old band logo tattooed on them and I still can’t wrap my head around that, it’s gratifying.

On the other hand, what has been the biggest challenge as a musician?

My biggest challenge as a musician is allowing myself to make mistakes. Everyone makes them, but I strive for near perfection. People pay their hard earned money and drive from distances near and far, as a musician and entertainer, it’s my duty to make sure they get their moneys worth. Give 100% every time. I do make mistakes though, and I beat myself up pretty hard when I do, only because I know I can do better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UddFNdTVWRY

What is a piece of advice that someone gave to you that you want to pass on to a new musician?

If I were to give advice to a young musician, the first thing I tell them is to invest in hearing protection. Musicians need their ears, and like most musicians, your instrument is a life long commitment. So take the steps to ensure you can still hear what you’re doing 50 years down the road. Drummers, invest in a comfortable thrown to protect your back. It’s well worth the investment.

Say you’re up all night playing the South Park game, what 3 songs do you have to have playing in the background?

I love listening to music while I play video games. Early to mid 2000’s PS2 games had killer soundtracks so I never switch them off, however if I’m playing a newer racing game, I’ll put my own music on. I’d say my top three songs for gaming would be derived from some older racing games. I like the nostalgia factor of these older songs. The first one being ‘One Little Victory’ by RUSH. As a drummer it’s no secret that Neil Peart is incredibly influential, and his work on this song just gets me amped up while I’m outrunning the cops on NFS. My second song of choice would be ‘Determined’ by Mudvayne. This is a really heavy song, an absolute banger than demands to be heard at loud volume. My final choice would be ‘Here to Stay’ by Korn. This song came out when I was 8 and I was just hooked. It’s off of my favorite Korn album, and this song is track 1. I’ll jam this album often while I game, especially if I’m ripping on ATV Off-road Fury 2.

Where can we find you at?

You can find Manhattan Blockade on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ManhattanBlockade?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Check out our YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/channel/UCNVVRPKF55LlSpaGJMyPfyQ

We are on Apple Music and Spotify as well!