Nez is an active live and studio drummer living in Milwaukee, WI. Currently, he can be heard live and on recordings with Nineteen Thirteen, which features Drum Bon Vivant Victor DeLorenzo, Bassist extraordinaire Rob Wasserman and the first lady of the cello Janet Schiff. He can also be seen and heard with the gothic blues combo Devil Met Contention and with Dickie, featuring Dick Prall, Kristina Priceman and Chris Weller. His past live and recording projects include Michael McDermott, Mike Mangione & The Union, Pezzettino, Acumen Nation and Iron Lung Corp. among others.
Like most drummers, Nez got his start on pots, pans and cardboard boxes until fate intervened. A family friend found an old Gretsch mother-of-pearl drum kit in her attic and through her gift a drummer was born.
Throughout his teens and twenties, Nez played a variety of styles including Punk, Hardcore, Grunge and Industrial and traveled coast to coast as a touring drummer with a variety of underground acts. Based out of Chicago, he also spent much of the 90’s recording with various acts at the legendary Chicago Trax studios, which was the hub of the Chicago Industrial scene.
After an extended break and a move to Milwaukee, Nez re-established his musical career in a more musical and less deafening manner, working both live and in the studio with singer/songwriter Mike Mangione and as a live drummer for urban troubadour Michael McDermott. He also began producing and working as a multi-instrumentalist with the avant-garde act Pezzettino and playing live shows when available. Recently, he has begun working with new acts Devil Met Contention and with his drum idol Victor DeLorenzo in Nineteen Thirteen. He also remains active as an engineer and producer when time permits.
Nez wholeheartedly endorses Taye drums and is currently playing the Studio Birch (Autumn Red) and Go Kit (Black Microflake) lines live and in the studio. He is also a proud Impression Cymbals endorser/product evangelist and uses cymbals from among all of their lines but especially the Jazz, Dry Jazz and Smooth series. His other gear faves include Future Sonics Spectrum Series G10 in-ear monitors, Aquarian Modern Vintage II and Deep Vintage drumheads, Woodshed Stageart custom designed drumheads, Big Fat Snare Drum snare overlays, LP percussion and various assortments of Vic Firth sticks, brushes rods, and other noisemakers.
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