Mike Palmer began playing drums as a Beaver Falls fifth-grader, when a teacher quickly recognized his dedication and skill level and suggested he take private lessons.
Palmer took those lessons at Hawkins Music Store in New Brighton and began rehearsing at home on his first Blue Sparkle drum kit propped up in his family's downtown Beaver Falls home.
Soon after, the family moved to Florida, though Palmer still feels a bond to Beaver Falls.
It helps that his boss, country superstar Garth Brooks, always calls attention to Palmer's hometown ties whenever they're playing a sold-out Pittsburgh arena.
Palmer, the tour drummer for Brooks from the beginning, journeyed from Nashville to Beaver County this weekend for his induction today into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.
Until recently, Palmer hadn't realized there was such a hall of fame, run by the Beaver Valley Musicians Union, "though it's good to know they're helping musicians find work and promoting music in the area," he said.
"And this hall of fame of sorts is nice for us old folks."
Palmer's wife of 29 years finally will get to see his boyhood stomping grounds, with a trip to Oram's Donut Shop and a stop at one of the Brighton Hot Dog Shoppes almost a certainty.
"We'll just do that whole memory tour," Palmer said.
The hall of fame banquet occurs at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, where Palmer will join a Class of 2018 with David Bufalini, founder of the Hopewell Community Jazz Band; Sharon Burchill of the Beaver County Choral Society and Bach Choir of Pittsburgh; Raymond Rotuna of the Beaver County Choral Society; Louis Cortelezzi, who toured with Dan Fogelberg and composed scores for TV shows such as “Pokemon;" Paul Milanovich, a lifelong advocate of Serbian/Croatian tamburitza music; Donald Kephart, music department chairman at Geneva College; the late Victor Pasquarelli, band director for the Hopewell Area School District; and the late Jim Pugliano, of the Jaggerz and touring drummer for Tony Orlando and Mel Tillis.
Palmer's work as a tour drummer has taken him all over the world in front of sold-out stadiums and arenas, proving he made some wise career choices from which aspiring young musicians can learn.
In his young 20s, Palmer played in the Silver Dollar Band, which released original songs and performed on radio commercials in the Tampa Bay area. After six years of toiling in the bar scene, he convinced his bandmates to focus on playing county fairs and festivals.
"We made a little more money, and that got us out of the smoke," Palmer said.
It was a county fair gig in 1988, where he met a Nashville music industry man who urged him to move to Music City where a drummer could find steady work.
"He said, 'Can you be up here in two weeks?' So I gave my band two weeks' notice and took the few things I had and moved to Nashville," Palmer said.
A short time later, Palmer met a guitarist who told him a singer named Garth Brooks was looking for a drummer.
"I said, 'Garth who?' I had never heard of anyone named Garth," Palmer said.
The guitarist handed Palmer a cassette tape of Brooks' originals.
"Those were great songs that ended up being on his first album," Palmer said.
Some people told him he was crazy, but Palmer turned his back on steady Nashville work and decided to gamble on hitting the road with the upstart, black cowboy hat-wearing singer from Oklahoma freshly signed to Capitol Records.
"We worked our butts off in 1988-89 and through the '90s rode a really big wave. It's always been an incredible ride," Palmer said.
Brooks catapulted country music toward new levels of popularity by infusing rock concert-style energy and antics into his shows. He encouraged band members to be in the spotlight.
"When we'd get on the road, he'd tell us, 'Steal some of my thunder. On your solos, push me out of the way.' Or he'd say to our guitar player, 'Do something different tonight. Shock me.'"
Brooks drew inspiration from Billy Joel and made sure band members watched video cassettes of the Piano Man in concert. Palmer studied the moves of Joel's ace drummer, Liberty DeVitto, and began using a more open-handed style with arm swings to give Brooks concert-goers more to look at.
"It made me think of the three-ring circus we saw in Pittsburgh when I was in fourth grade, where there was so much to watch I remember being exhausted," Palmer said. "I do try to steal a little bit of his thunder. You'll notice after almost every song, I'm up out of my seat."
Since he's the nearest to them, Palmer makes sure to interact with fans seated behind the stage for Brooks' in-the-round shows.
"Those are my people to get fired up."
Brooks also keeps nudging Palmer to add to his drum kit.
"He's like, 'Put more drums up there; put more stuff up.'"
That prompted the huge orb, lit by LED lights, surrounding Palmer's kit on the 2015 tour that played PPG Paints Arena for an unprecedented six shows.
All that was missing was a gong.
"I'm surprised he hasn't asked me for one," Palmer said. "If there was a song I could use it on, I probably would get a gong."
The place for Pace
Nationally touring singer and musical impressionist Tony Pace entertains Thursday at the Beaver Falls Middle School Auditorium.
He's the final headliner in the Beaver Valley Community Concert Association's 2017-18 season. Association publicist Rhonda Ficca said the group is stepping outside its box by bringing in a singer/comedian.
"We feel confident our audience will love his great wit, humor and diversity of songs, which will appeal to all ages," Ficca said. "Pace has a wide range of vocal and piano talent, and he was voted best entertainment value in Atlantic City. Our board likes that he makes an immediate connection with the audience and is very personable, as well."
Tickets cost $20 at the door, $5 for students. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Alvvays a good time
Their "Antisocialites" made many 2017 "best album" lists, including mine, so I couldn't miss Alvvays headlining Mr. Smalls Theatre last Tuesday.
Alvvays didn't disappoint, whipping through an hour's worth of dreamy indie-pop, guided by singer-guitarist Molly Rankin, whose voice was big and bright, clear and ethereal. Pretty, but not dainty.
She didn't waste time with banter, except for two quick, obligatory sports team references, mentioning that like the Penguins' Sidney Crosby, a few members of the band hail from Nova Scotia.
Alvvays (pronounced "always" but spelled with two "v's" to make your eyes twitch) relied on two keyboardists and guitar reverb for its layered sheen. They made tuneful, hypnotic music perfect for swaying to, not that full-on frantic dancing was an option in the sold-out Millvale venue so stuffed with bodies, a bunch of us watched the show from the less chaotic doorway.
"In Undertow," "Plimsoll Punks" and "Archie, Marry Me" brought out something extra from fans who were mostly in their early-20's. Percentage-wise, they bought more vinyl albums at the merch table than any crowd I've seen this century, so there's hope for the future.
I recommend catching Alvvays next time they're in town, probably playing a bigger room like Stage AE.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.