The Hip Pickles Drum Band has just retuned from 3 days of performances at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, Florida. On September 6th and 7th the Hip Pickles, music director Chet Doboe and performance partner John Doboe, presented 4 Young People Concerts, which had students from area schools bopin’ and rockin’ to the Hip Pickles’ fun-packed Song Book. With the mission of exciting young people to be involved in the arts, the Hip Pickles included some of their signature interactive performance segments, that had the whole audience of enthusiastic students performing along on percussion instruments, graciously supplied by Remo Percussion. Hip Pickles were particularly honored that the “Hannah Grace Evans Memorial Fund for Children’s Music,” established in Hannah’s memory by her parents, enabled many children in attendance to experience a show that normally would not be accessible to them. The joy on these young people’s faces was priceless.

Then on Saturday afternoon, the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, along with the Florida Chapter of PAS, presented Hip Pickles in Drum Clinic to a standing room only audience. Chet and John presented many of the fundamental performance concepts that are used in Hip Pickles, along with many examples of the Hip Pickles repertoire, which was extremely well received. The Clinic was supported by Hip Pickles “best of the best” Music Instrument sponsors Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Pro-Mark Drum Sticks, Gibraltar Racks, Remo Drum Heads and World Percussion, Tight Screws, Impact Industries Cases.

Saturday evening, the Hip Pickles joined “Percussion Summit” organizer, all around great guy and Philharmonic Timpanist, John Evans, along with virtuoso Marimbist, She- e Wu and a cast of phenomenal percussionists in a Percussion Concert to end all Percussion Concerts. A beautiful 1,500 seat concert hall, the Philharmonic Center for the Arts Concert hall was the perfect setting for an amazing rhythm altering extravaganza. The Hip Pickles performed an Electric 35 minute set featuring World Percussion, high energy Corps percussion, riveting Brazilian and Latin grooves, climaxing their segment, with Hip Pickles Signature “Rack Drum” Features with special lighting effects. The audience was locked in with the Hip Pickles from the get go and insisted on bringing the duo back for 3 call backs. Great night.

The Exciting “Percussion Summit Ensemble” featured some outstanding performances by John Evans, along with by far, some of the best percussionists in the South East.

This outstanding Group of players performed Three Camps, The Art of the Fugue, Blue Identity featuring the amazing She-e Wu on Marimba, Hook, Hoo-Daiko, King of Pain and Minuano.

The Percussion Ensemble was comprised of John Evans-Timpanist of Naples Philharmonic Orch., John Bannon- principle percussionist Florida Orchestra, Craig Benson- percussionist Florida Orchestra, Evan Bertrand-Percussionist Jacksonville Orch., Phyllis Bitow-principal Percussionist Princeton Symphony, David Coash- Florida Orchestra, Cynthia Dallas Principal Piano Naples Philharmonic, James Dallas-Principal Percussionist Naples Philharmonic Orch., Laurie Diaz- Percussionist Naples Philharmonic Orch., Ken Every- timpanist Jacksonville Symphony, Kevin Garry-Percussionist Jacksonville Symphony, Mark Goldberg- Orlando Philharmonic, Kurt Grissom-Freelance Percussionist in Southern Florida, Kevin Mauldin-University of Miami artist, John Shaw-Principal Orchestra Florida Orchestra, Tom Sherwood-Principal Percussionist Atlanta Symphony and Darcey Timmerman- Naples Philharmonic.

The “Percussion Summit” started with a bang and ended with a sonic BOOM. Great crowd, super cast of musicians just made for an unforgettable night for all.