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January 2010, More
The DropZone
The Bean interviews Drop Zone at Harley’s Place in Waynesboro, Virginia.
Harley's Place has the atmosphere for those of you who love the music scene with DJ Clayton Fitzgerald. I had the nachos with chicken and grilled cheese and fries and the food was great. So if you're looking to listen to some music, have a few beers or take a shot, than Harley's Place is the place for you. Bob and Mike are the owners, and Scott is the bartender, stop in and see them. Drop Zone has been rocking, starting and crashing parties since 2003, with Adam Preganz on guitar and Frank Crum on drums and in 2009, Mike Stevens completed the line-up. They know how to get the big response and they're doing it in clubs from the Shenandoah Valley to Petersburg. They love to have a good time, and love playing music. They would love to see you at their shows because they love playing music for their fans. Some influences include Judas Priest, Guns 'N Roses, Motley Crue, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions, AC/DC, and Def Leppard. The band much sounds like Stone Temple Pilots meet Guns 'N Roses with a twist of AC/DC and a side of Judas Priest. The guys from Drop Zone can be seen playing at DogWood Café in Palmyra, Virginia and at the Oasis Lounge in Waynesboro.
The Interview
33: What made you decide to make music?
Adam: I've been doing this since I was 12. Since my teens I've been playing music and always loved it.
Frank: I can't speak for Adam and Mike, but for me, I was a wallflower at the high school dances, and rock music was a way for me to be a center of attention. I'm otherwise a little shy in group settings.
33: What made you decide to be in a band?
Frank: See above!!! I think the prospect of partying and girls appeals to a lot of young guys. As we get older, it's more the enjoyment of playing music and the brotherhood of the band. Adam and Mike are two of my closest friends and I think they can say the same about me.
33: How did Drop Zone form together?
Adam: I started the band Drop Zone and had a few members that dropped out of the band because they moved away. So I recruited new members for the band and along came Frank and Mike as the new addition to Drop Zone.
33: Where did you come up with the name Drop Zone?
Adam: Originally we played at a friend's house. The place was called Parachute Lounge. When we performed we had a parachute over top of us so the name Drop Zone stuck with us.
33: Do you guys have any albums out and if so where can they be bought?
Frank: None & None. Not currently, but in the future you will see some original work from us.
33: What has been your favorite place to perform?
Adam: Azalea Flea Market. It was a campsite outside of the NASCAR speedway in Richmond. It was a lot of fun.
33: Why was Azalea Flea Market you guys favorite place to play at?
Frank: The Azalea Flea Market is a big parking area outside Richmond Int'l Raceway where campers park for four days during the NASCAR events. We set up impromptu and played on a Friday night after the Nationwide series race, about 10:00 at night. We played until well after midnight, drawing a big crowd of partiers/onlookers. If we had to pick a bar that's our favorite, it's probably the Dogwood Cafe in our hometown of Palmyra, where we consistently draw a crowd of around 80-100 people.
33: What other musicians have you worked with?
Drop Zone: As far as local shows, we've played with SP511, Sin City, and Reawaken. We play a lot with SP511; they are great and a lot of fun.
33: Do you guys plan on playing with any other local bands in the area?
Frank: We're always open to being on a double bill if our needs are served (i.e., exposure, breaking into a new club). The double bills generally don't pay well, so it's not something we do in established venues. We are happy to have opening acts if a band needs a break, as long as the music is complimentary.
33: I saw on your MySpace that your fans can purchase Drop Zone merchandise. Are they able to purchase it from your website? And what kind of Drop Zone merchandise do you sell?
Adam: We sell our merchandise on our website which is DropZoneRocks.com and at our shows. We forgot to bring our t-shirts tonight however. We sell t-shirts, key chains, mugs, and bumper stickers.
33: Where can we see you perform?
Drop Zone: We will be playing more around the Shenandoah Valley. We've played a lot in the Richmond and Petersburg areas. Drop Zone: January 5th we will be playing at Mulligan's in Staunton. January 30th we will be playing at the Dogwood Café in Palmyra, VA. February 6th we will be playing at the Oasis Lounge in Waynesboro, VA. March 13th we will be playing at the Dogwood Café again in Palmyra, Virginia. March 20th we will be playing at the Oasis Lounge again in Waynesboro, Virginia. And on May 8th we will be playing at the Oasis Lounge.
33: What can we see from you in the future?
Frank: New songs, new original songs. You will see us playing in the Shenandoah Valley more. Some of the places that we used to play were in the Richmond and Petersburg area but like I said, we are going to play in the Shenandoah Valley area more.
33: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
Frank: We used to be egotistical & be at other people's shows and say we could play better than them but we've changed. We just want to make music. We love to hang out with our fans. We just want to have a good time. So come out and listen to us.
33: What can you tell your fans who would also like to be musicians?
Frank: PRACTICE. I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket or keep time if my life depended on it when I was 16. I just kept singing to songs in the car, practicing drums day in and out, and LISTENING to musicians and bands that already had it down. If you have a little bit of a gift for music, a lot of patience and bury your ego, you can succeed.
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