[dtxtremeiiispecial]

Vic's Drum Shop opened in Chicago Saturday, October 29, bringing to The Windy City it's only dedicated drum and percussion store. Victor Salazar opened the shop in the Music Garage in Chicago, a collection of rehearsal and recording studios, and now also a drum shop, at 345 N. Loomis. After working 16 years as general manager of The Drum Pad in Palatine, IL, Chicagoland's premier drum shop for the last two decades or more, Salazar was ready to call the shots himself. Salazar liked the idea of having a drum shop in the Music Garage since there were already about 125 drummers rehearsing or recording there.

Many famous drummers attended the store's Grand Opening Saturday, including Terry Bozzio, John Riley, Gavin Harrison, Todd Sucherman, Jimmy DeGrasso, Chad Wackerman, Jim Riley, Danny Seraphine, Nathaniel Townsley, Will Calhoun, Jimmy Chamberlin, Hannah Ford, Jerry Gaskill, Jonathan Mover, Johnny Raab, Derek Roddy, and Billy Ward. These were all unpaid performances and appearences, as each of these drummers knew Victor through clinics or performances they had given at the Drum Pad, many view Victor as someone with extensive, helpful knowledge of drum and percussion equipment, and most agree that Chicago needed a dedicated drum/percussion shop.

The shop is unusual in that it has separate soundproofed rooms -- one for snares, one for hand drums, two for cymbals, one for acoustic drum kits, and one for electronic drum kits. The place is loaded with great merchandise, and there's a drum repair facility in the building, also.

I've been practicing at the Music Garage in the rehearsal space, and it's been great to see the drum shop idea take shape with a couple of my old friends from The Drum Pad.
If you're in Chicago, stop by for a look at a great drum shop.