Welcome to blogs.villagevoice.com
Blogs
  • News
    • » Daily News
    • » Runnin' Scared - News Blog
    • » Tom Robbins
    • » Wayne Barrett
  • Music
    • » Top Picks
    • » Find a Bar or Club
    • » Pazz & Jop
    • » Down in Front
    • » Sound of the City
    • » Siren
    • » Submit an Event
    • » Jukebox
    • » Join Music Newsletter
    • » Entertainment Ads
  • Calendar
    • » Calendar Home
    • » Top Picks
    • Valentine's Day Events
    • » Comedy Events
    • » Fitness Health & Beauty Guide
    • » Submit an Event
    • » Entertainment Ads
  • Restaurants
    • » Restaurant Guide
    • » Restaurant Reviews
    • » Sietsema's Counter Culture
    • » Find a Bar or Club
    • » Fork in the Road (column)
    • » Fork in the Road (blog)
    • » Sponsored Online Menus
    • » Choice Eats Tasting Event
    • » Join Dining Newsletter
    • » Restaurant Ads
  •  
  • Arts
    • » Calendar
    • » Books
    • » Theater
    • » Art
    • » Dance
    • » Obies Theater Awards
  • Films
    • » Now Showing
    • » Movie Showtimes
    • » Reviews
    • » Join NY Film Club
    • » Movie Ads
  • The Ads
    • Ad Index
    • Flip Book
    • Media Kit
  • Classifieds
    • Personals
    • Sexy Black Book
    • Free Online Classifieds
    • Place an Ad (print)
    • Career Fair
    • Real Estate for Sale/Trulia
    • Personals Blogs
    • Real Estate For Rent
  • Blogs
    • » Runnin' Scared
    • » Sound of the City
    • » La Daily Musto
    • » Fork in the Road (blog)
    • » All City
  • Columns
    • » La Dolce Musto
    • » Tom Robbins
    • » Sex
    • » Horoscope
  • Best Of
    • » Arts & Entertainment
    • » Bars & Clubs
    • » Food & Drink
    • » People & Places
    • » Shopping & Services
    • » Sports & Recreation
    • » Best of Ads
  • Bars/Clubs
    • » Bars/Clubs Home
    • » Bars/Club Ads
  • Archives
  • Reader Recommendations
  • Promotions
    • Street Team
    • Join The Street Team
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Text Alerts
    • Buy Village Voice Merchandise
    • Supplements Archive
  • Site Map

Top

blog

Stories

  • Yes In My Backyard

    Download MiniBoone's Arcade Fire-Vibing MP3

    By Christopher Weingarten

    1
  • live

    Saying Hello to the Unsound Festival

    By Andy Beta

    2
  • goodbyes

    Interview: Just Blaze Talks Baseline Studios

    By Sean Fennessey

    3
  • interviews

    Interview: R&B Porn Godfather Andre Williams

    By Michael Hoinski

    4
  • Sharyn Jackson

    "American Idol" Auditions: Victoria Beckham Again!

    By Sharyn Jackson

    5
  • Jersey Shore

    Jerzify Your Favorite Indie Stars

    By Camille Dodero

    6
  • Yes In My Backyard

    Download This: "Beaches And Friends (New York Version)"

    By Christopher Weingarten

    7
  • Featured

    Download the New MP3 From Japanther

    By Zach Baron

    8
  • live blogging

    The 2010 Grammy Live Blog

    By Ryan Dombal and Sean Fennessey

    9
  • goodbyes

    Live From Just Blaze's Baseline Studios Farewell

    By Vijith Assar

    10
  • the law

    Lit, Other Nightclubs Grab Temporary Reprieve

    By Zach Baron

    11
  • Yes In My Backyard

    Download Burkina Electric's "Ligdi"

    By Christopher Weingarten

    12
  • Harvilla

    Live: Beach House At Bell House

    By Rob Harvilla

    13
  • Interview

    Interview: Beach House's Victoria Legrand

    By Michael D. Ayers

    14
  • Christopher R. Weingarten

    Download Dinosaur Feathers' "Teenage Whore"

    By Christopher Weingarten

    15
 
Featured

Remembering Jerry Fuchs, The Most Wanted Drummer In Brooklyn

By Christopher Weingarten, Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 9:30AM
Comments (13)
Categories: Christopher R. Weingarten, Jerry Fuchs, goodbyes

Jerry Fuchs was that totally fucking amazing monster drummer you saw play in at least one show in the last 10 years--it could have been with Maserati, Turing Machine, !!!, or the Juan MacLean, as he completely decimated his hapless kit and mesmerized everyone no matter what band he was in. He died early Sunday morning after falling down an elevator shaft at a Williamsburg loft party. He was 34. Jerry was a friend, an inspiration, and one hell of a drummer. I say this with no exaggeration: New York will never sound the same.

Jerry was a relentlessly amicable dude who could never hide the smile behind that mustache; he had the enviable ability to instantly shrug it off if he found out your website gave him a bad review (sorry about that, man). He was completely humble about the fact that he seemed to have life totally figured out. To anyone playing drums in New York, Jerry was more than a behemoth, he was a mythical figure: that completely unattainable combination of a total badass player who's constantly in demand, constantly recording an amazing project, and practically living on the road.

There's a video currently going around of Jerry completely nailing an eye-popping, earth-shattering, Keith Moon-sized fill with just one arm. And as if his clearly inhuman abilities weren't impressive enough, the clip shows him doing it at five different shows--note-perfect, effortless photocopies. He wasn't just the most wanted drummer in Brooklyn because he was a beast; he was also reliable, an immovable rock you could use to build a tower of monolithic krautrock or swoon-worthy disco. He combined the clockwork dependability of a metronome with an insane amount of heart, muscle, and the occasional completely sick fill.

Bands wanted him, drummers wanted to be him. Drummers fortunate enough to see him play were inspired. Drummers fortunate enough to open for him--which happened to me twice in 2005--started questioning the decisions they've made in life.

When any Brooklyn band tried to replace their drummer, it was never uncommon to hear someone say, "Shit, if only we could get Jerry Fuchs." We'll all be saying that for a long time.

Comments (13) Write Comment
Share

Related Content

  • Primal, Feral, and Mobile May 15, 2007
  • Have You Seen... Snatcher on the G Train December 15, 2009
  • "Hipsters" Come of Age in Bike Lane Battle December 9, 2009
  • McCarren Park Pool Takes The Final Plunge December 7, 2009
  • Avast Ye Saltie Williamsburg Mateys! December 1, 2009

More About:

  • Jerry Fuchs
  • Brooklyn
  • Juan MacLean
  • Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
  • Keith Moon

Comments (13)

m- says:

So sad... no words... a fucking loss, for damn sure...

Without getting all hippy-dippy, nobody with that much of a glow deserves to go out in such a dark way. There's enough miserable people in the world (myself included), that taking even one genuine, happy, talented person out of the equation is a devastating loss that burns more than stings. This is bullshit. The guy deserved better. I'm sorry to all his family and friends. At the very least, you'll have a lot of stories, memories, and music to pull from out of his time well spent on this planet. He did in 34 years what most people couldn't accomplish in a lifetime. That fact should not be forgotten.

R.I.P. J.F.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 1:41AM
Klaus Kinski says:

Jerry Fuchs is literally one of maybe three drummers that I have seen in my nine years (and hundreds of shows) living in NYC that I will never forget. It was at a Turing Machine, Forms, Don Cabellero show at North Six some years back. He absolutely blew my mind. I think the reason I remember him so well is because drummers nowadays are generally weak and limited in what they do and in what their bands demand. Nowadays, a drummer just sort of sits in the background and blends in, plays a beat, barely does the job, and doesn't 'own' his/her trade. It's become such a fact of show-going life that when you see someone like Jerry, there is a unanimous, room wide-holy fuck reaction. He was a drummers drummer; he had skill, power, presence, and above all, TASTE. He wasn't just some dude that played drums. He was a guy that, helped by his charm, sat virtually alone on a plateau leaps and bounds above everyone else. This is a loss for music fans and musicians alike. RIP Jerry. I am so sorry it had to end like this.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 1:35PM
William Haun says:

I saw Jerry perform just once in Atlanta earlier this year. I didn't know who he was but told friends after the show that "the guy with the 'stache was incredible". I hate to hear of this great loss.

Here are some photos I took of Jerry Fuch at that Juan Maclean show at The Earl in May 2009.

http://www.whaun.com/2009/05/the-juan-maclean-the-earl/

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 2:32PM
Anonymous says:

I know it's fucked up, but someone in the press has got to know this late great personally, cause I know shit loads of motherfuckers that could out play him and y'all wouldn't give a fuck if they was dead or not...

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 4:41PM
Anonymous says:

Anonymous, name three

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 5:57PM
daveed says:

Anonymous, you have no class. This is a great loss to music, and my heart goes out to his friends and family.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 6:34PM
Joe says:

I still can't believe it. Jerry's passing is a great loss. I am a huge fan of the band Maserati and was fortunate enough to see them live 3 times with Jerry drumming right there in front. I am a drummer and he truly does inspire me. His drumming was beyond solid and yet so graceful and powerful. I didn't know him but in a way it seemed like I did. He seemed like a really great guy with an excellent personality. I'm gonna miss him.

Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 11 2009 @ 3:07PM
J says:

ANONYMOUS... you are a complete douche bag, have some fucking respect, asshole. I hope someone close to you dies so that we can all shit on your loss too. Next time keep your dumb ass comments inside your tiny shit bird brain.


Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 11 2009 @ 4:56PM
J says:

as a 30 year old drummer in a band from Brooklyn, I didn't even know Jerry until I read this story... but for some reason I feel like I've known him forever, and for some reason I am as saddened by his death as if someone from my own family had died. If this is the impact Jerry has on me in his death, I could only imagine what he must have been like to party with, jam with, make music with, and be friends with while he was alive. I want to extend my deepest condolences to all of his friends, family, and to the world of music for this great loss... I am trying to come close to how I feel with these words, but I don't think I am doing my feelings justice.

There is nothing more I can say except, how the fuck does he do that one handed drum fill????

Rest in peace, say "hi" to John Bonham for me, and I hope you are enjoying your heavenly drum kit up in that great gig in the sky!

Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 11 2009 @ 5:11PM
petty says:

very talented drummer. i saw him when the juan mclean did it at the basement function room at the tribeca grand hotel. it was a free gig way back '06 or so. i was close to the stage and he made the crowd in the mood to dance and groove. i even got to buy that cd and would always recall how he did perform that night, it was a blast then. i send my condolences to his family and loved ones that have in one musical way or another have been touched by his loss. r.i.p. jerry.

Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 12 2009 @ 12:19AM
LL says:

Luckily by default of my husband being a musician and his interest in the band Maserati, I had the opportunity to see Jerry play several times. I'm not an expert on the quality of a musician, but I tell you it is not hard to recognize talent when it is as great as his was. The man also clearly had passion for what he did and was a gracious person to boot - we have spoken with him at his shows. You have to acknowledge and respect a person like that because people who touch others through their passion like that are few and far between. It is a loss to this world that he is no longer with us.
Oh and "anonymous" you are an asshole know-nothing - not hard to recognize that either.

Posted On: Friday, Nov. 13 2009 @ 6:59PM
juan maclean says:

'Anonymous' is surely a frustrated musician who has yet to 'make it.' Probably has loads of 'chops' and can't understand why all these other people are so successful while he toils away. Plus, he is a coward. He would never say this to my face.

Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 15 2009 @ 4:51PM
scott says:

What an absolute tragedy. i remember i saw turing machine play at mercury several years ago and i was mesmerized by his drumming - have never forgotten his performance to this day. i remember thinking he was possibly the best drummer i had ever seen in my entire life. Some musicians are so good that the only physical response is exhubrant and incredulous laughter, very few people can trigger that response in me - jerry played drums that made me laugh. He was an absolute monster on the kit. Words fail to describe what it was like to watch him. stunning loss...

Posted On: Friday, Nov. 20 2009 @ 11:26AM

Write Comment


Comments may not show up immediately after submission. Please wait a minute after posting a comment for it to appear.

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking "Post," you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Tools

Search Sound of the City


Follow

Email tips to tips@villagevoice.com

SlideShows»

  • Bikini Burlesque (NSFW)
  • An Erotic Photographer's Circus Birthday Party (NSFW)
  • Haiti Benefit at the Bell House
  • More Slideshows >>

Most …

  • Lil Wayne Saved By Bad Teeth
  • New Ninjasonik MP3: The Matt-and-Kim-Sampling, Dan-Deacon-Namechecking Premiere of "All Our Friends"
  • NYC Music Site Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Apparently Obliterated By Blogspot
  • M.I.A. Heads to Jamaica, Jumps on a Busy Signal Song: "Sound of Siren"
  • Cornel West Disses Jay-Z!
  • More Recent Entries...
  • Interview: Just Blaze Talks Baseline Studios, From the Making of Jay-Z's The Blueprint to the End of an Era (6)
  • So Let's Deal With This "Taylor Swift Is a Feminist's Nightmare" Thing (4)
  • Here Is The Peculiar Spectacle of Nicki Minaj on David Letterman (3)
  • So Is Terminal 5 Really the Third Best Club in the World? (3)
  • Das Racist Cover the Beastie Boy's Paul's Boutique at Cameo Gallery, Enrage Internet (3)
  • Announcing the Village Voice 2010 SXSW Party, Featuring Superchunk, the xx, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Surfer Blood
  • Interview: Just Blaze Talks Baseline Studios, From the Making of Jay-Z's The Blueprint to the End of an Era
  • Interview: R&B Porn Godfather Andre Williams on Why Coke-Dealing Stories Are Better Than Alcoholic Tales, His New Book Sweets, and More
  • Jerzify Your Favorite Indie Stars: Thom Yorke, Feist, Hipster Runoff, and More
  • The Life and Death of Alan Carton, 23, the RIAA-Defying Creator of @diditleak

Find a Concert

  • Tue
    9
  • Wed
    10
  • Thu
    11
  • Fri
    12
  • Sat
    13
  • Sun
    14
  • Mon
    15

Twitter Feed

Follow Sound of the City on Twitter

More Twitter >>

Sound of the City on Digg

Entertainment

Clubs

  • B.B. Kings

    View Ad | View Site
  • Blue Note

    View Ad | View Site
  • Maxwell's

    View Ad | View Site

Movies

  • IFC FILMS

    View Ad | View Site
More >>

Links

Links

  • Artforum
  • Andy Beta
  • William Bowers
  • Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide
  • Dip Dip Dive
  • The Dizzies
  • Down in Front
  • Fanzine
  • Sean Fennessey
  • Impose
  • Left of Center
  • Not for Nothin'
  • Pitchfork
  • Rapidshare
  • Rhapsody
  • Riff Market
  • Luc Sante
  • Jessica Suarez
  • Stereogum
  • Tripwire
  • Voice's Music Section
  • Christopher R. Weingarten
About Us | Work for Village Voice | Esubscribe | Free Classifieds | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Problem With the Site? | RSS | Site Map
©2010 Village Voice Media All rights reserved.