What do Rockstars do between tours? This one duck hunts.
You never know who you might end up sharing a duck blind with. I just so happen to be lucky enough to often share mine with Adam Zemanek, the drummer from the rock band Shaman's Harvest.
Since he's now an international rockstar (literally - they just finished a North American tour with Nickelback and they're starting a tour with Seether later this month), I thought it'd be cool to interview him one morning while we were duck hunting. His story - that of his long journey to get to where he is today (I'm predicting a Grammy in his future) - is one I am incredibly proud to share. And not just in the stereotypical, "I know that guy" sense.
It was actually in my duck blind where I first met Adam Zemanek a few years ago (or maybe it's been several years now). My dad had invited him through a mutual family friend and fellow blind mate, Brian Reid, who Adam refers to as a "second dad" in our interview. I walked into the blind that morning and here's this random dude in mismatched camo with tattoos up to his gauged ears.
"Who the f--- is this guy? And how the hell did he end up in my duck blind?" I wonder to myself, especially after I begin to recognize him from the local rock music scene. My dad is always inviting random friends to the blind but Adam, to me, didn't exactly fit the "duck hunter" stereotype.
What I came to discover, however, was that we had found one of the most genuine, honest, and hardest working dudes we could ever have asked to join our little duck hunting family. He's been a regular fixture in our blind - and at most all the work days outside of season - ever since (at least when he's not out on tour somewhere).
Sure, he's doing rock shows all over the continent these days but at the time I met him, he was a long way from having "made it" as a musician. He had recently come off a long run of things that didn't work out (in our interview he talks about being in a whole bunch of bands and even did short stint as a tattoo artist) and as you might imagine, the number of people telling him to "get a real job" was increasing.
"Thing is..." I remember him saying, pointing to his tattoos, "Nobody wants to hire this."
But it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He was going to make a career in music and no low point in the process of making that happen was going to deter him. I never forgot that conversation in the blind that morning. I never forgot how impressed I was with his unwavering determination.
So like I said, it with great pride that I get to publish this conversation. Who knows what the future holds. But for now, I feel like Adam is the poster child for never giving up on your dreams. That he's one of my hunting buddies and I've somewhat seen his journey unfold through duck blind stories is just that much cooler.
On top of all that, it's great to hear about rockstars just being regular guys that hunt when they aren't rocking the masses.
It actually took a couple hours to get all the way through this interview (the ducks kept interrupting) but I managed to edit the whole thing into about a total of 15 minutes. I divided it into two parts. In this first clip, we talk about getting started - hunting, drumming, as a musician, that stuff.
Side note: If any of you guys from Black Stone Cherry ever read this, consider this an open invitation to hunt ducks in Iowa sometime. I can't guarantee the ducks will cooperate but Adam makes a pretty mean breakfast.
In this second half, we get more into his advice for aspiring musicians (and their parents) and how to power through "the slump" that dream-chasers are certain to experience, among other things.
If you enjoyed this post or have insight of your own to share, be sure to leave a comment or share it with a link to this site on social media.
Otherwise, shoot straight and invite someone new out hunting with you this season. You never know when you might find yourself sharing a duck blind with a future rockstar.
Like rocking out with these blog posts? Subscribe here and Feedburner will deliver Outdoor Executive Dad updates right to your inbox.
 |
| Adam Zemanek, Drummer - Shaman's Harvest |
It was actually in my duck blind where I first met Adam Zemanek a few years ago (or maybe it's been several years now). My dad had invited him through a mutual family friend and fellow blind mate, Brian Reid, who Adam refers to as a "second dad" in our interview. I walked into the blind that morning and here's this random dude in mismatched camo with tattoos up to his gauged ears.
"Who the f--- is this guy? And how the hell did he end up in my duck blind?" I wonder to myself, especially after I begin to recognize him from the local rock music scene. My dad is always inviting random friends to the blind but Adam, to me, didn't exactly fit the "duck hunter" stereotype.
What I came to discover, however, was that we had found one of the most genuine, honest, and hardest working dudes we could ever have asked to join our little duck hunting family. He's been a regular fixture in our blind - and at most all the work days outside of season - ever since (at least when he's not out on tour somewhere).
Sure, he's doing rock shows all over the continent these days but at the time I met him, he was a long way from having "made it" as a musician. He had recently come off a long run of things that didn't work out (in our interview he talks about being in a whole bunch of bands and even did short stint as a tattoo artist) and as you might imagine, the number of people telling him to "get a real job" was increasing.
"Thing is..." I remember him saying, pointing to his tattoos, "Nobody wants to hire this."
But it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He was going to make a career in music and no low point in the process of making that happen was going to deter him. I never forgot that conversation in the blind that morning. I never forgot how impressed I was with his unwavering determination.
So like I said, it with great pride that I get to publish this conversation. Who knows what the future holds. But for now, I feel like Adam is the poster child for never giving up on your dreams. That he's one of my hunting buddies and I've somewhat seen his journey unfold through duck blind stories is just that much cooler.
On top of all that, it's great to hear about rockstars just being regular guys that hunt when they aren't rocking the masses.
It actually took a couple hours to get all the way through this interview (the ducks kept interrupting) but I managed to edit the whole thing into about a total of 15 minutes. I divided it into two parts. In this first clip, we talk about getting started - hunting, drumming, as a musician, that stuff.
Side note: If any of you guys from Black Stone Cherry ever read this, consider this an open invitation to hunt ducks in Iowa sometime. I can't guarantee the ducks will cooperate but Adam makes a pretty mean breakfast.
If you enjoyed this post or have insight of your own to share, be sure to leave a comment or share it with a link to this site on social media.
Otherwise, shoot straight and invite someone new out hunting with you this season. You never know when you might find yourself sharing a duck blind with a future rockstar.
Like rocking out with these blog posts? Subscribe here and Feedburner will deliver Outdoor Executive Dad updates right to your inbox.
Love this Format ! Cheers brother !
ReplyDelete