Steven Drozd

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Steven Drozd


Img_capt = Steven at La Zona Rosa in Austin 09/2007
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Steven Gregory Drozd
Born = Birth date and age|1969|6|11|mf=y
Origin = Houston, Texas, U.S.
Instrument = Guitar, drums, keyboard, vocals
Genre = Alternative rock
Occupation = Musician, actor
Years_active = 1983-present
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Associated_acts = The Flaming Lips
URL = [http://www.flaminglips.com www.flaminglips.com]

Steven Gregory Drozd (born June 11, 1969, Houston, Texas) is a multi-instrumentalist and drummer for The Flaming Lips. The son of musician Vernon Drozd, he grew up in Houston with three brothers and a sister. From the age of ten, he played drums and later keys with his father's polka band. While attending Eisenhower High School in Lawton,Oklahoma, he played percussion in the school's marching and symphonic bands, and played keyboards in a quartet he formed with fellow students Michael Brown (tenor and soprano saxophones), Robert Archer (bass guitar), and Todd Boukum (drums), performing smooth jazz and jazz-fusion. Besides his work with 'The Lips', he heads a side-project, The Paris Gun where he plays guitar and keyboards. He has also appeared on a number of recordings of other artists including Elliott Smith's "From a Basement on the Hill", Jay Farrar's "Sebastopol" and "ThirdShiftGrottoSlack" and Steve Burns' "Songs for Dustmites". Steven is also featured on the current 2007 online release of
Cake's "B-sides and Rarities".

He joined The Flaming Lips in 1991 as a young up-and-coming drummer. While his style is deeply influenced by the big drum sounds of the 70's, his youth spent playing in his father's polka band developed a keen sense of taste and syncopation, allowing for seamless transitions through an articulate and dynamic touch. His thick grooves, with episodes of odd-time funk, are equally matched with heavily distorted straight ahead rock, mixing and jumping from various genres often marrying the virtues of his influences.

Noted influences include: Czech Polka; John Bonham; Carl Palmer; Bill Bruford and Stevie Wonder.

Drum gear (incomplete):70's Ludwig Supraphonic chrome snares; Remo Black dot batter and vintage Gretsch drums. His battle with heroin, which he first tried in 1990, is portrayed in a very graphic and emotional scene in the 2005 Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks. Drozd is currently clean. He is married to Becky Stokesberry and they have a son, Daniel James Drozd (born September 22, 2005), and a daughter, Charlotte Michelle Drozd (born February 26, 2008).

During live performances, he typically plays lead guitar (usually with a Fender Jazzmaster) and during a few songs he will play the keyboard.

In Flaming Lips' upcoming film Christmas on Mars, he plays Major Syrtis, the main character of the film.

Steven has also appeared on Nickelodeon Networks_Noggin's - Jack’s Big Music Show, with Daily Show host Jon Stewart, and original Blue's Clues host Steve Burns of singer/songwriter fame.

External links

* [http://www.flaminglips.com/ Official Flaming Lips site]
* [http://www.nellmedia.com/drozd/ The Steven Drozd Appreciation Club]
* [http://www.discollective.com/guest/The-Flaming-Lips Steven Drozd's Maritime Mixtape]
* [http://nellmedia.com/pgun/ Official Paris Gun site] (not currently being updated)
*musicbrainz artist|id=2447560a-5c00-4b3f-9da0-f4d43f8cb12a|name=Steven Drozd

Persondata
NAME=Drozd, Steven
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Steven Gregory Drozd
SHORT DESCRIPTION=multi-instrumentalist and drummer for The Flaming Lips
DATE OF BIRTH=June 11, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH=Houston, Texas
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=