An evening comprised largely of instrumental jazz, funk and solo trading? Was my attention span up for the challenge?

When I tagged along with a few drummers to see New Orleans drummer Stanton Moore (known best for his work in Galactic) Thursday night, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Moore, they told me, has his own line of cymbals, puts out top-notch drumming literature and conducts some of the most informative drum clinics. In fact, a few had attended Moore’s clinic earlier that afternoon at Seminole Music.

Setting the stage for Moore was Tampa full-time experimental jam act Cope. The shoeless four-piece said little, but rocked hard. They sounded kind of like the Eagles, if the Eagles went jam. But the band cites influences ranging from the Grateful Dead to A Tribe Called Quest. It wasn’t long before a hula hooper arrived on the dance floor — a.k.a. a jam band victory!

By the time Moore, a guitarist and organ player took the stage, Crowbar was pretty slammed and refreshingly enthusiastic. Moore wore horn-rimmed glasses and a wide grin, one he kept for 97 percent of the night. Really, the dude’s as smiley as Matt and Kim. A couple songs in, Moore announced that they were going to do "their version of heavy metal," which still had that great New Orleans flair, just a little heavier on the Roux. Heads bobbed. Air drums were played. (I noticed drummers for local acts in the house at that point too — Basic Rock Outfit, Four Star Riot, Auditorium, the Human Condition, and crew from Sam Ash).

The shuffles, the triplets and the weird time signatures amazed the crowd, to say the least. But perhaps more satisfying to the general population: this trio showed a genuine love for what they do. They strive to create a sound that’s innovative and technical yet danceworthy and relevant to their audience. And no matter your degree of ADD or drumming interest, that’s something you can get into.

— Carole Giambalvo, tbt*