San Bernardino: Drumming Through the Inland Empire's Forgotten Beats
you ever roll into a city thinking it's just another stop on the tour and end up falling in love with its weird little soul? that's san bernardino for me. i'm a touring session drummer, so i've seen my fair share of backstage green rooms and highway exits, but this place... it's got something else going on.
i just checked and it's 14.18Ā°C and feels like 12.67Ā°C there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. perfect weather for walking around with your sticks in your backpack, looking for inspiration in the cracks of the sidewalk.
"You can't spell 'drum' without 'rum,' and there's plenty of both in this town,"
i overheard from a sound guy at the national orange show events center. classic sound guy wisdom, right?
i started my day at the historic california theatre, where the ghosts of vaudeville still tap dance in the shadows. the acoustics are insane-like playing inside a wooden heartbeat. someone told me that if you listen closely during soundcheck, you can hear the original 1928 pipe organ still humming through the walls. probably just drunk advice, but i like to believe it.
for lunch, i hit up the original mcdonald's museum on route 66. yeah, i know, it's touristy, but have you ever tried explaining to your bandmates why you need to stop at a burger museum? priceless. the gift shop has these vintage drumsticks that look like they survived the 50s. i bought a pair just for the story.
if you get bored, riverside and redlands are just a short drive away. but honestly, give san bernardino a full day. there's this spot called the rat hole that's not on any tourist map-just ask the bartender at the salton sea for directions. he'll look at you weird, but that's part of the charm.
i heard that the best coffee in town isn't at some hipster joint but at a place called the mitten building, where they roast their own beans and the baristas know every local drummer by name. i'm a coffee snob when i'm not behind the kit, and this place converted me.
ended my night at the hume on fifth, where the stage is so small you can touch both walls while playing. perfect for when you want to feel the crowd's breath on your neck. someone mentioned that the ghost of a 1940s saxophonist still haunts the green room, tuning up at exactly 9:47 pm. i stayed until 9:47. nothing happened, but i swear the air got thicker.
san bernardino isn't trying to be la or san diego. it's got its own rhythm, its own off-beat charm. as a drummer, i appreciate that. it's not about keeping perfect time; it's about finding the pocket, and this city? it's definitely in the pocket.
check out more about the area on tripadvisor or find local events on yelp. and if you're into offbeat history, the san bernardino history & railroad museum is worth a visit.
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