Drummer extraordinaire Jay Weinberg made his first appearance onstage following parting ways with Slipknot in early November. Though the split was met with surprise by the artist and longtime fans alike, Weinberg has stayed positive and grateful for each person he’s met along the way. On December 10, Weinberg played drums on The Bouncing Souls‘ “True Believers” at Nashville’s The Brooklyn Bowl.
“When I was 14, I was very shy about being a novice drummer. I wanted to keep my new passion for this instrument private — not sharing my progress with anyone, even my immediate family, as I taught myself how to play along with my favorite songs and albums,” he says in an Instagram post.
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He continues, “The Souls—having been my hometown NJ heroes for some time—were actually the very first people to hear me play drums. They generously invited me to sit in for a song or two at a secret show at @asburylanes in May of 2005, which ended up being the first time I’d ever played drums in front of anyone. It is still to this day the single-most foundational moment of how I’ve come to appreciate and cherish playing drums in a live setting.”
Check out the surprise performance below.
This also marks the first public performance since Weinberg’s procedure to repair the torn labrum of his left hip and reshape a portion of his femur.
On top of his cameo with The Bouncing Souls, Weinberg also took some time to share a heartfelt message with fans about the 10-year anniversary of his joining Slipknot and the future to come. In an Instagram post, he shared, “For 19 years, my goals in music and art have always centered around maintaining some sort of forward motion. It feels a bit paradoxical at times to look in the rearview mirror, but some moments and milestones are significant enough to take pause and reflect.”
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Weinberg continues by saying, “Today marks the 10th anniversary of becoming a part of something I grew up believing in. I don’t hold onto many mementos, but to me these represent a decade of focused and impassioned dedication to that forward movement. Throughout that time, I learned much about application, tenacity, and the satisfaction of committing to breaking through creative thresholds; reaching those artistic goals through constant, concentrated hard work — all fueled by true love of the music.”
Then, he discusses his relationship with his masks. “In some respects, the person who wore the mask on the right and the person who wore the mask on the left feel like two completely different individuals — separated only by experience gained, miles traveled, friendships created, and a connection to the instrument strengthened and deepened so far beyond what I thought was possible,” he says.
“The memories and experiences that these four masks represent, I wouldn’t trade for the world. And I’m honored that you all have been there, every step of the way,” he notes. “So — here’s to you, the last 10 years, and wherever the next 10 years bring us.”
