David Thaler

David Thaler was born in 1961 in Washington, DC, and grew up in the Maryland suburbs. His love of drums began at an early age. Home movies showed him at age 2 banging on chairs with his hands and at age 5 playing "drum sets" made of boxes and a toy drum. David began lessons at age 7 on snare and drum kit, and at age 10 his parents bought him a set of 1967 Blue Oyster Pearl Ludwigs - the very kit he continues to use to this day. While studying timpani throughout the 1970s under Fred Begun, timpanist for the National Symphony Orchestra, and playing with state and national orchestras, David continued to hone his skills at drum set with local rock bands. The classical training would bring a special musicality to his set playing, which in early years was inspired by Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Carl Palmer, Bill Bruford, and John Bonham.

After gigging with various rock bands during the 1980s, the blues got into David's blood while listening to the likes of Albert Collins, BB King, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Earl, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. David has spent the last 20 years working on both his chops and his blues "feel." His first real blues gig was sitting in with a local band in 1992 opening for Junior Wells at Tornado Alley in Wheaton, MD. David was hooked. After doing a few more gigs in the area with Robert Lighthouse and other blues bands, David sat in with Bad Influence in Frederick, MD, in 1993, and has been with that band ever since. David is endorsed by Slingerland Drums and Roc-n-Soc thrones.