Savannah Grass - Pan Fantasy - Feat. Larnell Lewis (Pan Alive 2019)

Since 2012, I’ve had the pleasure of performing at Toronto’s Pan Alive Steelband competition with my favourite steelpan family, Pan Fantasy Steelband. To celebrate Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival this week, I'd like to share last year's drum cam footage of my performance with Pan Fantasy playing ‘Savannah Grass’ by Kes the Band, arrangement by Al “Allos” Foster.
In steelband music, the drumset is part of the percussion section known as ‘The Engine Room’. This Engine Room consists of drumset, congas, scratchers, jam block, and iron (a break drum played with metal strikers) but often includes other instruments including the dundun, timbales and other non-pitched percussion.
If you're wondering what's up with the gear (?)...lol. Part of what I do with Pan Fantasy every year is give their drum kit some TLC. It's usually new heads, fixing lugs, etc.
I love my Caribbean (St. Kitts) roots, and I'm proud to share them with you.
Enjoy!
L.

[@braedenmanalo6791]

When I saw that Larnell posted, I didn't expect this, that's for sure. Still pleasantly surprised

[@mikhailrodriguez281]

I'm a pannist/percussionist from Trinidad and since listening to you a WHILE now I've always told my buddies that you would fit good in a steel orchestra setting given your style and energy, so stumbling onto this today made my day!🔥🔥🇹🇹

[@LarnellLewisMusic]

Awesome!!! I love playing in a steel orchestral. My wife is a great steel pannist! #JoyLapps. Thanks for checking out my video!

[@wayneblake544]

I WAS A YOUNG MAN GROWING UP IN THE BIG APPLE IN THE BRONX, N.Y. WHEN I HEARD MUSIC LIKE THIS!!! WOW!!!

[@joenoah9906]

Now this is what I call a party. Everyone is having a great time.

[@burningspear90]

Wow I just literally watched your enter sandman video and was like this bruh is caribbean roots. It’s something I can’t explain about how you feel music and I seen the first video you did for that channel and then I see this as I’m sharing enter sandman with my niece mom so she can share with she. This is live man so good to hear and see and see ST. Kitts massive playing pan and you doing the tings. Bless up bro✌🏿❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@PrimordialKrishna]

Trinidad pride 🇹🇹 💪🏾

[@tiagochoairy9755]

I felt like in Carnaval de Salvador !!!! Wow

[@jimibotang]

Cant stop smiling watching this, reminds me of being at carnival in Trinidad happy HAPPY memories.

[@cher385]

Watching now on January 1st, 2021 at 4.02 a.m., thankful to be able to enjoy my culture, #bye2020crapyear👍🏽👏🏼🌷🌷🌹🌹🌶🌶🌶🌶🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🙏🏽

[@lucaorasanu8120]

🔥🔥🔥🔥I could listen to this any day. Really good job Larnell!

[@billevans-bene]

AWESOME!!! Took me back home...haven't had the pleasure of hearing a good steelband in years! Thanks for sharing. Phenomenal job, as usual!!

[@manitobamoose7919]

Yea they are Canadian I Think 🤔

[@josephco4414]

Larnell is the future! Wooo. 🔥🔥🔥

[@WorldGrace]

Wait, Zildjian and Sabian is that allowed to be together!!! ;) only kidding, that just had to be a blast to play that song I just love it!! But when he hit the K it did sound better!! haha! yes yes only kidding! Awesome Larnell as always amazing! What a great job you have!

[@nilskavanagh]

This is actually fire

[@NehemiahBradyP]

7mins of a complete vibe 👌👌

[@Mityob67]

This is a lot of music right here! Well done y'all!

[@Fluffykinggaming]

Wow! Blown away by this! Steel pans are beautiful!! Amazing job !

[@martinkent_]

Sup natty

[@dhruvthepercussionmaniac546]

The best one so far!!

[@SimonLopezPsymon]

Very good music, it must be a good show ! :-)

[@romarioroach6453]

I'm from Barbados bro!! Loving this!!

[@michaelkoslowsky8154]

Some good rave right there!

[@garrettmillerdrums]

This is fantastic! Love the BPM ticker in the corner lol

[@nziziray]

Instagram story brought me here:)) amazing performance, on repeat!

[@steamer482]

This was so much fun to watch!!!!! :) :)

[@Drummerslife]

omg i didn't knew you have played in a steelband. that music makes me wanna dance all time. just hard when i sitting down like you ;) some of my favorites number is "We kinda music" and "Coffeestreet" by Andy Narell. I would love to see you to together :)

[@FeralPhilosopher]

Thiiiiis is fun. Good work!

[@pedropolito8880]

this seems like a whole lot of fun!!!

[@mmaannuueell]

esta bien chingón! saludos desde México!

[@xavierpierre1676]

wow i didnt know you play drums for a pan group i am going to visit next time pan alive comes around

[@gonenckayar119]

You are amazing!!!

[@tincantoy4441]

I can't wait until your next album!!

[@devinbrewer8956]

So dope. Love your stuff larnell you really inspire and help me to add to my playing style with every performance I watch!

[@Dennis_R27]

Absolutely amazing!!! Great job Nell!!!

[@johnomolade2955]

That's fire!!

[@johngregory4811]

Amazing sound fantastic

[@godsonbrowne]

This is Amazing.

[@asifiwedieudonne3727]

OMG this is amezing

[@elijahmayaka6783]

This is dope !

[@dwbnic]

Yesssss!

[@trmnatr21]

This is amazing! Thanks for sharing, Larnell! I'd be too scared to put the bpm counter in for one of my live performances.

[@shapshooter7769]

Had the pleasure of playing with him in 2017, on the bass pans. I haven’t touched music then since IRL took priority, but I’ll never forget that time :) Also masterclass for your band beats when?

[@JulianFernandez]

cool!

[@welp1]

Lmao, didnt think I'd find this.. Oh, by the way- I was a player here! A bass player but, still there. Some.. 3 or so years ago maybe? Nice to see.

[@liomihos393]

Rad!

[@EnCrypticon23x]

I got a fever!!! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!

[@naterace7]

🇹🇹✊🏾🇹🇹

[@kendellferguson5021]

❤️ 🇹🇹

[@Evan-zi8bw]

Your trini 🤯

[@justinb.1407]

Is this the only performance you got on film? I'd love to hear more!

[@LarnellLewisMusic]

You can find other performances if you search “Pan Alive 2019”, or any other year for that matter. I didn’t capture anything else from that night. The position we were in didn’t allow us to see other bands up close, and I wanted to focus on the arrangement since I had only learned it about 2 days prior to the competition.

[@braedenmanalo6791]

How many musicians were performing with you?

[@mwangikimani7231]

Makes me want to look for a cocktail with an umbrella and just wild out.

[@DeuceGenius]

damn they jammin out

[@mariodangeladrums7130]

What does the bpm counter in the bottom right mean? Does it fluctuate depending on the speed on the band or is it like the click you hear as you're performing? Also if that's the case then I have a question. If you're playing to a set click but the rest of the band speeds up and you need to play at their tempo, how do you manage the time of the click as you play to the "free-time" of the live band? Love your work Larnell, you're an INSPIRATION!!!

[@LarnellLewisMusic]

Hey Mario! These are great questions! We are not running to click for this performance. The BPM tracker was something I put on afterwards to see how I did with tempo management during the performance. I’ve struggled with that in the past with such a large ensemble and wanted to try a few things. However, the arranger (Al “Allos” Foster) did count us in with a metronome at the beginning.

[@LarnellLewisMusic]

To answer your second question, I would say that it depends on the role of the click track. If it’s just a free click (no backing tracks, just quarters with no accent), sometimes I would move with the band if we get off and shift to the next available “click” and lock everyone in with simple drum fills. If it’s a sequence with click, I become hyper aware when anyone falls off the click and try to lock them as much as possible with simple fills and *Eye Contact*. Discrete non-verbal cues, or sometimes “verbal” cues if I have to. Either way, I do what I can in the moment.

[@mariodangeladrums7130]

@@LarnellLewisMusic Ahh okay I'll try and put this into practice in my own performances when I need to. Thanks for the insight!

[@ChaitanyaBhagwatChai]

​@@LarnellLewisMusic useful insight to a great question, thanks!

[@sbroart]

@@LarnellLewisMusic Hi Larnell, you're always a great inspiration. I would like to do the same real-time BPM tracking thing over some performance of mine. Which software did you use and how does it work? Thank you so much!!!

[@kalilsuyan871]

im here from drumeo.. and hello im from 2020.

[@jdvargas44]

Ay papi 🙀

[@드송이]

the bpm 122-125 thats amazing how come?

[@tompappas1379]

Dat cow bell........ MORE COWBELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

[@shadowmaster41]

🇰🇳🇰🇳🇰🇳🇰🇳💪🏽

[@JeroenBaxexm]

[@greycane]

Do you have Hulk?

[@tonylancer7367]

I've never been to a festival, so excuse me here, but your drums miked up or is it just left like that? Also, are you hearing click or are you just protecting yourself? You never cease to amaze Larnell! This is a beautiful performance! For those who want to see another angle, check this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2TKfJilnMupna8

[@S34-i4d]

WHO PUT THAT ONE DISLIKE ON THIS VIDEO, THRE ALWAYS HAS TO BE DISLIKES ON A VIDEO CAN I JUST SEE A VIDEO WITH ZERO DISLIKES.

[@voldmerot]

U with Sabian now?

[@LarnellLewisMusic]

nope! This was the gear that they had. The splash is Zildjian :-)

[@voldmerot]

@@LarnellLewisMusic I see...well thanks for clarifying... anyway your drumming's top notch regardless of cymbals bro, God bless!😅