Brian St. Clair Leaving Local H

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 21, 2013 4:00PM

Photo by Wade Hawk

Local H drummer Brian St. Clair is stepping away from the throne behind his kit and leaving the band. The band has stated the split is mutual and amicable. St. Clair was Local H's second drummer, replacing Joe Daniels when he left in 1999, but it wasn't the first time he'd played with frontman Scott Lucas. The two had shared the stage in the latter period of St. Clair's previous band Triple Fast Action when Lucas filled in on second guitar for a number of shows.

St. Clair is a monster behind the drum kit, hitting the skins harder than almost anyone else we've ever seen, but his style also brought a deft subtlety to the rhythms in Local H's music where other drummers might have either overplayed or played it too dumb. His contributions will be missed.

St. Clair will finish out the band's brief tour scheduled for this fall, and his last Chicago show with the band will be Sept. 7 at Metro, and it should be a monumental gig. The band's spokesperson told Chicagoist that the band will continue on with a different drummer, but not until after these shows.

The band's—in this incarnation—final tour dates are below, so if you live on the East Coast or the Midwest you may still have a chance to see them too.

9/6 Madison, Wisc. - High Noon Saloon
9/7 Chicago, Ill. - Metro
10/4 Akron, Ohio - Musica
10/5 New York, New York - Santos Party House
10/6 Allston, Mass. - Brighton Music Hall
10/7 West Chester, Penn. - The Note
10/9 Columbus, Ohio - The Basement
10/10 Grand Rapids, Mich. - Pyramid Scheme
101/11 Arlington Heights, Ill. - HOME: House of Music and Entertainment