Wilco's Glenn Kotche + D'Addario's Promark Brand Create Revolutionary Heat-Activated, Contoured Drumstick: Active Wave 570

Wilco’s Glenn Kotche, one of the world’s most innovative and active drummers, and D’Addario’s Promark brand, the American drumstick maker, have collaborated to create a first-of-its-kind new drumstick. The Active Wave 570 features ActiveGrip – a heat-activated grip coating that gets tackier when a player’s hands heat up and start to sweat, and the WaveHandle - a contoured handle that provides additional grip and a comfortable place for all fingers.  The ActiveGrip and the WaveHandle were both invented by D’Addario.

“To meet the demanding performances of Wilco and my other projects, I needed a special grip solution that I could trust, that didn’t feel like rubber or a synthetic,” Kotche said. “The new ActiveGrip feels like a regular hickory drumstick at the start of the show, and gets tackier when my hands start sweating. It’s an absolute breakthrough in grip. Plus, the WaveHandle design adds an additional contoured grip that also works as its own sound source. I’ve always dreamed of a drumstick like this, and I’m proud to share it with other drummers that demand the ultimate grip without sacrificing feel.”

Kotche will be performing with the Active Wave 570 at Wilco’s annual Solid Sound festival at MASS MOCA in North Adams, MA June 26-28. In addition to a full Wilco set, Glenn will be performing a solo set including an original piece of music commissioned by Promark & D’Addario, one of the festival’s sponsors.

The Active Wave 570 will debut at Summer NAMM 2015 and will be available August 1, 2015. 

Wilco is on tour throughout the summer and fall, dates can be found here: http://wilcoworld.net/#!/shows/

Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in Wilco, one of the most beloved rock bands on the planet. His first studio outing with the Chicago- based band was the breakthrough Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and has continued over the course of five albums, including the Grammy-winning A Ghost Is Born, and the critically acclaimed The Whole Love. He has appeared on over 80 recordings by artists as diverse as Andrew Bird, Edith Frost, Neil Finn and Radiohead's Phil Selway, and he’s a founding member of two other bands— Loose Fur, with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and longtime collaborator Jim O’Rourke, and On Fillmore, with upright bassist Darin Gray. He has also written music for classical and post-classical ensembles like Kronos Quartet, the Silk Road Ensemble, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, So Percussion, eighth blackbird and many more.

Launch Date: August 1, 2015

UPC 616022130979

Item #: TXGKAWW

Product name: Glenn Kotche Active Wave  570

Diameter: .570"

Length: 16 3/4

About D’Addario’s Promark brand: Founded in 1957 by Herb Brochstein, Promark is based in Houston, Texas and manufactures hickory, maple and Japanese Shira Kashi Oak drumsticks in a modern 90,000 foot facility.  It has been family owned and operated since inception, and was purchased by D’Addario & Company in 2011 – the world’s largest maker of instrument strings and accessories.  Promark uses only un-endangered wood in the manufacturing of its sticks and mallets.  Through Promark and D’Addario’s Play. Plant. Preserve. program, five trees are planted for each one used.