Al Sobrante
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Al Sobrante (born John Kiffmeyer 1969) was the original drummer for the punk rock band Green Day. His name is a reference to El Sobrante, California, a town north of Berkeley.
Sobrante's first exposure in the punk scene was as the drummer of the band Isocracy. The group was popular in the East Bay, and mainstays at the famed club, 924 Gilman Street.
Sobrante's claim to fame, however, is his time in Green Day. After the end of Isocracy, Sobrante helped form the group. Because of his experience and knowledge of the underground community, Sobrante was able to get the young band on its feet by placing calls to friends, among them prominent figure of the East Bay Larry Livermore. The first few performances took place at Contra Costa College, where Kiffmeyer was a journalism student. On the strength of these performances, Livermore vowed to release a Green Day record on his Lookout! Records. The group's first full-length effort, 39/Smooth would feature a Sobrante original, "I Was There", which documented the band at that place in time.
In 1990, he left the band to attend college. Sobrante later joined fellow Berkeley band The Ne'er Do Wells, which he left abruptly in 1994. After that, he played in a Punk-rock band called the Ritalins, which he soon left. He was then the manager of a band called the Shruggs, but they are now non existent. Just recently he produced "The Lost Troublemakers Album" by The Troublemakers, a garage band from Sacramento, California. He now lives in San Fransisco, California with his wife Greta, and his young son Lolo.
[edit] Trivia
- Al Sobrante is a left-handed drummer, meaning he hits the hi-hat cymbals with his left hand instead of his right, and the ride cymbal is set-up to the left of the hi-hat.
- With the Ne'er Do Wells, Al was known for not showing up for practices and even missing gigs if so inclined. He would often interrupt shows with jokes or monologues and get up and wander away from the drums.
