Tony Hajjar

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Tony Hajjar (born August 17, 1974 in Beirut, Lebanon) and is well known as the drummer for two successful bands: At the Drive-In and Sparta

[edit] Live Playing Style

Tony is an aggressive drummer, giving spectacular spasmodic displays regardless of the song being performed. On one recent occasion, he broke a snare head just halfway through the first song of a set. While in At the Drive-in, his performances were on par with those of Cedric and Omar.

[edit] Biography

During breaks in At the Drive-In's touring schedule, Hajjar taught chemistry.

After At the Drive-In, he co-started the band Sparta, which he is with to this day. He has also helped with some other bands, like Jimmy Eat World's "Disintegration" off of their album "Stay On My Side Tonight"

He, like former bandmate Paul Hinojos, cites Metallica's album Master of Puppets as being most influential on him as a musician.

Tony uses Tama drums, Zildjian cymbals, and Vater drumsticks

Tony also has a musical side project called "Nakia".

More recently (2006) Tony Hajjar is releasing a 16-minute short film entitled "Eme Nakia" as part of a special edition of Sparta's new album, Threes. The movie is about Tony's remarkable personal history during the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990. He fled at the age of 5 to the United States, settling in the sprawling west Texas border town of El Paso. When Hajjar was fourteen his mother died after a bout with cancer and his father, who had been distant, left the family. His brother, only 18 years old at the time, assumed responsibility for the family and raised Tony and his sister. The film follows Hajjar's early life story, showing his challenges and ending with him in the present day.

The word "Eme" means Mother in Arabic, and "Nakia" was the name of Tony's mother.