Having lived with a few drummers and watched more than share of percussion technique videos, I can say with some authority that drum solos are intensely and undeniably boring. When it comes to natural sleep enhancers, they are second only to melatonin. It takes a special kind of performer to make 30 + minutes of straight stick work watchable, and I don’t count Neil Pert, Carter Beauford, or the guy from Iron Butterfly among them.

But I do count Han Bennink. The legendary Dutch drummer has played with everybody from Eric Dolphy to avant-punk band The Ex, to Peter Brotzmann and was also a founding members of ICP (Instant Composers Pool, not to be confused with Insane Clown Posse). Bennink could walk on stage and tap on a mic stand for two hours and it would still probably be worth releasing on DVD.

So, drum nerds, jazz fans, and Dutch national’s be warned that Bennink be playing a rare solo show Saturday night at Velvet Lounge. I’ve attached a few choice youtube clips of Bennink after the jump.

Han Bennink, Kohoutek Dashin Gassoudan @ Velvet Lounge
Sat., 2/17, 10 pm
$10

In Jimma, Ethiopia while on tour with The Ex
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5GT3LlKKg]

Playing with Peter Brotzmann
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSD_qvGbCJk]

And Bennink soloing on his mouth
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UEC6rXeZeM]