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Important Update on APX Drummer Bill "Moose" Rieger
Mon., Jan. 9. 2006 12:46pm UTC
As most of you know, our drummer Bill "Moose" Rieger took a leave of absence in late October to spend more time with his wife and three kids and attend to some family medical matters. The good news is that the medical matters are getting better and the extra family time has been extremely rewarding; the bad news is things have gone so well that Bill has decided to retire from ApologetiX and full-time drumming.
When something happens like this in a band or in a ministry, there are always questions from people on the outside. We cannot stress enough that Bill and ApologetiX are parting on the best of terms, and Bill has conducted himself with absolute integrity and professionalism. We've missed him greatly over the past three months, and we'll miss him even more in the months to come, but we understand his decision, and we know it was a hard one for him to make.
However, neither Bill nor the rest of ApologetiX wanted his last concert to be ones we'd already played. Consequently, we're going to give him a big send-off. Bill will be back for a final weekend of concerts January 27-29 in Reynoldsburg OH, Dayton OH, and Dover OH. How convenient for a rabid football fan like Bill that it's the "off" weekend between the AFC/NFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl!
We know many of our fans have developed friendships with Bill over the years, and we hope these Ohio concerts will give a central location for anybody who wants to come see his final concerts with ApologetiX. Bill has also agreed to be a possible fill-in drummer for our next full-time drummer, if we're ever in a pinch.
Not surprisingly, our new full-time drummer will be Jimmy Tanner, who has been filling in for Bill for almost three months now. Jimmy has played 18 concerts in 12 states with ApologetiX already, and he also plays the final three songs ("With a Harp David Writes," "Walk on the Water," and "Found God") on our new CD, "ApologetiX Hits: The Road." We'll give Jimmy a proper introduction and interview in an upcoming news story sometime soon.
Like Jimmy, Bill played his first concerts with ApologetiX as a fill-in drummer, with five concerts way back in the winter of 1998-99. At the time, his schedule didn't allow him to pursue things further, and Fred Behanna became our drummer from February 1999 through January 2001, with occasional fill-in help from Keith Harrold. When Fred retired, Bill auditioned for the part of full-time drummer with concerts in Lancaster OH (February 24, 2001) and Monaca PA (March 3, 2001) before playing his first concert as our official drummer in Collegeville PA on March 24, 2001.
We prefer to think of our former members as ApologetiX alumni, and you'll occasionally see them at concerts, where they are always welcome. In fact, one of Bill's best friends is another former ApologetiX drummer, Bob Flaherty, whom he met through the band. Before Bill joined us, Bob held the record for the longest tenure as ApologetiX drummer (from May 1995-September 1998). Bill broke that record by playing over four and a half years as our full-time drummer (without missing a concert) and set another record by playing on five of our CDs: "Keep the Change," "Grace Period," "Adam Up," "New & Used Hits," and our newest, "ApologetiX Hits: The Road."
Speaking of CDs, we feel that Bill's finest performances as an ApologetiX drummer can be heard on "Hits: The Road" and seen on the new DVD, "Samson Comes Alive: An Evening With ApologetiX." You also get to see interviews with him and hear his legendary "knack for chat" during the DVD's closing sequence.
If you wish to email Bill, you will still be able to reach him at bill@apologetix.com or moose@apologetix.com.
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