Title: Marty's Drumstick
Classification: Weapon (musical)
Date obtained: March 11th, 2023

Description: oh to be a drummer. i've tried (and failed) to learn several different instruments in my life, the trombone, the guitar, the piano, but none of them ever stuck. i mean, ive gone on record of saying that i'm not a very musically inclined person, it's just something that's never clicked for me. that being said, i'm a huge fan of listening to music, and if i had to choose a favorite artist it'd probably be They Might Be Giants. starting out as a duo of two Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh, to be exact) sometime around 1985, TMBG has been making music for a VERY long time, and are still going strong today. but in their early years, due to neither of the Johns being dedicated drummers, TMBG had to settle for drum machines to provide percussion. and don't get it twisted, i think that the lack of live percussion in their early works contributes heavily to the sound and flavor of those albums, and i wouldn't have them any other way. but for their 1994 masterpiece, John Henry, they decided that having it be just the two of them wasn't gonna cut it. so they brought on a couple new band members, and while none of the folks brought on for John Henry stayed for too long, it did open the door to having TMBG be more than just a duo. and sometime around 2004, their old drummer, Dan Hickey, was looking to leave the band to persue other avenues. for their tours, TMBG recruited a drummer named Marty Beller, and when the position for a full time drummer opened up, Marty hopped on that opportunity.

alright, there's your history lesson. now here's how this all ties into this drumstick. about a year and a half ago in March of 2023, i finally got the opportunity to see TMBG in concert, and it was a magnificent experience. they really know how to make a show fun and exciting for everyone involved, and if you ever get the opportunity i highly recommend you get tickets to see them at some point in your life. i didn't attend alone though, my mom, roommate, and most importantly my dad were with me while i was there. the reason i emphasize my dad is because he was the one who introduced me to the band when i was a kid, and just like me, he's a pretty big fan. at a certain point near the end of the concert, both of my parents sorta just... disappeared into the crowd, and i figured they were just getting a little closer to the stage. but about five minutes later, my dad comes charging toward me with... something in his hand, and he yells, "I GOT IT!" turns out, while my parents were out in the middle of the crowd, Marty had started tossing his drumsticks into the crowd, and my dad just so happened to snatch one out of the air. so yeah, that's what this messed up looking drumstick is. it's a really cool memento of the best concert i ever went to, and it just so happened to also have belonged to Marty Beller at one point.