Drummer. Content Creator. Music Producer.
I’m Nick Cesarz — a Milwaukee-based drummer, content creator, and music producer. I’m best known as the drummer for the band Vinyl Theatre (formerly signed to Fueled by Ramen) and as the founder of DrumSpy, a website that rates and reviews drum gear with an editorial approach focused on sound, feel, and value.
Where my drumming journey began
I can still remember hearing Tom Sawyer by Rush on the radio for the first time one day after school. That surprising 7/8 section and four bar drum solo was a revelation—I couldn’t believe music this complex could successful at radio (here’s me at 14 playing that section).
Not long after, my late uncle Craig, sensing my fascination, borrowed me a few Rush CDs: Power Windows, Signals, Roll the Bones, and Counterparts. I was obsessed. For a while, Neil Peart’s drumming became my benchmark, even a bit of a crutch. But as I grew, I started branching out, discovering new styles, and beginning to find my own unique rhythm.
My journey started with a slip of paper in the fourth grade. Like everyone else at school, I wanted to play percussion, but only a few lucky names would get drawn from a hat. My name came up, and I haven’t looked back since.
Drumming became a passion, one that would follow me through school bands, jazz groups, marching band, and even into the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where I studied percussion performance and developed a love for all kinds of music.
From jamming with friends to making waves on a major record label
In high school, I bonded over music with my friend Chris Senner during long lunch breaks spent jamming in the band room (probably annoying our teacher in the process). A few years later, Chris reached out with a demo, and my drumming brought it to life.
That track was the start of Vinyl Theatre, a band rooted in a love for the alternative scene and a shared vision for our music. We all liked the same bands and were stylistically on the same page. We didn’t argue much—music was just a language we all spoke.
The highs and lows of touring & getting dropped from Atlantic Records
Signing with Fueled by Ramen and touring with twenty one pilots was one of our biggest highlights as a band. Their fans are hardcore concert-goers, and the connection we made with them on that tour was incredible.
Those shows felt electric. Every night, we could feel the energy of the crowd in a way that we’d never experienced before. It was both thrilling and intimidating—knowing we were opening for a band with such a massive, loyal following. We wanted to bring our A-game every night, to live up to the energy they brought. Watching Tyler and Josh perform was also inspiring. They were at the top of their game, and seeing how they connected with their fans left a lasting impression on us.
Our time with Fueled By Ramen wasn’t all smooth sailing. While signing to a major label felt like a huge milestone, we quickly realized that creative control was something we’d have to fight for.
There were a lot of songs we believed in that “didn’t make the cut” according to the higher-ups. Occasionally, we could push for a track we felt strongly about, but more often than not, decisions about what songs to promote as singles were out of our hands. Every idea had to pass through multiple filters, and that process could be frustratingly slow and stifling.
The pressure to succeed was constant. It felt like we were always on the chopping block, especially as we watched other acts—some of whom we knew well—get dropped from their labels.
That looming threat made it hard to stay creatively inspired, knowing that one wrong move or underperforming single could cost us everything. We often found ourselves going along with the label’s suggestions instead of fighting for what we knew was right for our music and our audience.
One of the biggest disappointments was feeling like we were always at the bottom of the priority list. If another major artist was releasing music, our release would often be delayed or pushed back. It was a tough pill to swallow, realizing that our passion project could be sidelined for bigger names.
We were very much “yes men” at first. If we could go back, we’d probably stick to our guns a bit more. It was a learning curve, navigating all the input. When the label eventually let us go, we were shaken but determined. The move back to being independent, while challenging, opened doors to the creative freedom we’d missed.
Moving beyond the label
When we got the call that we’d been let go from the label, it was a shock. We genuinely believed things were going well. In retrospect, we were a bit blind to the reality of our numbers at the time—they weren’t as strong as we thought. We had just released our sophomore album, Origami, and suddenly, it felt like all the work we’d put in to get signed was slipping away. The idea of having to start over, of trying to get signed again, was daunting.
Thankfully, we had a devoted following of fans who loved our music, and that gave us some hope. Still, the transition to independence came with its own challenges. One of the toughest parts was figuring out who to trust and who to hire—marketing companies, booking agencies, promoters. We learned pretty quickly who was legit and who wasn’t, and that trial and error was invaluable.
The upside, though, was the creative freedom. Without the label’s oversight, we could really lean into our own vision. For our follow-up album, Starcruiser, I took on the role of tracking and mixing, something I wouldn’t have been able to do under a label’s tight control. The process was incredibly rewarding; it felt like we had full ownership over our sound and direction for the first time.
Turning drumming into something bigger
My creative work now centers on two main things: my YouTube channel and DrumSpy.com, where I review and rate everything from electronic drum sets to cymbals. I focus on helping drummers make informed gear decisions through hands-on testing, detailed scoring, and honest insights.
Outside of DrumSpy, I record and produce local bands in Milwaukee — from full-length albums to one-off singles. I enjoy working closely with artists to capture authentic performances and help shape their sound through thoughtful production and mixing.