Janet Weiss

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American rock drummer (born 1965)

title: "Janet Weiss" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1965-births", "jewish-american-musicians", "living-people", "musicians-from-portland,-oregon", "san-francisco-state-university-alumni", "musicians-from-hollywood,-los-angeles", "american-rock-drummers", "american-women-drummers", "jews-in-punk-rock", "sleater-kinney-members", "wild-flag-members", "stephen-malkmus-and-the-jicks-members", "the-go-betweens-members", "20th-century-american-drummers", "20th-century-american-women-musicians", "american-feminist-musicians", "21st-century-american-jews", "jews-from-california", "jews-from-oregon", "21st-century-american-women", "women-in-punk", "drummers-from-los-angeles", "drummers-from-oregon"] description: "American rock drummer (born 1965)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Weiss" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American rock drummer (born 1965) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist "]

FieldValue
nameJanet Weiss
imageJanet Weiss of Wild Flag - Coachella 2012.jpg
captionJanet Weiss performing with Wild Flag at Coachella 2012.
image_size250
landscapeyes
backgroundnon_vocal_instrumentalist
birth_nameJanet Lee Weiss
birth_date
birth_placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
instrumentDrums, guitar, vocals, harmonica
genreIndie rock, alternative rock
occupationMusician
years_active1989–present
current_member_ofQuasi
past_member_ofSleater-Kinney, The Jicks, Junior High, The Shadow Mortons, The Go-Betweens, Goldcard, The Furies, Motorgoat, Wild Flag, Drumgasm, Slang
::

| name = Janet Weiss | image = Janet Weiss of Wild Flag - Coachella 2012.jpg | caption = Janet Weiss performing with Wild Flag at Coachella 2012. | image_size = 250 | landscape = yes | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Janet Lee Weiss | birth_date = | birth_place= Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = | origin = | instrument = Drums, guitar, vocals, harmonica | genre = Indie rock, alternative rock | occupation = Musician | years_active = 1989–present | current_member_of = Quasi | past_member_of = Sleater-Kinney, The Jicks, Junior High, The Shadow Mortons, The Go-Betweens, Goldcard, The Furies, Motorgoat, Wild Flag, Drumgasm, Slang | website = Janet Lee Weiss (born September 24, 1965) is an American rock drummer, a member of Quasi and former member of Sleater-Kinney. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album Mirror Traffic, and contributed to the Shins' fourth studio album, Port of Morrow (2012). She was also the drummer for the supergroup Wild Flag.

Weiss is highly regarded as a drummer; Stylus Magazine listed her in 2007 as number 48 of rock's 50 greatest drummers, while in 2014 LA Weekly placed her at number 12 in the top 20. In 2016, Rolling Stone placed her at number 90 on its list of the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time, and in 2018, New Musical Express ranked her as number 25 of the top 32 rock drummers.

Early life

Weiss was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California to a Jewish family, and began playing guitar at the age of 16. According to her interviews, her two elder sisters introduced her to "good music." She left Hollywood at age 17. She attended San Francisco State University and graduated with a degree in photography.

Career

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Sleater-Kinney_-backstage_SXSW_2006-_crop.jpg" caption="SXSW]] 2006."] ::

The Furies

While in college in San Francisco, Weiss became involved in the local club scene, following local bands such as Camper Van Beethoven and the Donner Party, and absorbing their punky/DIY ethos. When she was 22, Weiss was invited to learn the drums to join an all-girl trio called the Furies as their replacement drummer for a West Coast tour. The Furies' guitarist found Weiss a drum kit at a local pawn shop, and with one drum lesson and about two weeks practice under her belt, she became the Furies' second drummer. Self-taught as a drummer, Weiss learned her technique by watching the drummers at innumerable live shows, and by studying rock and punk greats like John Bonham and Topper Headon. She moved to Portland, Oregon in 1989 and soon after began playing with former Donner Party leader, Sam Coomes, in a band called Motorgoat. (Motorgoat disbanded and reformed as Quasi in 1993; Coomes is Weiss's ex-husband.)

Sleater-Kinney

Weiss started playing with Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein in Sleater-Kinney in 1996, after seeing them play a show. Tucker and Brownstein then played her a new song they were working on at the time, "Dig Me Out". Her bandmates later said that she made up a beat so solid "you could practically bang your head against it." Weiss eventually became the band's drummer; she was the fourth in the band's history. Brownstein has described Weiss as "one of the most musically intelligent people I know" and "certainly the most musically gifted member of the band, the one with the largest musical lexicon and sphere from which to draw influence and reference."

On July 1, 2019, Sleater-Kinney announced via social media that Weiss would be leaving the group and would not be joining their upcoming fall tour. Weiss said that the band was taking a "new direction" and that it was time for her to exit.

Quasi

Weiss and Sam Coomes formed Quasi in 1993, and the band has remained active both as a duo and a trio, featuring Joanna Bolme from 2007 to 2011, for the past 30+ years.

The Jicks

Upon the dissolution of Sleater-Kinney in 2006, Weiss joined Quasi bandmate Joanna Bolme in Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. She performed on two albums, Real Emotional Trash (2008) and Mirror Traffic (2011). She left the band prior to its tour in support of the latter album.

Wild Flag

Beginning in September 2010, she drummed in Wild Flag, with Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney), Mary Timony (Helium), and Rebecca Cole (the Minders). By December 2013, Wild Flag had disbanded.

Other work

She has also played for Bright Eyes, Junior High, the Shadow Mortons, the Go Betweens, Sarah Dougher, Elliott Smith, and one Goldcard song. She is in the band Slang, with her partner Drew Grow (formerly of Modern Kin, Careen, Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives, and Five O'Clock People).

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Janet_Weiss_of_Wild_Flag.jpg" caption="Janet Weiss of Wild Flag"] ::

On June 4, 2007, she performed with Bright Eyes on the Late Show with David Letterman before joining the band for their summer European tour.

''Portlandia''

Weiss was part of the production team on the TV show, Portlandia, working as the permit manager; bandmate Carrie Brownstein was one of the show's creators and lead actors.

Equipment

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Janet_Weiss_with_Bright_Eyes.jpg" caption="Bright Eyes]] in 2007."] ::

Weiss plays a vintage Ludwig kit (ca. 1973) in natural maple finish. Specs. as follows:

  • 6.5x14" Craviotto Snare
  • 9x13 rack tom
  • 16x16 floor tom
  • 14x22 bass drum

She played a similar kit at Coachella in April 2008, except the Ludwigs were the Blue Oyster 'Bowling Ball' finish. The Craviotto snare was still natural maple.

Cymbals: Zildjian

Hardware: DW

Heads:

  • Remo coated Ambassadors on snare and toms, Powerstroke 3 on bass drum batter.

Sticks:

  • Silverfox MR

Album appearances

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Joanna_Bolme_and_Janet_Weiss_of_Quasi_-_Green_Man_2006.jpg" caption="Quasi]] bandmate [[Joanna Bolme]] at The [[Green Man Festival]] 2006"] ::

References

References

  1. "American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers". ASCAP.
  2. (2007-07-30). "Stylus Magazine's 50 Greatest Rock Drummers". Stylus Magazine.
  3. (2014-11-11). "The 20 Best Drummers of All Time". LA Weekly.
  4. (31 March 2016). "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".
  5. (21 May 2018). "32 of the best drummers to grace rock 'n' roll".
  6. (March 28, 2013). "Meet Carrie Brownstein: A Triple Threat". Jewish Women's Archive.
  7. (15 July 2008). "Interview: Janet Weiss, Drummer of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks {{!}} The Village Voice".
  8. "The Cravioto Drum Co.: Artists – Janet Weiss". The Cravioto Drum Co..
  9. "The Official Website of Sleater-Kinney". Sleater-kinney.com.
  10. Brownstein, Carrie (2015). Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir. New York: Riverhead Books, p. 127.
  11. "Sleater-Kinney Drummer Janet Weiss Quits as Band Moves in 'New Direction'".
  12. (5 December 2013). "Indie Rock Supergroup Wild Flag Are No More".
  13. Hansen, Candace. (2017-09-22). "Sleater Kinney Drummer Janet Weiss Brings Hard Hitting Flavor to Music Tastes Good". OC Weekly.
  14. Rob Owen. (2015-01-05). "'Portlandia' tries a new approach for Season 5". The Seattle Times.
  15. (2011-10-20). "The online presence of Modern Drummer Magazine". Modern Drummer.
  16. (26 April 2008). "Janet Weiss of the Jicks | Flickr - Photo Sharing!". Flickr.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1965-birthsjewish-american-musiciansliving-peoplemusicians-from-portland,-oregonsan-francisco-state-university-alumnimusicians-from-hollywood,-los-angelesamerican-rock-drummersamerican-women-drummersjews-in-punk-rocksleater-kinney-memberswild-flag-membersstephen-malkmus-and-the-jicks-membersthe-go-betweens-members20th-century-american-drummers20th-century-american-women-musiciansamerican-feminist-musicians21st-century-american-jewsjews-from-californiajews-from-oregon21st-century-american-womenwomen-in-punkdrummers-from-los-angelesdrummers-from-oregon