DANCARO.COM

      This week I am exploring New Orleans musician Dan Caro. Danimal, as I like to call him, is one of the brightest, most talented young drummers in New Orleans, as well as a highly sought after musician and motivational speaker. At any given time, you can catch Dan banging away in countless different bands around the New Orleans area. At one point he was in over 10 different bands. Gigs have ranged from playing drums on Sunday mornings to performing experimental avant-garde space jazz, rock and roll, funk and blues. If I recall correctly, a few years ago Caro had around 37 gigs in one month alone. He has played with musicians like George Porter, Jr. (The Meters, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, Tori Amos); Karl Denson (Lenny Kravitz, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe); Michael Ray (Kool and the Gang, Sun Ra, Patti Labelle); Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Rob Wasserman (Ratdog), Dave Easley, Aashish Khan, John Sinclair (poet who had a song written for him by John Lennon) and Jason Marsalis to name a few. He also has performed in front of former President Jimmy Carter. His experience is amazing in itself, but it is only made more incredible because Dan Caro does it all with no hands.

      This story of my involvement with Dan actually begins around 1992. I came home one day from high school, flopped on the couch and for some reason turned the TV to the Montel Williams show. The show was having a special on children who have been severely burned. One kid on the program stood out in my mind for many years to follow. I distinctly remember them bringing him a birthday cake on the air for his thirteenth birthday and asking him what he wanted to do when he was older. His answer was to be a drummer.

      Fast forward to the summer of 2001 when I went on the road with my buddy’s band, Brotherhood of Groove, from New Orleans. This is when I would learn that the drummer I was on the road with was none other than Dan Caro, the kid from the Montel Williams show. We quickly bonded and have been best friends ever since that summer in New Orleans.
In 1982, when Caro was two years old, an event changed his life forever. A pilot light flame ignited gas in his home garage, burning over 75% of Caro’s body. He was flown to Shriners Hospital in Boston. He underwent countless surgeries and treatments for the majority of his childhood. In the process, he lost his right hand and most of his left hand. But with the help of many wonderful  doctors, he had reconstructive surgery that would give him a working thumb on his left hand. Without having any “real” hands, Dan is still able to fish, play baseball, do artwork and of course, play the drums. He does this by securing a drumstick to one hand with a rubber band and sweat band using a thumb-like finger to hold another stick with his other hand.

       Now at the age of 27, Caro is an accomplished drummer and recognized speaker. In 2003, he was featured in the Shriners Hospital’s patient success video “Without Limits.” Modern Drummer magazine, the most recognized drum magazine in the world, ran a three-page article on Caro in its July 2005 issue. He has also been featured on the WB network’s “Do Something” campaign. When he isn’t performing, Caro tours the country speaking about his life and motivating around the country.

       This summer Caro became a member of the Shriners organization during the North America Imperial Council Session in Anaheim, California.

       Caro has also been to Laurel a few times. One of those recent times was right before Hurricane Katrina. My band at the time had a gig in Laurel on the Saturday night before Katrina hit New Orleans. Caro had come up from New Orleans to escape the storm so I told him to play with us whether he wanted to or not. He obliged and proceeded to blow every mind in the Alamo that night. Most of the crowd stood with their mouths open in amazement. I still get asked to this day about Dan Caro and that night before Katrina. Shortly after Katrina, Dan and my former dog, Dixie, packed up and moved to Brooklyn, New York. Caro returned to New Orleans in 2007 and is now playing there and touring the country.