Brack Tommie just wants to have a good time and does that through music; namely dubstep. The 24-year-old Gadsden native and UA grad goes by the stage name Zionstorm and started messing around with a mixer last spring. He will bring his brand of dubstep to Rounders Thursday night for an event called #BASSFACE.
“It all started at a house party on Queen City Avenue last spring, and it just grew from there,” Tommie said. “The first party got so big the cops had to come break it up.”
After that party, which turned into a series of house parties called “YES Parties,” Tommie invested in a better mixer and came up with the name Zionstorm, borrowed from his Xbox Live gamertag. After a bit more practice, he began trying to take the show to bars, namely Rounders.
“It took me a while to get Rounders to let me come play, but they gave in and let me play Halloween,” Tommie said.
His performance on Halloween night was a success. He played to a sold out crowd and was asked to come back again in December. He has since played at the Jupiter, Brown’s Corner and has upcoming shows in Birmingham and Atlanta.
Even with all the sudden success, Tommie said he keeps the focus off himself, insisting that it’s not about him, but the crowd.
“At the end of the day, this music is all about having fun,” Tommie said. “It’s weird because I get paid, but I’m having a blast when I’m up there.”
Rounders’ music booker, Grant McCabe, had not heard of Zionstorm before Tommie contacted him last fall, but two sold out shows later, he is glad he let him play.
“Everybody really has a good time with him,” McCabe said. “He mixes dubstep with Top 40, so he appeals to all crowds.”
Tommie said the room at Rounders is perfect for a dubstep show, and he is ready to make this his biggest show yet, debuting new songs and equipment.
For Tommie, dubstep is a hopeful career path and said it would be a dream come true. At a time when dubstep’s popularity is growing, Tommie might be in the right place at the right time.
“We’re at the beginning of something that’s going to be big for a long time, and I just hope that I can do it as long as possible,” Tommie said.
With hard work, Tommie said he’ll do what he can to make it happen.
“There are sayers and doers,” Tommie said. “I just want to be a doer.”
The show will begin at 11 p.m. Admission is free until 11 p.m. and $5 after. Drink specials include $1 16 oz. drafts and $3 Groundhog Day shots. Glowsticks are allowed.
