Damon Che

Damon Che Fitzgerald, known professionally as Damon Che, is an American singer and multi-instrumentalist, best-known for being the drummer of highly-influential Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based math rock band Don Caballero. Che’s other musical projects include singing and playing guitar in his lesser-known indie rock band The Speaking Canaries, as well as playing drums in Bellini for a short time.

Che is known for his technically complex and free-form drum playing, often soloing over the guitars and bass of Don Cab songs, rather than the other way around. Part of Don Cab’s sound comes from the fact that Damon kept his kit in a highly unconventional setup: his snare incredibly low and tilted at a sharp angle, an auxiliary snare to his right, ride cymbals towering above him, toms almost completely horizontal, and playing with the butt ends of marching sticks.

Che’s unpredictable and somewhat hot-headed behavior during live shows is also well-known, often stripping to his boxers while playing, as well as getting into occasional on-stage arguments with band and audience members.