Time's Rupp

"I'm just a guy, just one guy who plays drums, works hard and believes in certain ideals. I just do what I do and do what I believe in," he says. "You know, I've always just been a guy who plays drums; I love drums, and I'm just a focused guy, and the project is the project. I'm one of these guys who also believes that you're only judged on your last album and your last show. I'm only as good as my last show. That's why every show has got to be the best fucking show and every record has got to be the best fucking record. Because if it's not, you're missing the whole point."

Of all the recordings he's made, the new album by Carolyn's Mother, Too Many Fires, may be "the best record I've ever done in my life," he confides. "Not to slight anybody in my past, because everybody I've played with has touched me in some way and made me a better drummer -- everybody has."

Brothers from another Mother...Carolyn's, that is: Miles Marlin (from left), Drew Hodgson, Rhett Lee and Bob Rupp.

Hair today, gone tomorrow (clockwise from bottom left): Rupp (far left) with the Rumble, with Fear of Sleep (far right) and with Vinyl Oyster (far left).

Details

With High Seasons and Devouring Saturn
10 p.m. Saturday, September 20
Herman's Hideaway, 1578 South Broadway
$7, 303-777-5840

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More About

• Bob Rupp
• Paul Galaxy
• Brian Setzer
• Internal Revenue Service
• Rikki Rockett

If memories were currency, Rupp would be Bill Gates. But he doesn't like to spend too much time reminiscing. He'd rather live in the moment, and right now he's on stage with one of his favorite bands. Weaned on Brit pop, Rupp says that Carolyn's Mother is the band he would have formed if it hadn't already existed. When he left the Galactix and took a few years off, he dragged his girlfriend to just about every Carolyn's Mother show. When he joined the band, after nearly two decades and about half as many ensembles, he'd finally found a home.

And now he's leaving to start a new life back East.

He's not sad about moving on. Sure, he'll miss the friends he's leaving behind, the store and the scene, but he'll deal with that tomorrow, when he's sitting on a beach somewhere on the coast of Maine with his dogs and his girlfriend; he'll save the reflection for then. And he'll be back soon, to tend to a few business details (he's selling his store) and play at the Too Many Firesrelease party. Tonight at Herman's, he's relishing the chance to be surrounded by his friends, including Galaxy, and his bandmates -- Rhett Lee, Drew Hodgson and Miles Marlin -- and all the drummers and other musicians who've supported him over the years. He's having so much fun, you'd think he was wishing the night would never end. But he isn't.

"I mean, you can always wish for the good old days, but to me the good old days are always that way," says Rupp, motioning forward. "Not that way. I don't ever live in the past. I can't wait for tomorrow. Yesterday was a lot of fun, but tomorrow is going to be a lot more fun."