Every now and then someone gets it right and we, the consumer, get a line of products that are not only attractive and stylish, but are also environmentally responsible and handmade with care by a little company with a conscience. Souldier of Chicago, Illinois began hawking their wares at local craft shows and outsider-art fairs around the mid-west back in 2006.
Those hot summer weekends earned the company a grass-roots clientele that was quick to respond to their high quality workmanship and home-made aesthetic. Also among those early recruits was the Chicago-based, Alt-Country, Roots-Rock band WILCO. Soon the band would be seen brandishing Souldier’s straps on all of their vaunted and vintage instruments, all but their drummer Glenn Kotche that is.
Until Now! Souldier and Glenn Kotche have teamed up to create a super-tough stick bag with a soft-spot for the planet, The Glenn Kotche Limited Edition Stick Bag. This bag is big and roomy like a ’78 Oldsmobile, with a heavy duty zippered closure and plenty of pockets for sticks, rods, mallets and brushes. It even has a couple of pouches for shakers and toys, plus a zippered pocket for your drum key. I know it kinda sounds like a lot of other stick bags right? Wrong!
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Take a seat and pay attention!
What sets this bag apart from the rest is the shiny, strappy seat-belt material it’s made out of. That’s right… seat-belts! This bag looks hip and modern (and has the vibe of those cool messenger bags all the indie-kids wear these days) and whether it was intended – or just a happy accident – this material is very “snag resistant”; which is a good thing when you’re shoving it full of chewed-up, jagged-splintered sticks after a long show. Its shimmering sheen also helps you see it on a dark stage, so you’ll be less likely to leave it behind. The big steel D-rings and hang-straps make it easy to hang on any size floor-tom (or two) or even across a couple stands, and the sturdy handle straps keep it comfortable to carry even when fully loaded with freshly chopped timber! Each bag comes made to order, individually numbered and branded with Kotche’s signature.
Souldier is on a mission to make the world a better place and they’re leading by example. By recycling materials, like uber strong seat-belt strapping and leather remnants into their handmade products, they are making products that are as unique and soulful as the musicians who inspire them. Souldier, with a little help from WILCO’s Glenn Kotche, is taking it to the stage instead of the landfill! It’s time to enlist!
For more info on all handmade Souldier products visit: www.souldier.us
The Glenn Kotche stick bag is available exclusively through: www.wilco.net
Will b e putting this Souldier seatbelt drumstick bag on my Christmas list. Looks indestructable and for the way I am, that’s exactly what I need for my sticks.