Friend Encounters: Heather Drums and Jim Strong

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Once again, I post a picture which makes me envious of my pal Jim Strong. This time, he is with Heather Drums, one of my favorites on the local music scene.

I have met many wrestlers, athletes and musicians with Jim. Because he is out all over all the time, he occasionally meets folks I really would have liked to see. Such was the case with Heather, who he watched play on Valentine's Day.

I first saw Heather when she was in a band playing just blocks from my place. Her energy and charisma stood out. Of course, she was also an outstanding drummer. Unfortunately, I have only seen her that one time, while Jim has seen her multiple times.

I will never catch up with Jim, but seeing Heather this year is one of my goals. I don't think she is currently with one band, but plays with several. Either way, I hope to see her somewhere this summer.

Heather Drums and Jim in Mundelein, IL-February 2024.

Friend Encounters: Heather Drums and Jim Strong

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

My pal Jim turned me on to Serendipity a couple years ago. Last summer, I finally saw them perform live.

On a warm summer night, Jim joined me at the courtyard by the Skokie Library. As always, we got there early and positioned ourselves up front in the center and waited.

Previously, I messaged the band, asking for a picture to accompany my story for Global Traveler. As the band assembled, I briefly talked to Heather. It was too hectic to get the band photo, but she assured me we would do it after the show.

With that, Jim and I sat back and enjoyed their performance. They had just enough banter to add extra fun, but not take away from the music. At some point, each band member had time to shine in the spotlight. The band was tight and the voals were excellent.

After the show, as promised, Heather assembled the band for our photo. With everything going on, that was very nice of her to remember. We took out pictures and talked to the band a bit.

I haven't seen them live since then, although Jim has, as you can see in the picturebut I have followed them online. I plan on catching some shows this year. They are already very good, but they also have plans to record original music. I look forward to hearing that.

Go to Serendipityband.com for more info and performance dates. Follow Serendipity on social media for even more updates and fun.

Jim Strong and Heather Drums in Fox Lake, IL-July 2022