Going Beat for Beat with Dustin Watters
Dustin Watters has always had a passion for music, but he never anticipated it would bring him to where he is now, as the front drummer of a Pink Floyd tribute band.
“I started playing the drums when I was 10 years old. The first time I played with a full band in front of a large crowd was at a Shriners’ event, and I was very nervous,” Dustin recalls.
Playing in front of large crowds has been a lot less daunting and far more exhilarating and fulfilling for Dustin as venues have become bigger.
His current band, This One's Pink: The Pink Floyd Experience, performs approximately 10-12 concerts a year. Performances in recent years have included The Regalia Hotel and Conference Center at the Lake of the Ozarks and various festivals out of state.
“The Regalia Hotel is an incredible experience because it has an outdoor 80-foot tall stage and a huge swimming pool that backs up to the front of the stage and features a swim-up bar in the center!” Dustin says.
While Dustin spends his nights and weekends jamming on the drums with his band, he works for O'Shea as a superintendent by day. He’s been a carpenter for 20 years and still fondly recalls how much he enjoyed helping his dad with building projects.
Although music and construction seem very different, Dustin points out a significant similarity: Success depends on how well the team collaborates.
“So much of our success has come from having great teammates and building connections along the way to ensure the entire band succeeds. I think that is very tightly related to what I get to do every day at O'Shea with my team of co-workers,” he says.
Dustin has amassed an incredible amount of experience and recently being able to perform with Nashville country singer Matt Miller only adds to his band’s success.
“I've performed at the Madison Theater in Peoria, Busch Stadium’s Ball Park Village, and Northwoods Church in Peoria, so I've seen a little bit of everything in terms of where we perform and who we perform in front of,” Dustin says. “I’ve played everything from country to classic rock to heavy metal to worship music.”
Dustin’s longtime musical aspirations of putting together a Pink Floyd tribute band have come true, and he now performs at festivals, amphitheaters, churches, conference centers, and many other amazing venues throughout Illinois and the Midwest every year.
“We especially enjoy and look forward to playing close to home every summer,” Dustin says. “On Friday, Jun. 3, come see us at the Legacy of Giving music festival in downtown Springfield, and on Saturday, Aug. 27, come see us at Sherman Village Amphitheater; it'll be a blast!”