# ID the guy on stage with the Byrds **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510 "2010-04-27T12:38:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/1 "2010-04-27T12:38:14Z")
In this [footage](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKxx1kDdAcY&feature=PlayList&p=4A2D314E2DFDA6CF&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1)of a Byrds concert from 1971, there is a strange guy on stage sometimes playing some percussion like the tambourine or the cowbell, but not having a full-fledged percussion set (he also randomly hits one of Parson’s cymbals). Now the guy doesn’t act like a professional musician, more like a roadie who was allowed to join the band (for whatever reason, his contribution certainly isn’t crucial to the performance). Can anybody identify him, and as a bonus, can elaborate why he was on stage at that time? ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/2 "2010-04-27T12:55:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > In this [footage](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKxx1kDdAcY&feature=PlayList&p=4A2D314E2DFDA6CF&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1)of a Byrds concert from 1971, there is a strange guy on stage sometimes playing some percussion like the tambourine or the cowbell, but not having a full-fledged percussion set (he also randomly hits one of Parson’s cymbals). > > Now the guy doesn’t act like a professional musician, more like a roadie who was allowed to join the band (for whatever reason, his contribution certainly isn’t crucial to the performance). > > Can anybody identify him, and as a bonus, can elaborate why he was on stage at that time? Without looking at the footage, my guess is that it’s Carlos Bernal, who indeed was a roadie who sometimes joined the latter-period Byrds onstage in this manner. I believe there were even instances toward the very end of their run when he may have assumed the drum throne itself in the absence of Gene Parsons. This is all from memory; my expertise lies more with the era of the original Byrds’ first five albums. I’m not as great a fan of the post-_Notorious Byrd Brothers_ era. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/3 "2010-04-28T02:38:39Z")
[Jimmi Seiter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmi_Seiter), probably. > [@](#): > > Seiter is probably best known for his work as road manager, associate producer and percussionist with The Byrds and as road manager for The Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons in the late 1960s and early 1970s. > […] > Seiter is an uncredited percussionist on much of The Byrds mid to late era catalogue, and was encouraged to seek acknowledgment and credit for his performances by close friend and producer Terry Melcher, who was at this time working closely with The Byrds on their studio recordings. Both Melcher and White were also responsible for incorporating Jimmi’s percussion playing into The Byrds’ dynamic live shows; Jimmi was now performing alongside the band. > […] > With his experience and knowledge in the fields of show production, audio, video, lighting, event organisation, architecture and construction Jimmi has worked on many large-scale events and installations around the world including the LA Olympics ceremonies, six subsequent Olympics, over 10 worldwide theme parks and the construction of a city in Kazakhstan. He now lives and works in Macau, China and was very much involved in planning for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Jimmi has been seeking a publisher for his forthcoming Autobiography. Sounds like an interesting fellow. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/4 "2010-04-28T13:46:37Z")
> [@mack](#): > > [Jimmi Seiter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmi_Seiter), probably. > Sounds like an interesting fellow. That’s a possibility too. Let me look into this a bit more deeply and see who it is at that specific gig. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/5 "2010-04-28T14:27:27Z")
Thanks for the suggestions so far, both would make sense. I tried to find pictures of both of them to no avail, so maybe if one of you know what these guys looked like, you could check the linked footage (Warning: historical video quality, the sound is ok). (Btw., it shows what a good live outfit this last incarnation of the group was, and the brilliance of Clarence White anyway) ---
**Author:** ![romeo12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b487fb/32.png) [@romeo12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romeo12)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-the-guy-on-stage-with-the-byrds/537510/6 "2015-09-15T05:25:02Z")
the person you asked about playing the cowbell is Jimmie seiter