Blue Man drummer played to the end
Being the kit drummer in the Blue Man Group band is "physically demanding," says the show's general manager Jack Kenn. "You're playing the whole show."
But Jason Mackenroth stayed behind the drums throughout his four-year battle with prostate cancer, playing the show through Christmas Eve, 10 days before his death Sunday. He was 46.
"It's pretty amazing that he was so resilient and put everything he had into playing drums," Kenn says. "But that's what got him through his months of treatment, was coming in to play the show. Outside of his family, that was his one true love, was to play music."
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Epic Church, 8755 West Warm Springs Road in Henderson. Plans are also in the works for a benefit later this year.
Mackenroth also drummed for the Rollins Band before moving to Las Vegas and joining the Blue Man Group.
Mackenroth was Henry Rollins' drummer from 1998 to 2004. "He was a good man and left too early," Rollins said Friday in the LA Weekly column tied to his radio broadcast.
The Sacramento, Calif., native caught Rollins' ear through his power trio, Mother Superior. He also played for George Clinton, Daniel Lanois and the MC5's Wayne Kramer. His solo project, Mack, recorded an album, "Pay to Play," with other Blue Man-affiliated musicians.
Mackenroth moved to Las Vegas with his family in 2006 with the express goal of getting into the Blue Man Group. He also taught drum lessons and played with the band Rich & Famous before and after making it into the Blue Man show in 2008 as a band drummer (not one of the three blue-faced stars).
Survivors include his wife, Janet ("Jaye") Mackenroth, and their two sons, Javan and Joren. A GoFundMe campaign is underway to help the family with expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/echcegfw.
— Read more from Mike Weatherford at reviewjournal.com. Contact him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com and follow @Mikeweatherford on Twitter.
