Instruments:
Drum set
Voice while Drumming
Songwriting
Lead and Harmony Singing
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance and Production - Western Washington University
Skills/Specialized Training:
Drum Set in Blues, Jazz, Soul, Reggae, Rock, Funk, Punk, Latin, African for beginners to professional level
Composition
Bio:
Jordan Rain, also known as Yogoman, is a professional drummer, singer-songwriter, and educator with over 30 years of experience in the underground (since 1993) and professional music industry (since 2005). Raised in Seattle and a Bellinghome (Bellingham as home) resident for 31 years, Yogoman is the lead singing drummer and bandleader of Yogoman Burning Band (YBB) since 2005, as well as spinning vinyl records as DJ Yogoman for people from Bellingham to New Orleans to dance to since 1999. Rain has received 20 local awards for his music through YBB and as DJ Yogoman such as Best Band/Musician, Best Booty Shakin Music, Best Up Close & Personal, Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Spinner. Rain is renowned for his "musical sunshine"—an original blend of Jamaican reggae, New Orleans dance riddims, soul, and funk to keep spirits lifted in the rainy Pacific Northwest, though he's no stranger to darker genres which he participated in his formative years in the Seattle Underground scene with his first group Patterns Make Sunrise (basement Emo, recently signed and distributed by Numero Group in 2025), and other bands and genres such as Punk, Hardcore, Metal, Indie, Experimental and Improvised Noise Music. Yogoman also has extensive experience in Jazz and Blues drumming participating in concerts in and around New Orleans and Northeast Texas, where those genres were born and have developed since.
To speak more to Rain's level of experience, aside from touring the U.S. with his first three underground band's (Patterns Make Sunrise, Behead The Prophet NLSL, Reeks & the Wrecks), Yogoman Burning Band has toured from Canada to New Orleans and recorded in the studio with Jamaican Reggae Legend Winston "Flames" Jarrett (27 album discography), who came from the same town and many of the same studios and Jamaican record labels/producers as Bob Marley. Reportedly Bob Marley consulted with Winston Jarrett on production advice at Marley's famous Tuff Gong recording studio back in the 70's because Jarrett is Marley's elder in age and is one of the first Roots Reggae artists from Jamaica along side Marley and Burning Spear whom all debuted on the famous Studio One label roster. Jarrett also released singles and albums on the famous Jamaican labels Treasure Isle, Upsetters, Trojan, Prince Buster's, Attack, etc, while working with famous producers Coxsonne Dodd, Duke Reid, Prince Buster, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sonia Pottinger. Jarrett started his start in the Ska era singing with Alton Ellis & the Flames (Mr. Soul of Jamaica) as one of the backing singers aka the Flames. For Yogoman to sing harmony vocals while drumming and working with Winston Jarrett on production and rehearsals was of the highest honor being that Rain has DJ'd Jamaican music for 26 years actively in Bellingham, WA at various venues for people's enjoyment. As a musical ambassador and selector/curator of vinyl records, Rain has been a consistent educator of Jamaican music's legacy and history including Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots, Dub, and Dancehall genres most people don't hear or know much about in the U.S. Rain's extensive knowledge in this category has allowed him the opportunity to teach many Bellingham, Seattle and New Orleans residents about the intricacy of Reggae and it's subgenres in both live music (as participants) and selected music for listeners/dancers as a DJ/Deejay/Selector.
Yogoman has performed with his group Yogoman Burning Band at many large festivals across the U.S. and Canada such as Reggae On the River, Burning Man, Summer Arts & Music Festival (N. California), Oregon Country Fair, and Victoria International Ska & Reggae Festival.
Rain's first Seattle band Patterns Make Sunrise was recently recognized for their early contribution to the Emo music genre, and were recently added to the esteemed Numero Group record label's roster, who will be releasing the group's entire catalog on an LP vinyl record and digital release in 2025. Patterns initial 4 song 7" was added to the Sequoia Box Set which received a grammy nomination in 2025.
Influences:
Individuals - Toots Hibbert (vocally), Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), Elvin Jones (drums), John Bonham (drums), Max Roach (drums), Al Jackson Jr. (drums), Papa Jo Jones (drums), Louis Armstrong (musically and vocally), Q Tip (vocally), Billie Holliday (vocally), Fats Waller (vocally & musically), David Bowie (songwriter/musically), Neil Young (songwriter/musically). Groups - the Wailers, the Maytals, The Ethiopians, The Melodians, Roy Shirley, the Skatalites, Marcia Griffiths, Slim Smith & the Uniques, Upsetters, Burning Spear, Winston Jarrett, Michael Griffen, Al Green (Hi Records output), the Meters, Booker T & the MG's, John Coltrane, Curtis Mayfield (& the Impressions), Sam Cooke, Grandmaster Flash, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Newcleus, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Franco, Fela Kuti (Tony Allen's drumming too), Rex Cardinal Lawson, 60's African Jazz, James Brown, Cymande, Outkast/Andre 3000, Rebirth Brass Band, Minutemen, Devo, B-52's, Menahan Street Band, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Blondie, The Ramones, Bad Brains, Nuzzle, Undertow, Unwound, UB40, Hall & Oats, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams (Sr.), Jimmie Rogers, Woodie Guthrie.