Vegas Rock Confidential: From Bay Area Beginnings To The Heat Of L.A.To The Magnetic Pull of Las Vegas — Getting to Know Jamey Pacheco.
Jamey Pacheco’s story kicks in when he was just fourteen years old. When he first sat down behind a drum kit, fired up by Kiss and Aerosmith — pure gasoline for a kid already wired for rhythm.
From there he charged straight into the Bay Area trenches, landing his first real gig with Candy, alongside Derek Davis and Robb Reid, the core that would eventually ignite Babylon A.D. He hammered stages that every West Coast rocker knows by heart—The Stone in San Francisco, Keystone Palo Alto, Keystone Berkeley, Niles Station—sweaty, loud rooms where reputations were earned one blistering set at a time. Pacheco didn’t just play the circuit; he helped build it, co‑founding The Persuaders, the band that evolved into Babylon A.D. and carried him into the national spotlight. By the time MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball came calling during the Arista Records era, he was already a seasoned street‑tough drummer with the chops, the attitude, and the history to back it up!
Jamey Pacheco slammed into the Babylon A.D. lineup right from the jump, holding down the drum throne from 1987 to 1993 as the band tore through the hard‑rock trenches. After that first blazing run, he stepped back from the road to earn his degree in Graphic Design between 1993 and 1999, sharpening a whole new creative skill set. Then the story kicked back into overdrive — Pacheco reunited with Babylon A.D. in 1999 and stayed behind the kit all the way through 2019, powering a twenty‑year second chapter that most bands only dream about. What a run!
Jamey Pacheco pushed into a new chapter in 2019, diving headfirst into tribute projects — most notably the high‑energy of Duran Duran Duran (D3). His tribute‑band era has taken him everywhere from Yoshi’s Oakland to Crystal Bay Casino in Lake Tahoe, the Firehouse Arts Center, and even the Rockstar Bar in Las Vegas, proving he can flip from hard‑rock grit to new‑wave precision without dropping a shred of swagger!
Today, after 40+ years in the business, Pacheco remains a touring drummer, recording artist, visual designer, and session player — still chasing the next loud night, still swinging sticks like they’re built for battle.
Jamey isn’t just keeping Duran D3 sharp for the road — he’s building new soundscapes with his musical partner in life, Ronnie Wagner, laying down fresh tracks together inside the D3 lineup. On top of that, Ronnie’s own project, Passion Nouveau, gives them another creative lane to explore, blending styles and ideas while Jamey shifts effortlessly between a hard‑rock punch and a new sleek & modern groove!
Together in life and locked in the same musical orbit, Jamey and Ronnie are a powerhouse duo with no ceiling in sight. Two seasoned artists pushing each other higher, chasing new sounds, new stages, and whatever wild horizon comes next — the musical sky’s wide open for them both!
Gary England
To learn more about Jamey, Ronnie, D3-Duran Duran Duran, Babylon A.D., and Passion Nouveau, check the links below.
Jamey Pacheco Official Website
JAMES PACHECO | SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Ronnie Wagner Official Website
Duran Duran Duran (D3) on Facebook
Duran D3 Tribute Official Website
Babylon A.D. - Music, Official Site, Band, Music
Passion Nouveau Official Website
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