Nineteen-year-old Phoenix musician Marcus Klepacki is preparing for his first official public performance with his new rock band, Third Man Factor, at Tempe’s historic Yucca Tap Room. What makes the performance unusual is not only the venue but also the way Klepacki plays. Born without a right arm and without a thumb on his left hand, the 19-year-old plays a standard acoustic drum kit without any major changes, using only one arm. According to reports from the Phoenix New Times and coverage published by Hoodline, Klepacki finds comparisons with Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen amusing, but says their approaches are very different. Allen lost his left arm in a 1984 car crash and later used a specially designed electronic drum system with foot pedals. Klepacki, however, plays entirely on acoustic drums, relying on physical skill and his own playing technique. "I think people need to know that Marcus, he's not good for having one arm; he's just good," Chuck Savale, a music instructor who coached Klepacki, told the Phoenix New Times.
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