Tim "Herb" Alexander
Major Lingo
The band in which Tim played in the mid-late 80s before joining Primus. Rumor is that he continued to sit in with them from time to time even during his Primus days.
unknown
Laundry
Tim's main side project, formed in 1994 while Les was doing Sausage and Ler was in the Beanpole and Caca bands. This band released the Blacktongue album in 1994, with Tim augmented by Tom Butler on guitar, Ian Varriale on Chapman stick and Toby Hawkins on vocals. The music is heavy and progressive, somewhat like a cross between Primus, Tool and King Crimson, and Tim plays extremely complex patterns and fills. After quitting Primus in 1996, Tim made Laundry his main band. They played a few shows at least in 1996-7 as an instrumental trio (i.e. minus the vocalist), including a headlining performance at the Montreal Drum Festival on 11/9/96. At some point Laundry also opened for Tool. Laundry released their second album, Motivator in 1998, now with Tim handling the vocal duties. Laundry played in 1998-9, opening for A Perfect Circle in 10/99. Their material in later years focused on the Motivator album. Tim became frustrated with having to handle the vocal duties, which took his attention off of drumming, as well as the challenge of being the bandleader and main songwriter (Tim apparently is also a decent guitar player, and has sat in with the band Born Naked live). So Tim packed his bags and headed for the bright lights of Vegas to join the Blue Man Group.
Extent of live repertoire is unknown, but includes at least:
Blue Man Group (Las Vegas, NV)
Tim has been a part of their shows since 5/01, playing a new blue Tama kit and assorted percussion. Besides his website (www.timalexander.org), there is an extensive (and fairly rare, given Tim's quiet and reclusive nature) interview with Tim in the 11/01 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. The interview does a good job of covering Laundry, Blue Man and Attention Deficit's Idiot King album. Tim discusses favorite bands (Rush, King Crimson and Zappa) and drummers (he gives props to Peart, Bruford, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dennis Chambers and Gary Husband from Allan Holdsworth's band).
While Tim has played a number of different drumsets over the years, apparently for this gig specifically he had Tama make him a new drumset in powder blue with concert (one headed) toms. Presumably, Tim is also playing some of the wild, custom and homemade 'percussion' instruments created by the Blue Man Group specifically for their shows.
unknown
Attention Deficit
Tim also recorded two albums as part of a super-trio with Alex Skolnick (guitar, ex-Testament) and Michael Manring (bass great; Tim played on Manring's album Thonk in the mid-90s). They released a self-titled album in 1999 and another titled the Idiot King in 2001. The music was all-instrumental and experimental, with lots of improvisation and a prog-rock meets jazz sound. Tim's drumming is more tribal, with lots of tom beats and a looser feel than the type of stuff he would play with Primus or Laundry.
Unknown if this lineup ever performed any shows.
Tim and Les joined forces on the 6-7/02 summer tour. Compared to his earlier Primus days, Tim played a very compact drumset on this tour. See Frog Brigade/Tour By Tour Analysis/Summer 2002 for more info.
Fata Morgana
Tim has done some recording and live playing with this Chapman Stick player.
unknown
Into the Presence
Tim has recorded and played live drums for this band, also featuring Paz Lenchantin (the bassist from A Perfect Circle), her sister Anna on cello, and guitarist Louis Carlos Maldonado.
unknown; they toured in 2009
Puscifer
Another of Maynard's side projects, Tim was involved in writing, production and playing on the first album.
unknown; Maynard played at least some shows in 2009 with a rotating cast of drummers (usually splitting duties and/or double drumming), including at least Tim, Danny Carey (Tool) and Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls).