Mike Palmer has been the driving force behind Garth Brooks since 1988, joining him before his rise to country music superstardom. After relocating to Nashville, Palmer became part of the original band that would help take Brooks from clubs and honky-tonks to arenas and stadiums around the world.

Palmer’s history with Pearl dates back to those early Nashville years. “When I moved to Nashville in 1988, I brought my Pearl MLX kit mounted on a Jeff Porcaro Drum Rack. The shells sounded incredible, and the hardware was rock solid and innovative. In 1991, I had the opportunity to work with the great people at Pearl on the kit I played at Reunion Arena in Dallas for the NBC Television Special 'This Is Garth Brooks'. Garth’s career has taken me around the world in every sense, and although I stepped away from the Pearl family for a while, returning to Pearl for this next chapter feels like coming home. The Music City Custom drums sound amazing, the hardware is as solid and innovative as ever, and working with the Pearl team has been a pleasure. I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to be here.”

Now, Palmer begins another chapter behind the kit with Brooks on the 'Blame It All On My Roots' Arena Tour, bringing their longtime musical partnership back to the arena stage. With a new Pearl Music City Custom kit (and the return of the iconic Drum Pod), Palmer reconnects his present with a history that began nearly four decades ago, making his return to Pearl especially fitting.