Janet Weiss
A powerhouse drummer whose precise, thunderous beats became the backbone for indie rock giants like Sleater-Kinney and Quasi.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American rock drummer·Birthday: September 24·Generation X
Biography
Janet Weiss brought a classic rock authority to the world of indie, her drumming style both technically formidable and emotionally direct. She first gained attention in the Portland-based duo Quasi, a partnership with her then-husband Sam Coomes that blended punk energy with melodic sophistication. Her reputation as a drummer's drummer led to an invitation to join the already-formidable Sleater-Kinney in 1996. With Weiss behind the kit, the band released a series of landmark albums, including 'Dig Me Out' and 'The Hot Rock,' where her powerful, inventive patterns provided a complex foundation for the band's urgent guitar interplay. After leaving Sleater-Kinney in 2019, she continued to be a sought-after collaborator, lending her skills to artists like Stephen Malkmus and the short-lived supergroup Wild Flag, cementing her legacy as a defining rhythmic voice of her era.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Janet was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Janet Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Janet's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Joined Sleater-Kinney for their pivotal albums 'Dig Me Out,' 'The Hot Rock,' and 'All Hands on the Bad Thing.'
- Co-founded and has been a constant member of the indie rock band Quasi since 1993.
- Was a member of the indie supergroup Wild Flag, alongside members of Sleater-Kinney and Helium.
- Toured and recorded as the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks on their album 'Mirror Traffic.'
Did You Know?
She designed her own signature drumstick model with the company Vic Firth.
Before music, she worked as a pastry chef in Portland.
She appeared in the 2005 documentary 'Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man.'
She is left-handed but plays a right-handed drum kit.
“The drums are the foundation. If the foundation is shaky, the whole house falls down.”
