We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sheri Weinstein a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sheri, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project in my music career as a drummer was/is playing in my band, The Pandoras. I joined the band in 1987 and reordered and toured with the band for 3 years. What an AMAZING experience! We toured the US and Canada, recorded an album, shot a video that was played on MTV. Words cannot describe how fun it was….bonding with bandmates. We literally referred to each other as band sisters. Sadly, our singer Paula Pierce died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm in 1991. I was heartbroken since we were super close.

In 2014, the band reunited with surviving members. I played 2 shows with the band and then had to take care of myself due to some mental health issues, which I thankfully bounced back from. In 2017, Kim Shattuck, who took over the role of the singer/lead guitarist/songwriter/founder Paula Pierce, was diagnosed with ALS. We performed one last show prior to her diagnosis with me on drums. In 2019, Kim passed away.

The remaining survivors began playing under the name The Tigerellas in 2022. After a performance in Alameda, CA, a few people from the audience asked me if we were a tribute band to The Pandoras. I giggled, and said no, we ARE The Pandoras. In 2025, we began playing again under our name. This past summer, we played in the Morongo Valley, Alameda, Mexico City, San Diego, Tarzana, CA, Long Beach, CA. It has been a super fun adventure!

Our most memorable show this summer was playing Mexico City. The fans went nuts! People were coming up to us, telling us they have been fans since they were teens! People flew out to see us from all over Mexico and the USA! What a night!

We love that we are keeping the spirits of Paula and Kim alive! We have lots to look forward to, including performing on Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise 4/3-7 2026!

Sheri, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a 58 year old 3rd generation Los Angeles native. I started playing drums officially when I was about 17. When I was in junior high, my best friend would tell me I was a drummer because I was constantly tapping on my desk! I told my parents I wanted to learn how to play but they said I had to take lessons. I took lessons for about 3 months which is not very long! I honestly learned by playing along to records with headphones on. I would sit in my bedroom and play along to The Cars, AC/DC, The Pretenders, and other bands who I loved at the time.

I joined my first band while I was in my sophomore year at UCSB. I started driving home every weekend to practice, and decided it was time to transfer schools. The band began playing out at local LA clubs and I began getting experience! The Pandoras came to one of our gigs and wanted to check out all of the drummers at an all girl band night at Club Lingerie. Next thing I know, I get a call from The Pandoras asking me to come down for an audition because their previous drummer wasn’t working out. I had just been accepted to UCLA, but had to withdraw so that I would be available to tour. I’m still in shock that my parents agreed to that!

I ended up graduating from UCLA as an Art History major in winter ’91. I was playing in a different band at the time, but knew I wanted to start working, so I began temping in the entertainment industry. What a fun time! I ended up landing a receptionist job at a small independent record label called Moonshine Music, and quickly worked my way up to making calls to college radio stations. I worked at Moonshine for 7 years and decided it was time for a change.

I had always thought that I would enjoy being an elementary school teacher. An opportunity dropped in my lap to interview at an elementary school in the San Fernando Valley. I got the job, gave notice, and was handed keys to my classroom on July 5, 2000!. Everything came together…soon after beginning my new career, I met my future husband! We got married 7/17/04, and I soon thereafter got pregnant. Our son Jordan was born on 9/6/05, and I ended up retiring from teaching to be a stay at home mom.

I continued to play drums, but was very busy taking care of Jordan, taking him to school, volunteering, soccer and basketball practice, etc. I would play live with a cover band a few times a year, but really lost interest. At one point, I developed really bad stage fright. When I began playing with reunited version of The Pandoras in 2014, it was a total blast. We were only rehearsing/recording at this point but began booking shows in 2015. The band booked a tour to Europe and I began having really bad anxiety about leaving my family, stage fright, forearm/elbow issues. I got in my head SO badly that I ended up falling into an anxiety fueled depression. I had never felt anything like this in my life. My brain spun into a circle train of what ifs, and I started not being able to sleep. Long story short, I went away for a month and got help. I’m proud to say that my stage fright is gone, and I’m currently in 2 different bands!

In 2018, I joined a direct sales skincare & wellness company and quickly earned an incentive trip. I found a new found fun. side hustle, and have been with a few different skincare and wellness companies since. I enjoy the camaraderie, making extra money, and helping people with skincare and wellness!

In 2023, I joined a local women’s philanthropic group called The Sandpipers. Sandpipers is a 100% volunteer non profit organization that started in 1931 serving the underprivileged community. I am very passionate about this organization, and this year, I was offered a board position. I’m proud to be the 2025-26 Sponsorship VP!

As an empty nester, I feel very fortunate that I have time to play and travel with my two different bands which are The Pandoras and Whole Lotta Rosies – The Premier All Female Tribute to AC/DC. While I don’t have a traditional job, I am 100% fulfilled drumming, volunteering, playing pickleball, mahjong, and traveling with my husband!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a drummer is looking out to the audience and watching people rock out to our band. When you make eye contact with the audience and smile, the fans feel seen! Sometimes there’s a moment when I will lock eyes with someone rocking out, and we will sing the lyrics together. After shows, both of my bands make it a point to walk around and talk to the fans. We sign autographs, pose for selfies, and it’s an absolute blast. It feels great making the fans happy!!!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I honestly like sharing my story of my 2015 anxiety fueled depression. At the time, I felt super embarrassed about the fact that I had to go away and get help. It was such a dark time in my life. I honestly thought there was no hope for me to pull through to the other side and back to normalcy. By the time I got to the point of seeking help, I was dry heaving around the clock. When my husband and I decided it was best for me to go away, I felt I was never going to get better. In fact, I my first few weeks away were super dark. It felt like there was zero chance I would snap out of it. Then one night, I laughed for the first time in 3 months. I started putting in the work, and being more honest with my therapist as well as group therapy. It’s crazy to think back on that dark time, but I pulled through. I slowly but surely started feeling back to normal. On 9/11/15, I went home, and a little over 10 years later, I feel great!

I make a point to talk about this on my social media. If I could help even one person with my story, that is success! When I do discuss what I went through on social media, I always get dm’s from people thanking me for being so open. This feels great!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wholelottarosies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockvitality https://www.instagram.com/theactualpandoras https://www.instagram.com/wholelottarosies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheri.kaplanweinstein/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SheriWeinstein

Image Credits

Image of Whole Lotta Rosies sitting on couch: Glen Laferman