As a Grammy-winning producer, engineer, remixer, songwriter, programmer, and drummer who's worked with everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Gnarls Barkley, Chris Vrenna is proud to add Wookiee percussionist to his impressive musical resume.

For the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Vrenna and the rest of Gnarls Barkley donned Star Wars costumes for their performance of the hit song "Crazy." The entire band -- which consists of producer Danger Mouse, singer Cee-Lo, drummer Vrenna, a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, backup singers and a small string section -- dressed as Rebel Alliance pilots, Imperial officers, stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Jango Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader with costumes on loan from the Lucasfilm Archives.

"Gnarls Barkley wears different costumes, but dressing as Star Wars characters will always be the pinnacle for me," Vrenna says. "The two geniuses that are Gnarls Barkley -- Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo -- one day just mentioned to us that we'd be wearing Star Wars for this special appearance. Danger Mouse thought with all the arm and body motion as a drummer that I'd be great as Chewbacca. I was so psyched. It was an honor that George Lucas and all within the organization granted us permission and helped us with it. It was the original costumes! I have nothing on Peter Mayhew!"

As he played drums under the gaze of millions of MTV viewers around the world, Vrenna (whose bandmates nicknamed him "Chewie-lito" for the performance) says he hopes he did Chewbacca justice. Given the choice to drum as any character in the saga, one wonders if a certain cyborg general would have been a better drummer.

"Playing as Chewie was a challenge, especially since the costume was made for Peter Mayhew who is much taller than I am," Vrenna laughs. "Drums are a visceral, tribal instrument at heart, which I think Chewie would have enjoyed. Drumming also requires soul that General Grievous doesn't possess regardless of the amount of limbs. I just hope I did Chewie proud."

Vrenna's performance as everyone's favorite Wookiee on drums not only impressed fans, but also the very man who encouraged his love of Star Wars from the very beginning.

"My dad took me to see Star Wars for the first time when I was 10, and we went back again and again," Vrenna recalls. "We both marveled over it all. He sadly just died this past month and one of the last things we did together before he passed was watch the Gnarls Barkley TV performance where I got to wear the Chewie costume. He loved it!"

Of course, growing up as a fan this wasn't the first time Vrenna wore a Star Wars costume. "In the 6th grade for Halloween I made a Jawa costume with my mom's help," Vrenna recalls. "I made the whole costume complete with curlers in my hair to hold mini flashlights for my eyes."

Vrenna remembers why A New Hope resonated so strongly with him. "Seeing A New Hope when I was 10 years old made me a lifelong fan," he says. "The film was the perfect mix of story, characters, and special effects -- the perfect action-based fairy tale."

From that moment on Vrenna surrounded himself with Star Wars toys so he could relive all his favorite movie moments. "I had them all -- the figures and the ships," Vrenna smiles. "I actually still have them all stored away in my house. I loved re-enacting the 'trench chase' with my X-wing fighters and TIE fighters. I don't collect anymore, but still cherish my saved childhood collection of figures (small and large), ships, and playsets. I will never sell them."

The toys may have fed his imagination as a child, but it would be composer John Williams who ultimately inspired Vrenna to create music that affect all who listen. "John Williams is a musical genius and legend who I admire greatly," Vrenna says. "All his music throughout all the movies is unparalleled in film. There are more memorable and singable themes than I can count. His music for Star Wars influences me in that I try to write memorable, emotional themes that resonate with the listener."

If Vrenna's extensive musical background is any indicator, it looks like Williams' influence did the trick. Living in Chicago during the heyday of the industrial music scene, Vrenna's most notable band association came from longtime friend Trent Reznor who asked him to join his then-new band Nine Inch Nails. From 1989-1990 and 1992-1996, Vrenna toured with Nine Inch Nails as the drummer, as well as producing, remixing and programming many of the band's hit records from Pretty Hate Machine to The Downward Spiral.

Vrenna's credits as a talented producer and remixer continued with a who's-who of bands including Marilyn Manson, Hole, Killing Joke, Rasputina, U2, Weezer, Nelly Furtado, P.O.D., Slipknot, Xzibit, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, David Bowie, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy and more. In 1997, Vrenna worked as Billy Corgan's programmer in a collaborative effort with The Smashing Pumpkins which in turn earned him a Grammy for best Hard Rock Performance for the track "The End Is the Beginning Is the End."

In addition to his credits behind the scenes, Vrenna also stepped into the spotlight on stage as the drummer not only with Nine Inch Nails, but also Pig Face, Die Warzau, KMFDM, Smashing Pumpkins, Stabbing Westward, Marilyn Manson and most recently with Gnarls Barkley. He also composes music and plays live in his own band Tweaker featuring different singers such as Robert Smith (The Cure), David Sylvian (Japan), Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy), Buzz Osborne (The Melvins) and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) for various tracks on his two records The Attraction To All Things Uncertain (2001) and 2am Wakeup Call (2004).

If that wasn't enough, Vrenna also produces soundtracks and composes music for several video games including Doom 3, Quake 4, Enter The Matrix, Sonic the Hedgehog, Area 51, Pure Ride, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and American McGee's Alice.

With all his projects and non-stop touring with an endless array of bands, it's hard to imagine Vrenna having the time to watch Revenge of the Sith in a theater. But in May 2005, Vrenna did just that. "I saw it opening week in Los Angeles at the best place in town -- the Arclight Theater," Vrenna says. "Even more than Darth Vader's transformation, I think I liked the end the best where we see the children (Luke and Leia) being separated and hidden and the shots of Tatooine that tied it all directly back to the first movie. It was an emotional moment for me to say goodbye."

Now that the unaltered versions of the original trilogy will be available to fans on DVD, Vrenna says he can't wait to see the saga as he did long ago as a kid. "I am very excited about the original uncut versions coming out," Vrenna says. "That is what I grew up on and remember, and have been waiting for. I can't wait to sit down and have a marathon of all three."

Even as a fan of the saga as a whole, it seems that A New Hope will always hold a special place in Vrenna's heart. "Star Wars was the ultimate fantasy story of good versus evil that I could share with my dad as well as my friends," Vrenna says. "It helped open my creativity that led me to where I am today."

To find out more about Vrenna and his own band Tweaker, visit the official band site here . Also check the Tweaker MySpace page here. To watch Vrenna on tour with Gnarls Barkley, visit their MySpace page here.

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