Billy Cobham did more for acrylic drums than anyone, he made them acceptable.
I saw Cobham with McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orcheatra in 1972 at the Berkeley Community Theater, just after I had gotten my Fibes. It was a mind expanding event. I worked to incorporate as much of Cobham's attack style into my drumming as possible, but I know my limitations, the guy's a Phenom.

Two video clips of that band;
Meeting of the Spirits into You Know,You Know
The Noonward Race

I was introduced to Fibes in '71, by Richard (he uses the same nickname as President Nixon, but this Forum prints that as the male genitalia [I prefer Rick, myself]) Berk, who was drumming for Cal Tjader in a little Jazz Club in Santa Cruz.
He had one of the first Fibes clear acrylic sets and I was fascinated. I owned mine a year later.

WOW!I think I know that guy, Berk, I was at Casper College 72-74 and had a clinic with some LA studio cats Don Rader trumpet and Berk was playing drums. He is kind of a big dude right? Also I went to San Jose St and studied with Anthony Cirone after and marched SCV and taught BD`s 76-77(78winter). Cobham came out to BD`s for a clinic one afternoon and went to lunch with him at A&W and he showed me the Vital Transformation beat with the crossover hands from snare /hi-hat. He let me come back stage when his group Spectrum was playing in SF at the Great American Music Hall. The place was filled with celebs like Shelia E and her brother. Billy was cool and you could tell he really liked drum corps style playing. He was using Tama drums then and they sounded pretty good also. I don`t think he ever played snare in a line because he was backwards traditional and he played tenors for Sunrisers. I also caught Cal Tjader at that Jazz club when he was in town. That was my hang out when I was going to SJSU.

I heard a story that Frank Zappa was the warm up band on tour with John McLaughlin and they were in shock when they heard them play since they were extremely loud and powerful band. So I understand what you mean when you say mind altering they really were the Fusion of Rock and Jazz that later became very popular in the 1970`s with groups like Chick Correa "Return To Forever"/Lenny White on drums.

At that Berkeley Community Theater gig the Mahavishnu Orchestra was opening for Cheech and Chong! Believe it, one of the strangest bills ever. I remember some of the Stoners just not getting Mclaughlin and hollering for Cheech and Chong. Man, that was a long time ago.

I saw a concert when George Duke and Cobham were in Berkeley I don`t remember if it was that venue. I think the concert you went to was a mix of Music and Comedy which will offend a few but who ever saw that band usually were affected by it`s pure power, like I say Zappas band was blown away by the volumn and the time signatures were very avant guard for that time. That was fusion music at it`s finest and Return To Forever was soon on the scene after. WOW, Lenny White was similar to Cobham with that left hand ride on the right handed set. Both of them started out with Miles Davis.