Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White


Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Striking a beat at the Bama

After three months of practice, Scott Radock was ready to play.

The leader of the University of Alabama student drum ensemble called Rhythm Entertainment Group had his six-man team of drummers ready for Rhythmagic on Tuesday night at the Bama Theatre.

“Our goal is to show the world percussion through our own eyes,” Radock said before the show.

The show, which was completely percussion based, featured the group using all sorts of noisemakers, such as drum sets, bamboo sticks, newspapers and their own hands and feet. Radock compared REG to similar percussion based entries such as STOMP and The Blue Man Group, but said that none of them encompassed all-percussion. He wants REG to do just that.

The title of the showcase, Rhythmagic, came from what Radock wants the audience to experience.

“It’s magic because the audience hasn’t experienced anything like it before,” Radock said. “That’s all magic is.”

REG mixed their percussion performances with humorous skits between pieces, but they never lost their focus on the music, using drums even in their theatrics.

The impressive musical performance was accompanied by an equally impressive lightshow, making much of the show look like it came out of a science-fiction movie.

“The show was inspiring for people who don’t usually like drums,” said Anna McFall, a show attendee. “It was like a mix of ‘Tron’ and ‘Drumline.’”

Black lights were used extensively to allow drumsticks, shirts and gloves to glow in the darkness of the stage.

For parts of the show the group used a recorded track of music played over the theater’s speaker system, which sometimes caused the drums to get lost in the music. But the group seemed to shine the most when they created their own melodies with marimbas and played without the music piped in.

The second half of the show featured audience participation. Members of the audience were taken onstage to play games in which they tossed drumsticks and even played the drums themselves.

Ten percent of the proceeds of the show will go to Give Tuscaloosa, which supports tornado relief. Because of his connection with the organization, Radock said teaming with the group was an easy decision.

“We wanted to help and we thought the best way to do it was to bring people together and raise money,” Radock said.

The show was considered a success by much of the audience, eliciting a “Roll Tide” during the performance and a standing ovation afterwards.

“I’ve seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and this rivaled them,” said Jessica Vallimont, another audience member and recent UA graduate.

As for the future, Radock has high hopes. The show was professionally filmed and recorded in the hopes a tour will come out of it.

“You guys aren’t done seeing us yet,” Radock said. “We are already planning another show.”

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