‘DRUMline Live’ performance marches into IU Auditorium

The walls of the IU Auditorium will be booming Saturday with sounds typically heard at a football halftime show.

“DRUMline Live” will bring the sound blast of a marching band on stage at 7:30 p.m.
The performance is one stop of the show’s international tour. 

Don Roberts, the show’s founder and director, became inspired to create the live show after working as the executive band consultant for the 2002 film “Drumline.”

As a previous drum major for Florida A&M, Roberts had experienced the energy and vigor required to put on a band performance.

“‘DRUMline Live’ is one of the most exciting and energetic shows on tour this year in the U.S. It is a thrilling, bombastic performance of a soulful marching band all on stage,” Doug Booher, director of the IU Auditorium, said. 

He said seeing the show is an opportunity students shouldn’t pass up.

The foundation of the show lies in the marching band tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which began at Florida A&M.  Bands from the HBCU circuit compete each year at events such as the Big Southern Classic and the Bayou Classic, showing their musical flare as they vie for first place.

It is this showmanship flare, great music and dancing that Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, said will get the audience’s blood pumping.

The show mixes older hits of bands such as Earth, Wind and Fire with hip-hop and R&B tunes by artists such as Kanye West.

The musicians in HBCU drumlines and those in “DRUMline Live” aim for a different stylistic and aesthetic goal than the typical drumline, said Kevin Hood, junior and bass drummer for IU’s drumline. He said the drumming in the show will be focused on performing a visual show.

Ben Rigney, sophomore and snare drummer for the IU drumline, said this difference will allow for an exciting show.

“The style of drumming in ‘DRUMline Live’ is all about being as innovative and fun to watch as possible. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser,” Rigney said.

Though some students may have seen the film, Booher said there are differences between the movie and show. He likens the show to the final competition scene in the movie.

“Rather than the movie being played out on stage, this is a wall-to-wall musical concert from the brass and drums that makes ‘DRUMline’ such a compelling film,” Booher said