FEEL THE BEAT!
Blast! Is One Big Musical Party!
by Marci Miller
Astounding audiences around the globe repeatedly since the Emmy® winning PBS performance and the Tony® winning Broadway performances, BLAST! is back January 19 - 22 at the Cobb Energy Centre.
BLAST! evolved from the drum corps Star of Indiana, which was founded in 1984 in Bloomington, Indiana. Star’s performances revolutionized the world of drum corps, bringing an ever more sophisticated sense of musicianship, exciting showmanship, and dynamic choreography to this wonderful genre. In 1993, artistic director, James Mason began shaping the evolution of Star of Indiana from a competitive drum corps into a theatrical show which brings the power, passion and precision of outdoor pageantry to the stage in a musical performance now known as BLAST!
BLAST! on tour consists of 35 members, two from the Atlanta area and graduates of the University of Georgia. There are over 40 world titles held by BLAST! cast members who comprise three performing sections – the brass, percussion and visual ensembles.
We recently spoke to Lance Kindl, who has been a member of BLAST! since 2005 as a snare soloist or percussion swing. Lance grew up in Snellville and received his Masters degree in percussion performance and Bachelors degree in music education from the University of Georgia.
What can audiences expect to see when they attend BLAST!
It’s in the same genre as Blue Man Group and STOMP, the similarity to that is that there is no dialogue and there is not really a plot. But its all music paired with a visual package as well. Usually there is a pit orchestra for a show, but the performers on stage are the pit orchestra. Our brass band and percussionists move around on stage. It’s very similar to drum corp or marching band, without the goofy uniforms and hats. There is definitely a lot of acting and choreography as well.
What instrument do you play?
I am one of the percussion soloists. I have a five minute drum solo, but mostly its just me and one marching snare drum so its not like I’m sitting behind a drum set and jamming for five minutes, it’s a lot of tricks and visual expressions.
Tell us about growing up in the Atlanta area.
My parents live in Snellville. I started taking drum lessons when I was ten years old and when I got to high school, went into the marching band program. I ended up marching drum corp and went to college, did college marching band at UGA.
Since music has been so important to you from childhood, how do you feel about all the cutbacks in music programs in the schools?
I think its nuts. When I’m not on the tour I teach drumline in the Atlanta area and I believe in the activity. It teaches kids how to work hard over a long time, not just to get immediate gratification. I don’t think kids are quite getting that these days.
Were you part of the Broadway cast of BLAST!
I was not on Broadway, I started in 2005 and this is my seventh tour. So I’ve been to Japan three times, and we’re going again this summer. We’ve been around the world a lot and that’s one of the greatest things about the job. You get to travel, have your passion and get paid for it. You get to play music.
How is the audience reaction?
Well, we end the show in the lobby. We do a little parade at the end and you get to see everyone leave and people are blown away. They’re smiling, they’re laughing. The elderly people come and say they feel like they are 20 years old again. Then we see kids come by with drumsticks from the souvenir booths and they are drumming on everything and asking for autographs. It’s crazy, it’s a big party.
Has the shown been in Atlanta before?
The last time it was here was in 2002. I had a bunch of my friends in the show when I was a freshman in college. Several of the seniors had gone into the show so when I got to see them on stage I was blown away. In the back of my mind I was like, I’ve got to do that.
Performances of BLAST! at the Cobb Energy Centre will be held Thursday, January 19 thru Sunday, January 22, 2012. Tickets are affordably priced from $25.00 - $60.00 plus service charges and are available at the Centre’s Bank of North Georgia Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlet locations, Ticketmaster.com or via phone at 800-745-3000. www.cobbenergycentre.com
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