Bucket Boys bring the beat to UConn

Music usually brings to mind rock bands, orchestras, a capella groups - just about anything, except two people with drum sticks and a whole array of common objects to hit.

But last night the Bucket Boys, Mitch Martin and Vince Romanelli, shattered their audience's regular conceptions of music with a lively comedic percussion show featuring lots of audience participation. The show was held at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre, with an audience of about 25 people. SUBOG had free T-shirts for the first 50 who arrived.

The dynamic duo from Chicago started off the performance without saying a word. Silently, they mimed greetings tothe crowd and promptly began their first act. The two upturned small buckets and beat on them with their drum sticks like snare drums. At first their rhythms and actions were in complete sync, but soon after a groove was established, the two switched off for individual solos.

After this, the two switched to using two large upturned white buckets and two large orange construction site markers. Each also grabbed a metal trashcan lid to replace one of the drum sticks. Midway through playing, Vince switched with Mitch for the other trashcan lid and went around into the audience, soloing.

Next, the elaborate, metal backdrop featuring road signs, metal pans and other objects was used as an instrument. One Bucket Boy would lay down a groove on the white bucket/safety marker while the other would dance his way through an elaborate percussion solo; then they would switch roles.

After this, the two started speaking and took a short break to introduce themselves to the audience. Their comedy skills started to shine through, from calling out a girl in the audience whom they caught texting during the show to poking fun at each other. They began the volunteer part of the evening by calling upon a performance-goer to set the tempo for their next percussion improvisation.

Next, four volunteers were chosen from the audience. First, they played an entirely rhythmic version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the backdrop with help from the Bucket Boys, and then, to the crowd's amusement, each had to perform a short dancing percussion solo of their own on the backdrop. Even Kristan Ingraham, SUBOG's Fine and Performing Arts Chairperson, was picked to do a solo to cap the participation part of the event.

The Bucket Boys brought back more comedy right before their final act, having an audience member clap back a rhythm that they demonstrated first in order for the finale to occur. The energetic, all-stops-pulled-out percussion event showcased all the tricks seen so far in one piece, and even added a few new ones to keep the audience engaged up to the very last moment.

"I never expected to be volunteered, that never happens to me!" said Elyse Steensen, a 7th-semester physiology and neurobiology major, one of the four who was called up from the safety of the audience. "But I'm so glad I did, that was so amazing and fun tonight!"