Recycled Percussion

Queen's “We Will Rock You” sounds mighty different with chainsaw riffs. Come to think of it, so does “Freebird” with a bucket-thumping rhythm to it. Scrapyard plundering has become de rigeur since the economic downturn, but for one group, oil barrels and plant pots serve more purpose than for storage, or makeshift backyard tables. Recycled Percussion have been dubbed the “eco-warriors of music” owing to their alternative sourcing methods, and its the streets of New York that allegedly formulated the idea!

Sure hub-cap banging and dustbin lid clanging isn't an entirely new phenomenon. Broadway bashers “Stomp” were the original purveyors of street percussion to the international entertainment arena, but big ideas and bad budgeting soon put paid to their longevity. Recycled Percussion on the other hand, have taken the longer route to recognition, with some ten years of touring behind them prior to Vegas, and subsequently hopped up to a bigger venue after gradually outgrowing MGM Grand's “Studio 54”. The revived Tiffany Theater at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, is the latest residency for Vegas' newest banging revue - “Recycled Percussion”.

Your average four-piece rock covers band would have a hard time transitioning from opening number “Sledge Hammer” (Peter Gabriel) into the head-rush of the Spice Girls' “Spice Up Your Life”. Harder still if one man chose the opening number as his introductory percussion solo. But that's exactly Spencer's job for the revived revue, which now features even more of an eclectic soundtrack than it's early MGM days. Visually, Justin Spencer pretty much embodies a new age rock star (think Linkin Park) with a tattooed body, and casual cool – both of which are exhibited on stage. “Sledge Hammer” might not be the fastest of tracks to unfold with, but when all eyes are on you to set the precedent for an entire show, you've got to deliver something pretty spectacular. Spencer does just that with not two, but four drum-sticks and a makeshift 'kit' comprising of three plastic barrels, a few pots and pans and a couple of wheel trims for cymbals. It's surprisingly loud, perfectly timed and could almost pass for the real thing when James Magoon strikes up the Riff-enbacker!

To watch the ladder-sliding, junk rock quartet, it's difficult to absorb that “Recycled Percussion” started life as a high school talent show slot. Founder Justin Spencer was just sixteen when he formulated his creative plan, said to have been inspired by the street percussionists on the subways of New York. Once Spencer had found an equally ambitious soul in the form of Ryan Vezina, the driving force for Recycled Percussion was in place. All they needed now was expansion; two roles later filled by fellow musical creatives DJ Todd Griffin and Berkley graduating guitarist James Magoon.

The early years of Recycled Percussion were fraught with the kind of budgetary issues and mediocre gigs one might expect of an endlessly touring band, until culture magazine “U.S.A Today” got a whiff of their unique performances. Overnight they became front cover sensations, propelling them to bigger college venue shows and interval fixtures for the N.B.A and N.F.L half time sets. Then in it's fourth year, TV show “America's Got Talent” proved to be the springboard that broke the camel's back. Although they lost out on victory by a whisker, Recycled Percussion had cemented themselves firmly as a household name, additionally attracting attention from the MGM entertainment corporation.

You could consign the rest to the history books, but MGM are the main reason Recycled Percussion “got Vegas”. Initially offered a stint in Connecticut, it was quickly realized the show had the makings of a potentially ground-breaking production for the Strip. With a 700-capacity and outward arcing stage, the Tiffany Theater has allowed “Recycled Percussion” to relaunch with bigger kits and more space to command than ever before. Spencer and Vezina definitely make the most of it, weaving a generous amount of street-dance throughout the musical journey, dropping in a few flips and air dives for good measure. This is how they differ from “Stomp”. With “Recycled Percussion”, there's always a frenzy of activity on-stage, whether it's Spencer beat-boxing to Vanilla Ice while simultaneously creating melodic metal banging harmony, or the ensemble performing an Aerosmith medley as a complete outfit. It's athletic, frenetic and moves faster than a Cirque aerialist on a “Wheel of Death” - could this be yet another futuristic arm of nouveau theater?