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| Scott Gulledge / Scroll |
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| Ryan Shupe performed Friday night in the John W. Hart Auditorium. He played various instruments with his “Rubber Band.” |
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The lights dim, pink and purple neon lights flash and the crowd roars with applause as Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand run out onto the stage.
The band, clad in jeans and T-shirts or button-ups, performed to a full-house in the Hart Auditorium Friday night.
They truly involved the crowd, and performed such songs as “Corndogs,” “Dead Dog Blues” and “Never Give Up,” a shout-back-along, Ryan Shupe said.
Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand seemed to exude energy. While performing one of their songs, they launched into a funny dance routine where they bobbed up and down.
“Lately, we’ve been watching our Backstreet Boys videos and decided we needed some choreography, and that’s what we came up with. What do you think?” Shupe said.
The band’s rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” mixed in with a bit of the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme, brought the crowd to its feet. “Orange Blossom Special,” a duet with Ryan Shupe and guitarist Craig Miner, was also very popular.
The band threw in plenty of fun and unexpected twists, such as the ‘talking mandolin,’ which answered questions from the crowd with bits of music, a bit of clogging and break dancing, and even a rendition of a European ambulance on a violin.
The band performed their current hit-single, “Dream Big,” towards the end of the concert. “Banjo Boy,” a fast, fun song followed, and the band ended with “Walk the Walk,” a jazzed up gospel song.
“I thought it was fun music,” said Candice Baker, a junior from Teton, Idaho. “The songs they played really got the crowd into it.”
Upcoming Center Stage Events:
• Cantus, Sept. 15-16, 7:30
p.m.
• Jake Shimabukuro, Sept.
28-29, 7:30 p.m.
• The 5 Browns, Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
• Imago Theatre presents Frogz,
Nov. 2-3, 7:30 p.m.
• Trevor Wye, Nov. 10, 7:30
p.m.
• BYU Young Ambassadors,
Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
• Cavani String Quartet, Nov.
16-17, 8:30 p.m.
• “Creole Christmas,” Dec. 3,
7:30 p.m.
