Video by Jeffrey Hastings/Frame of Mind Photo
MANCHESTER, NH — It was an actual free-for-all in the lumber aisle at Home Depot Sunday, as more than 1,000 people turned out to see hometown musical heroes Recycled Percussion perform.
The band, which originated in Manchester and has gone on to achieve international fame for its “junk rock” approach to high-energy percussion, following an appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” Although the band didn’t win the top prize, the exposure was enough to launch their career as international entertainers who are now a permanent fixture in Las Vegas.
They just wrapped up a 10-day tour in New Hampshire with the Home Depot Show, announcing the surprise pop-up free concert via social media. Fans started lining up at 5 a.m. on Sunday for the noon event.
An overflow crowd was turned away after the city fire marshal capped capacity at 1,000 for safety reasons.
Although it was billed as a “thank you” concert for the band’s loyal followers, the show also ended up having special meaning for employees of the store — band leader Justin Spencer explained via Facebook that he had dedicated his performance to a beloved Home Depot employee, who died of cancer last week. He urged fans to comment on and share the post, which quickly became an online tribute to include hundreds of others who’d been lost to loved ones from cancer.
“Why do I have the name Deirdre written on my shirt today? Well I learned the night before that a very beloved associate of the store had passed away this week, she had lost her fight against cancer. When I heard that her loss had sent many of the employees of Home Depot into a state of sadness, I decided that I would tribute my personal performance today to her. I have never met her, (although I heard nothing but amazing things in the stories I heard) but I know her impact was
felt among the Home Depot associates. So I ran to the mall 30 minutes before I took the stage, had a T-shirt made and got back to HD just before our scheduled performance time. It was an honor to have her on stage with me representing all the lives lost to cancer; it’s something that I take very seriously and understand all to well,” he wrote.
Spencer also noted that in the 20 years since the band was formed, they have performed more than 5,000 shows worldwide.
Sunday’s show ranked in their Top 10, Spencer said.
After the concert the band had to run to catch a flight back to Vegas, where they will resume their long-running Confetti & Chaos show at the Saxe Theatre.
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