Center Stage
JMU student under investigation for potential fake ID business
Posted on February 21, 2008
The lights went out in the Roanoke Civic Center when country music singer Keith Urban exited the stage after singing, “I Told You So,” on Saturday night.
All that could be seen was a small beam from a flashlight guiding a group of 14 people up the dark ramp and onto the stage. The performers found their places in the dark.
When the lights came on the JMU indoor drumline, purple and gold uniforms sparkling, it burst into “Hot Pepper Cheese” with Urban’s band member Brian Nutter before 8,426 screaming fans.
“My heart was pumping the whole time,” junior Glen Newman said.
The Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour featuring Urban and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood invites local drumlines to perform with them in each show. The University of Delaware drumline recommended the JMU drumline.
“In Virginia we are the cream of the crop,” drumline Director Rick Deloney said. “They said you gotta get JMU to do it.”
This wasn’t the drumline’s first performance with Urban. They performed at Urban’s Richmond show in August. Deloney said things were different this time around.
“We took a huge group, about 40 people, to the first show,” he said. “It was the same group we take out on the football field. There was so much noise they couldn’t hear the click track.”
When he got the call to perform in Roanoke Deloney decided to make some changes. He cut the 40-member drumline, taking the new indoor drumline instead.
“This time [the performance] was much more solid,” Deloney said. “We were better rehearsed.”
The song was about a minute-and-a-half, and the drumline rehearsed once before the concert.
“We were pretty timid and nervous before,” junior Casey Flanagan said. “The second time we were excited and jumping up and down. It was definitely an adrenaline rush.”
Junior Hunter Desper agreed that the second performance was better.
“There was screaming, strobe lights, it was awesome,” he said.
Flanagan got a glimpse of Urban’s personality after their performance.
“Keith Urban was standing off the stage jamming out with us,” he said. “As he was coming back on and we were coming off he tripped. He just laughed and kept on going.”
Members of the drumline were recognized after the concert was over.
“There were people at Sheetz that recognized us and came up and said good job,” Flanagan said.
After their performance the huge screen behind the stage flashed “James Madison University Drumline.” The crowd went wild.
“It was a fantastic way to represent JMU,” Deloney said. “We would do it anytime.”
