On May 2, just a few weeks before finals at Elon University, around 100 students and community members took a break and came out to McCrary Theatre to hear the music of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album, as performed by the Elon Electric Ensemble, also known as E3.
Todd Coleman, associate professor of music, founded the group in fall of 2008 as a performance outlet for students in the music technology program. He said this was the first time the group put on a concert comprised of music from only one album.
“'Thriller' is the best selling record of all time worldwide,” Coleman said. “So if you are going to pick one album, why not pick the one that has been the most popular?”
Michael Jackson played in the background as audience members from all across campus and the surrounding area filed in and took their seats.
Sophomore Nasia Thomas, an avid Michael Jackson fan, said she saw the poster and felt she had to come. “See how diverse we are as far as music?” she said. “I didn’t know that.”
The lights dimmed and the performers, dressed head to toe in 80s fashion, took the stage. The opening number, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,” had audience members clapping along and cheering loudly within the first 30 seconds.
It was apparent that the ensemble had started something and started it strong.
Some E3 members wore shades and sequins, some danced non-stop, while others nodded their heads on the beat and played the keytar. No matter what they were doing, as a whole they had an infectious style and attitude.
Overall, the ensemble replicated the sounds heard on the original “Thriller” album very well. From the synthesizers and guitar sounds of “Beat It” to Vincent Price’s voice over in “Thriller” and Michael Jackson’s iconic style of singing, it was all there.
Perhaps the greatest cheer of the night followed guitarist and freshman Jack Garno’s solo during “Beat It.” Garno had a calm stage presence and played the original guitar solo from the album flawlessly.
“Jack was the best part,” said Drew Dimos, a freshman attendee .
Other memorable moments included vocalist Elisabeth Bassen’s red jacket and her rendition of “The Lady in my Life,” which she performed offstage to members of the first few rows.
The live mix of the group was well balanced, and, although junior member Jesse Scarborough said most people forget about the monitor engineer, it was hard to forget the performance of the students on the side of the stage turning nobs and dials.
Despite a few flubbed lyrics and questionable notes here and there, the concert was a success and ended on a high note with an encore performance of “ABC” and a standing ovation from the entire audience.
“I loved all of it. I think it was a really great example of the creative energy that we have in the department,” said Casey Collins, an alumna from the class of 2011.
The general consensus from audience members was that the Electric Ensemble delivered and showcased the talents of students majoring in music production and performing arts.
“There is a lot of technology in music nowadays, and this a really exciting way to show that there is more to the music department than opera and traditional classical music,” Collins said.