Guitarist Doug Kaplan received a text message about a gig at Wednesday at 10:56 p.m. By Thursday at 5 p.m., the Communication junior was at the Rock playing with his band, The Earth is a Man. It was WrestleROCKalypse, a promotion for Vertigo Productions’ Wrestlepocalypse IV next weekend.
Kaplan, along with bandmates Will Crouse, Zach Robinson and Max Allison, said he supports Wrestlepocalypse and will attend the show next weekend. They were eager to help promote a show that has gained such credibility in the Northwestern community, according to Kaplan.
“We’re trying to start a party here,” said Molly Lyons, Communication junior and Wrestlepocalypse co-producer, along with sophomore Corinne Bass. “As people roll through at the end of the day and they’re leaving their classes, they can stop by and see what’s going on.”
Today’s performance was the band’s second outdoor show ever. They had some difficulties coordinating the sound levels of the instruments, Kaplan said. Their next concert will be June 1 at the Subterranean in Chicago’s Wicker Park.
Communication seniors and twins Matt and Greg McKenna, two returning wrestlers in the show, attended the concert as their respective characters, the Offspring and Gabriel. They periodically fought each other and others in the crowd to drum up attention for the free hour-long concert taking place. Co-directors Mario Batres and Dan Lazar also got in on the fighting action, even donning boxing gloves at one point.
“If you want people to look at the sign, put a band in front of it,” said Lazar, a Communication junior, adding that a promotion of some form has always taken place before each year’s Wrestlepocalypse.
Updated 5/24/10 5:41 p.m. to correct name spelling. Thank you to Mario Batres for pointing out the mistakes — NBN regrets the errors.