Recycled Percussion beats a record

LACONIA — Quarantining and social distancing for months at a time can be difficult for a human being, a naturally social animal. For a subset of that species, the rock and roll performer, 2020 has been a particularly unwelcome surprise.

Justin Spencer, of Recycled Percussion, said his band was set to embark on a five-country tour this year. With fall approaching and without any firm dates in the months to come, he and the band decided to perform how they could, where they could, and while they could.

So on Saturday, they set a world record by performing on a flatbed trailer that toured the state, covering more than 400 miles over nearly 16 hours, finishing up at the Chaos and Kindness store on Union Avenue in Laconia.

“We had to cancel over 200 shows that we had planned,” Spencer said on Monday, still recovering from their marathon performance. He said the downtime forced upon them by the coronavirus pandemic was at first a “welcome break” for a band that normally pushes itself to work hard. “But now, it’s getting to be like, we’re ready to get back (to work),” he said.

The break might have worn out its welcome, but there isn’t any relief in sight. Meanwhile, the Chaos and Kindness store, opened by Recycled Percussion, was coming up on its one-year anniversary.

Because of the state’s pandemic guidelines, Spencer knew he couldn’t throw a block party complete with live music and a huge fireworks display like last year's opening. But, he figured, he could play in front of thousands of people in one day – just not standing still.

Starting in Berlin in the pre-dawn hours, Spencer and his bandmates performed in cities and towns in the North Country, then headed to the southern part of the state, including stops in Keene, Manchester and Concord as well as smaller towns in between. Many hours later they rolled down Union Avenue in Laconia, the street lined on both sides with fans, finally stopping in front of the Chaos and Kindness store.

“If we have to play on a flatbed (trailer) instead of playing massive stadiums in China, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Spencer said. He said that playing drums on a moving trailer was harder than one might anticipate. They had a railing system built for safety, but it was still a challenge to maintain balance. Their visual focus was on their instruments, meaning they couldn’t fully anticipate when the truck pulling them would accelerate, stop or turn.

“When we stopped, I felt like I was on a cruise ship for a month. My legs were all over the place,” he said.

There were unique benefits to the rolling venue, too. There were all of the fans that turned out from one corner of the state to the next, happy to see their one of their favorite performance groups. Then there were surprised motorists who weren’t expecting to take in a live performance while driving on a public highway. And then there were the stretches where the only ears to hear their drumming belonged to livestock.

“We played for some cows. There’s a lot of cows in western New Hampshire,” Spencer said.

According to Spencer, it’s the fifth world record the band holds – this one for longest parade performance. Recycled Percussion has had a knack for attention-getting stunts going back to the band’s early years, Spencer said, such as setting up on top of box trucks and playing while driving down the main drag in Las Vegas. This time, though, the feat was about more than attention.

“Every town that we went to, there were volunteers that were cleaning up trash in the neighborhood, doing acts of kindness,” Spencer said. Additionally, people who wished to do more were encouraged to donate a warm coat to be donated to someone in need.

More than a thousand coats were collected, he said. They will be cleaned if necessary, then distributed through various channels, such as local schools, and through the Chaos and Kindness store.

“It was a great act of kindness, and I think a successful venture,” Spencer said.

He said that the first year of the Chaos and Kindness store has been similarly successful. The band has local roots – Spencer was born at Lakes Region General Hospital and now lives in the city – but there were many other places that he could have picked for his first store.

The Chaos and Kindness brand, which includes a television show chronicling the lives and activities of the band, had been in existence as an online retail presence. When announcing the store opening, Spencer explained that he wanted to have a brick-and-mortar flagship store, as he wanted the brand to be more about experiences than simply merchandise. In announcing the first store last year, he said that he envisioned similar stores opening around the world.

It might have been more marketable to have the first store in a bigger New Hampshire city, such as Portsmouth or Manchester, or even in Las Vegas, where the band performed for many years. Spencer picked Laconia because it’s a place where they would make a bigger splash, and, he said, it’s a place where he feels connected to the regular residents.

“I love the passion of the people in Laconia. Some people love us, some people hate us. We have our own mindset here. I love everybody,” Spencer said. He compared Laconia to his prior town of residence, Bedford, which he said ranged from “upper middle class to rich.”

“I like all walks of life. I like seeing someone walking down the street at six in the morning with a coffee and a cigarette, on a mission to do something, as well as I like seeing a guy driving down the street in a Bentley.”

Headquartered in Laconia hasn’t hindered the brand’s growth, he said.

“Chaos and Kindness has delivered goods to every state in America, 30 countries, and all of those people are seeing the words, ‘Laconia, N.H.,’” he said. “We’re certainly not perfect, but our intentions are to make a difference.”

Spencer said that the second year of Chaos and Kindness’s presence in Laconia will see further growth. While he might have previously sought to get his brand to reach as many people as possible, he’s now seeking to turn that connection into a source for growth and healing – things that are widely needed after a year of pandemic.

“I’m going all-in right now on mental health. Being someone who suffers from anxiety, I have put my efforts into less work on retail and more work on how to make people’s lives better,” he said.