Recycled Percussion brings 'Chaos and Kindness' to Franklin

FRANKLIN — What do you get when you combine a high-energy band, a small New Hampshire city, a single video camera and a lack of a script? The result is the latest episode of "Chaos and Kindness," a series of television shows produced by Recycled Percussion. 

Recycled Percussion was formed in New Hampshire more than two decades ago, and has gone on to great success incuding appearances on America's Got Talent, playing at the Super Bowl, and performance as one of the headlining acts in Las Vegas since 2010. This year, the group decided to focus on giving back to its home state in many ways, including "Chaos and Kindness" episodes. For the latest episode, the band decided to ask social media to select the site for their antics, and the result was Franklin, which the group visited on Aug. 1.

"It was good to see Franklin get some love. It gets a bad rap," said Justin Spencer, of Recycled Percussion. "There was a great sense of community there."

Spencer and his bandmates spent their day in Franklin performing impromptu acts of kindness and spontaneous public performances. He didn't want to reveal all of the details, because he spoke prior to the episode's airing on 7:30 p.m. Monday on WMUR. However, he said those who missed the live airing would be able to see the episode through a link on the band's Facebook page. He did say, though, that the episode includes a donation of a drum set to a struggling music school, and an unscheduled performance in the middle of the street, with traffic driving around them.

The band's commitment to use its abilities to help others is nothing new, Spencer said.

"I grew up in a very humble household," he said. "I lived in a trailer in Loudon, so when we started having success, we wanted to help others."

The band members found that their charitable acts benefitted themselves as well as the acts' recipients, which sparked a positive feedback loop. Now, Recycled Percussion does things for others as often as they take the stage in Vegas.

"We always do something, almost every day, for someone else – and we have been for years," he said. "It's been fueling for our soul."

Justin Spencer of Recycled Percussion meets 10-year-old Mackenzie from Franklin. (Courtesy photos/WMUR-TV)

Recycled Percussion's Justin Spencer (black shirt), Ryan Vezina (blue shirt) and Alex Stickles (pink shirt) do an impromptu performance in a Franklin intersection.  (Courtesy photos/WMUR-TV)