Popular Band Pulls MD High Schoolers On Stage For Surprise Encore: See Video

COLUMBIA, MD — Musicians scurried off stage as sudden darkness overcame their encore. Confused anticipation overtook the crowd for Sunday's AJR concert in Columbia.

A flash of light and a burst of rhythm revealed that a Baltimore County marching band had emerged alongside the multiplatinum artists for an unforgettable finale.

The Randallstown High School performers paraded through the aisles of Merriweather Post Pavilion, rocking out to "Weak" and bringing the crowd of thousands to their feet. Drummers, trumpeteers, and dancers from Randallstown joined AJR on stage to close out their last song of the show.

"Running out with everyone cheering for you, flashing lights in your face, arms up, everyone screaming, it felt like I was really a part of AJR," Randallstown drum major and rising senior Jarsheem Washington-Bey told Patch. "It felt like I was a celebrity running out."

A video of the cameo, courtesy of concertgoer Madeline Davidson, is posted here.

'Random Email Out Of Nowhere'

The surprise had been three months in the making.

"I got an email in early May from one of the managers of AJR," Randallstown marching band director Tim Doscher said. "I was in the middle of music theory class."

Doscher is a bit removed from the indie pop music scene, so he hadn't heard of the band behind "Bang!," "World's Smallest Violin" and "Burn The House Down."

AJR takes its name from brothers-turned bandmates Adam, Jack and Ryan Met. Jack and Ryan are the only brothers currently touring, as Adam recently earned a doctorate degree and now teaches climate policy courses at Columbia University.

The band is known for recording music in their New York City living room and featuring unique sounds in their beats. In this weekend's performance, the artists demonstrated how a pants zipper and the Netflix introduction sound effect inspired "100 Bad Days." The brothers' upcoming EP, "What No One's Thinking," will debut on Friday, Aug. 29, and unpack their experiences in therapy.

Unfamiliar with the group, Doscher played an AJR song for his students. The class started singing along, convincing the director to accept the invitation to appear in the Somewhere in the Sky Tour.

"I got back to the management almost immediately to say that we were definitely interested," Doscher said. "A random email out of nowhere just led to this amazing day."

32 Hours Of Rehearsal

In late May, AJR sent Doscher the sheet music and an audio recording to emulate. The imminent summer break left little time to practice. The director gave the music to as many students as possible before vacation, but rehearsals began in earnest during band camp.

"It was very tenacious trying to learn the music and memorize it," said drum major Tavon Jackson, who's entering 12th grade.

The Golden Ram Marching Band spent four days rehearsing in late July. It took eight hours each day to nail the intricacies of the complex piece, as it had several differences from their usual performances.

"Seeing the music on first glance, it looked a lot more difficult than what we're used to playing," drum major and rising senior Tayla Orem said.

Pop music is written in a different key than most marching band music, posing a challenge for the wind instruments. The choreography was also an adjustment.

By the end of the week, the band had it down pat.

"Reading the rhythms became like second nature," Orem said. "It was just a point of memorization."

Concert Gave 'Adrenaline Rush'

Nerves set in during soundcheck. The 61 Randallstown students ran a final rehearsal before the vast amphitheater, which holds roughly 19,000 people. The near sellout crowd was the Golden Ram Marching Band's largest ever.

"It's a lot more electrifying than the usual audience like at our school's halftime shows," Jackson said. "It was definitely an adrenaline rush, given the amount of people that were there."

When the lights went dark during the encore, a message appeared on the jumbotron after AJR ran off stage. The note said AJR "couldn't think of a finale for this show that wasn't totally unrealistic."

The screen went on to say:

We thought of 3, but our team said no to all of them.

1.) Jack couldn't fly through the audience on wires, because he would need 6 months of acrobatic training

2.) We couldn't suddenly reveal a huge marching band, because the logistics of that would be a nightmare

3.) We couldn't do a fireworks show, because it would be a fire hazard in this venue

Undeterred, AJR was set on delivering a spectacle, a defining feature of their live shows.

"And then we were like f--- it, let's do Number 2," the screen said.

The lights blasted back on, and the music blared, unveiling the Golden Ram Marching Band.

"The kids run in, and the crowd goes nuts," Doscher said, calling the atmosphere "electric." "It was overwhelming. It made me proud that I was able to give them that once in a lifetime opportunity."

Orem remembers how intimate the show was.

"I was in the aisles, so I'm right there on top of these people," she said. "It's a bit scary, but in the moment, the adrenaline gets you pumping, and you just do."

Washington-Bey snagged a high-five from an AJR band member as they left the stage.

"I really felt like I was an important aspect to the show," he said. "I felt like I actually did something."

The Golden Ram Marching Band has its first halftime show on Friday, Sept. 5, at Randallstown High at 6 p.m. Fans can follow the band on Instagram @grmb.rhs.

An AJR spokesperson declined Patch's request for an interview with the band.