From the '90s grunge of Blink-182 to the nightclub jazz of the '60s, Tri-Fest 2024 brings the beats back and the confidence out for students at Tri-City United High School this weekend.
The three-show production features high schoolers who perform many songs ranging from the 1950s to modern pop music, giving students the chance to take center-stage, play a supporting role in the background, direct the crew and sometimes all three.
Each show consists of a live band of students, flashy colorful lighting and a set that evolve with each song. Director Carey Langer was busy during their final rehearsal Thursday, which he invited the Lonsdale-Area News Review to watch.
"Tri-Fest is not a talent show or variety show," Langer said. "It is a high energy rock show that is consistent with professional productions you would see when going to a Beyonce, Justin Timberlake or Garth Brooks concert. It is a very unique show in that aspect as very few Minnesota high schools present anything like this. We take pride in that. Our district prides itself in 'creating opportunities' for our students and staff. This show is an example of that."
The show's theme is "get on your feet," prompting the audience to dance along with the show. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students at the door, while a small discount applies to online ticket sales. There are showtimes at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
There are about 21 songs with a short intermission after about an hour of performances. In the back, multiple experienced staff man the controls for lights, cameras, sound and Langer jotted notes to relay back to the students during breaks Thursday.
Backstage, some students anxiously watch from the sidelines with a headset and microphone on as they await the next cue. Whenever a group shoots off the stage, another quickly appears in the spotlight to take their place.
Hiovani Castro is a senior at TCU High who said it isn't his first time performing in Tri-Fest, which is why he chose to challenge himself this year.
"I was always pretty good at singing, but I knew that my biggest hurdle would be walking around on stage and dancing," he said.
Rather than take on a more comfortable role, he decided to tackle his performance anxiety with a leap of faith and chose to embody one of the kingpins of performance: Michael Jackson.
"It's really difficult," he said. "You feel the pressure. Like, I have to sing correctly and on pitch, have to do the cues and timings right and I have to dance. I can't stay in one spot. I have to move around."
He said he still catches himself getting stuck in place on stage, but said the process has bettered his multitasking skills and ability to adapt quickly if needed.
"Once you freak out on stage and you will break your momentum or tempo, everybody has to adjust," he said. "Everybody has to be dynamically changing, so the song sounds and looks good."
At the end of the day, he said his performance of "Billie Jean" has turned out to be his personal favorite of the show.
Langer said the program is a group effort.
"Most of these young performers will tell me before our last performance that they don't want it to end," he said. "This is because Tri-Fest is a massive undertaking and we all share ownership of that struggle. As we work through the intricacies of the show, we learn how we need each other to create the best final product for our audience. This opens the door for relationships to grow as we overcome our struggles together.
He went on to explain the reward of "seeing the sheer elation of the performers at the end of a performance when they realize what they have just accomplished."
"There are few things in life that compare to the opportunity to perform and make a difference for the people in our audience," he said. "I always share with our cast before we start our show that there will be people in our audience that really need us and that their performance will make a difference in their lives."
Shortly after Castro's performance, TCU junior John Titus eventually grabbed the mic and embodied the angst of Blink-182's "All The Small Things," with dueling guitar players shredding away behind him. His energy was up from beginning to end Thursday, prompting a compliment from Langer to shoot out of the sound booth.
"You nailed that, Johnathan!" he yelled to Titus as smoke dispersed from the stage.
Langer said it's many of the performers only extracurricular activity.
"This gives our communities an opportunity to see what happens when you give young minds a focus area to play with purpose and be creative," he said. "As a result, our communities are introduced to the talent and abilities that walk in our hallways everyday. Many of the performers in Tri-Fest are not involved in other activities. They join Tri-Fest to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves and that helps bring the Tri-City communities together."
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