Surely you’ve heard a guitar solo in your life. You’ve probably come across an oboe solo too! Most likely even a violin, cello and a piano solo! Plenty of instruments get their time to shine in a song or performance, but there are a select few that never get a moment to stand out on their own. While they’re still critical to the composition of a piece, certain instruments just don’t get that upfront and center appreciation.
Until, today. Actually, life kind of imitates art in this hilarious clip. Have you ever seen the triangle solo in a commercial from GEICO, the American Auto Insurance company? You’re in for some laugh-out-loud fun.
GEICO released an ad demonstrating how some things are surprising, like a triangle solo performance, but what’s not surprising is how a 15-minute call with them could save you bundles of money. It’s a pretty hilarious ad campaign that shows audiences all the ridiculously surprising things there are to discover out there in the world, but saving with GEICO isn’t one of them.
So, drawing inspiration from the hit ad, the Florida Orchestra, led by conductor Stuart Malina on the podium, decided to have a little fun with this one. In cahoots with Principal Percussionist John Shaw (and totally unbeknownst to the rest of the orchestra), the partners in crime came up with a plan to get a good laugh out of everyone and hopefully sell a few tickets while they’re at it!
The video opens to the conductor starting the ballad, leading in the first musicians. Everything is serious and on track when we hear the triangle ring in from the sidelines. Something sounds off though. Rather than just one note being played, the musician has flown off the rails! It sounds like a madman has taken over as the sound of the clinging and clanging completely takes over the music. We now see John at the front of the stage, ripping into his three-angled instrument, and dancing like a lunatic. By now, everyone has stopped playing and is in a fit of hysterics.
It’s a perfect idea because the hilarious triangle-playing antics lead right into the offer. The conductor takes over on the microphone, “A triangle solo? Surprising. What’s not surprising is how much money you can save buying a subscription to the Florida Orchestra.” It’s just all too funny and has the crowd eating it up. Guaranteed, this must have pushed sales!
Click on the video below to watch this well-executed stunt.
