Rappers, comedians, bands and an escape artist who got out of a padlocked mailbag with his hands and feet bound with chains dazzled a crowd of more than 100 at Pruis Hall at open mic night Wednesday.
Andrew Brindley, a sophomore architecture major, completed his escape from a regulation size U.S. mailbag in just over two minutes. Brindley said he's had a passion for magic ever since he saw a magician on a cruise ship when he was 12 years old.
"Magic is something that is just very inventive and it makes people wonder about the possibilities of their own reality," he said. "So it is really intriguing to push the limits of what people think is possible and give them something new and fun to experience."
The night was sponsored by the University Program Board.
Brindley had the chance to be on stage with magician David Copperfield when he appeared at John R. Emens Auditorium in May. Brindley participated in Copperfield's vanishing illusion, where 13 people disappear on stage in a matter of seconds.
Like any good magician, Brindley wouldn't reveal the secrets to his escape or Copperfield's vanishing act, which he said he knows how to do.
Another performer, junior special education major Chelsea Erickson, sat with her guitar and sang two original songs, both of which were met with hardy cheers from the crowd.
"I'm supposed to get my CD [today]. We'll see," Erickson said. "It wasn't recorded in an actual studio. It was at my friends house. He's got really good equipment and is a music tech major.
"I just performed two weekends ago ... this and the battle of the bands on Monday, so I'm trying to keep it going."
Before going on stage, Erickson's pre-show ritual consists of double-checking that her guitar is tuned. She said she always gets nervous before shows but has learned to play through mistakes. She said she enjoys the rush of being on stage.
UPB will sponsor Battle of the Bands at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom, which will features multiple acts that performed at the open mic.
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