Blue Man Group Boston Announces Finalists For Fifth Annual Drum-Off Competition During The Summer Block Party

Blue Man Group Boston announced today the five finalists that will perform at their fifth annual Drum-Off competition July 7th at 5:00 pm at the free Summer Block Party at The Lawn on D in Boston.

This competition showcases the best drumming talent in New England and beyond with selected finalists each performing a 3-minute solo jam session in front of the festive Summer Block Party crowd and judges. The winner will receive over $6,000 in prizes from Blue Man Group, DW, Sabian and Vic Firth and have the chance to perform with Blue Man Group at the end of the competition.

The finalists are:

• Vlade Guigni, 33, lives in Boston, from the Dominican Republic.
• Xavier Martin, 32, lives and from Sanford, North Carolina
• Cameron Petros, 19, lives and from Ellsworth, Maine
• Tyler Pedersen, 24, lives and from Marblehead, MA
• Victoria Venegas-Rizk, 20, lives in Boston and from Miami, Florida

Vlade and Tyler are returning finalists having competed in the 2016 and 2017 Drum-Offs respectively. Victoria becomes the third female finalist in the five-year history of the Blue Man Group Boston Drum-Off.

"When we started this event five years ago, our goal was to highlight the area's drumming talent and we've seen such amazing and proficient drummers perform at this event over the years," said Jonathan Screnci, Resident General Manager, Blue Man Group Boston. "These five individuals all have such distinct drumming styles and I think the audience at The Summer Block Party is really going to enjoy watching them compete and perform."

This year's competition will be hosted by Danny Balel of ImprovBoston. ImprovBoston has been New England's leading theater and school dedicated to the art of comedy in all forms. The judges will include members of the Blue Man Group band that will also perform during the encore.

For more information about the Blue Man Group Boston Drum-Off, links to the finalists' submission videos and to follow this year's competition, please visit www.blueman.com/BostonDrumOff. Fans may also keep up with Blue Man Group through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or the hashtag #BlueManBOS and #BlueManDrumOff.