The Mario Kart band will perform at Rumba Café Friday. Credit: Courtesy of Russell Preston
It’s rare to be in control of the concert setlist. However, at Mario Kart Band’s first anniversary show at Rumba Café Friday, the audience will pick the course as the band launches the music live.
Originally formed by saxophone player Colin Davis, Mario Kart Band devotes their setlist entirely to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe soundtrack. Davis said he became inspired after seeing a viral TikTok of the Australian band, Mario Kart Live, executing the idea first.?
After contacting the band and receiving permission to develop the idea into something of his own, Davis assembled a purely Ohio roster — with some members even embracing the Buckeye title.?
“I have an appreciation for video game music — I think it’s a part of video games that gets overlooked,” Davis said. “When I saw the video online, I was like, ‘Well, this is something I can actually probably do.’”
Doors open at 7 p.m. with the evening commencing at 8 p.m. There will be a Nintendo Switch set up with four controllers and groups will be given a list of about 30 songs the band can play. Whatever the players choose, determines the soundtrack of the night. In addition to songs, the band will also play the sound effects as if the volume was turned up on the TV, Davis said.?
“We’ll play the title theme at the top, [and] we’ll play some other non-Mario Kart, but Mario tunes at intermission and at close,” Preston said. “Groups of four come up — they request whatever track they want to play or hear.”
Davis said the Friday show is a milestone for the group.?
“The show we’re doing on the 27th is kind of like an anniversary show,” Davis said. “Our first show in Columbus was about a year ago at the same place.”
In 2023, Davis assembled the original group while studying music at Youngstown State University. He said he recruited fellow music students and played only two shows before moving to Columbus in 2024. Upon arriving in Columbus, Davis said his hunt for members began.?
“It ended up turning out really well, and I made a lot of good connections and good friends from it,” Davis said. “It took a long time, but the hard part’s over, now it’s just the fun part of the music.”
From initially hanging posters in Weigel Hall to recruiting via Facebook, Davis developed the nine-piece band consisting of himself, Samantha Vann, Deed Vann, John Heino, Russell Preston, Bobby Lucas, Alex Adams, Gabriel Coffing, Seth Alexander and Nikki Lucas.?
Russell Preston, a second-year in zoology and the band’s trombone player, said surrounding himself with music educators has created an optimal experience to help him learn. Additionally, he said he loves seeing people come together with a similar interest.?
“I like the community — there’s regulars who come to a lot of shows,” Preston said. “It’s fun to see the repeating faces.”
Tickets are $18.75 and can be purchased on the Rumba Café website. For attendees not interested in playing, the event functions like any other concert.
“The people who wrote the music at Nintendo are fantastic musicians, so playing the music itself is just really fun,” Davis said. “I think it gives an appreciation for the music to hear it live, as opposed to just in the background on the video game.”
