Tom Teasley accompanies The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari at PVCC

The theater is dark except for the dim red light on stage illuminating an unusual drum kit and the projected title screen of a silent film. The giant words on screen read The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The screen lights up blue as the tinted film fades in; the percussion begins to sound. The show is just beginning.

In mid-October, PVCC hosted Tom Teasley for a two day residency on the Dickinson building’s main stage. Over the weekend from Oct. 17 to 18, he gave two performances: a world music concert on Saturday and a live accompaniment to the silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on Sunday. I only had the opportunity to attend one of these performances, the screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a silent film released in 1920, is widely regarded as the first horror movie; James Whale, Tod Browning, and Tim Burton all took inspiration from it. It can be hard to create something fresh and exciting with something so classic, but Tom Teasley’s percussive performance did the film more than justice. With droning bass drums, sharp cymbals, pattering hand drums, tingling synths, and a variety of other sounds, Teasley brought to life the grandfather of the horror movie genre through music. His drum kit consisted of instruments both familiar and alien, mixing old and new sounds to bring a fresh twist to silent movie scores.

“I have a collection of ancient and futuristic instruments here,” Teasley said. “I like to keep one foot in each.”

Teasley gave a short tour of his instruments after the movie ended, showcasing the wide variation of different eras of percussion in his setup. His mixture of analog synthesizers and traditional drums complemented the aesthetic of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’s German expressionism. 

“This is the first time I have set my stuff up on stage since March,” Teasley said. “I always wondered what would happen if I just stopped, and I got to find out. I just keep doing what I do.”

Tom Teasley’s website has more information on what he does, as well as past and upcoming performances. If you are interested in viewing either of Tom Teasley’s performances at PVCC, send an email to pvccarts@pvcc.edu with “video” in the subject line. 

For more information on upcoming performances at PVCC, visit PVCC’s Fine Arts and Performance page.