The American Idol judges have seen a long list of unique performances. However, they had never seen anything like Colescott Rubin’s act. He started his audition by riding into the room on a unicycle while playing a standup bass. Then, he and his brother performed a love song that was as smooth and nutty as peanut butter.
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Not many singers choose to perform an original song on American Idol. No other contestant has been as original as Rubin who performed his song “My Peanut Butter Baby” for the judges. He plucked his standup bass while his brother A.J. played his trumpet, creating a stripped-down arrangement with a big-band/swing feel. Watch the entire audition below.
Unfortunately, American Idol just wasn’t ready for a performer as original as Rubin. They seemed to enjoy the performance but didn’t take the time to give the brothers any feedback. Instead, Katy Perry announced, “It’s a no for Idol and a yes for life,” as they gathered their things to leave. Undeterred by the unanimous rejection, the brothers rolled out of the room on their unicycles while playing their instruments, exhibiting a combination of talents the judges likely won’t see again.
However, not moving on to the next stage of the singing competition isn’t the end of the world for the unicycle-riding musician. He has a thriving musical career without getting a golden ticket.
Colescott Rubin Didn’t Need to Win American Idol
According to his website, Rubin is “an award-winning bassist, tubist, trombonist, vocalist, vaudevillian circus entertainer, dancer, songwriter, and educator.” Rubin also fronts the swing band Colescott & His Red Hots and the Rubin Brothers Brass Band. The latter is also the official house band for the Free Jacks, New England’s professional rugby team, according to Berklee College of Music.
Rubin graduated from Berklee in 2020. Currently, he is an accompanist in the Ensemble Department at the prestigious music college. His brother A.J. who joined him for the American Idol audition is currently studying trumpet and musical arrangement at Berklee but is already an accomplished mult-instrumentalist with a background in jazz and classical.
Featured Image: YouTube/ABC
