Man Approaches Piano In Hardware Store — His Impromptu Performance Gains Internet Fame

Oct 17, 2020

In a video uploaded to YouTube back in 2014, Jacob Tolliver of Nashville, Tennessee sat down at a piano that was on display at a hardware store and started playing Boogie Woogie Country Man. A video of his performance went viral online, reaching millions of viewers.

It’s only natural for men to want to go inside hardware shops. Ask any guy you know, and they’ll tell you that they’ve walked around the isles of a hardware store at least once hoping to find something interesting. There are all kinds of equipment and machinery at the hardware. That’s why most men find them fascinating. For them, it’s like a toy store. Everyone expects men to behave themselves when they enter the hardware store. After all, they are adults, and they should know better. Touching something that you don’t intend to buy is risky, especially if you damage it.

Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like this. One guy did the exact opposite. 

Although, to be fair, very few hardware shops have a piano on display. Interestingly, no signs were prohibiting the customer from sitting and playing the piano. The guy, who we found out is Jacob Tolliver, must have been minding his business before he noticed the piano.

Oh yes, he also sings. The guy is feeling it. He plays the piano while singing without a care in the world. Never mind that he’s in a public place, and people aren't giving him money for his performance. He doesn’t care about the noise or what could happen to him if the store’s manager calls security. He just loves the music and that’s all that matters. 

He’s playing the blues on the piano with a fast tempo. This style is also known as Boogie Woogie. The genre was pioneered by African American musicians back in the 1870s. However, Boogie Woogie fever caught on in the 1920s and spread to other parts of the world.

During this day and age, few people know how to properly do the Boogie Woogie. Some notable names that still practice and play this genre in public are Henri Herbert, Ladyva, and Brendan Kavanagh. These performers are YouTube sensations.

According to the video description, this is some random crazy guy that walks into a hardware store and plays an unfinished piano.

However, after doing further research, it was discovered that the guy was a contestant on the reality show American Idol. He goes by the name Jacob Tolliver, and he’s got some serious skills. On YouTube, Jacob’s video has forty-four thousand likes and more than 6.6 million views.

The audience loved his performance, and fans wish that he’d continue to randomly play the piano in hardware shops.

Fans are comparing Jacob to the great Jerry Lee Lewis. He was also a piano player capable of giving an unforgettable performance. Although Jerry was respected, he was also full of controversies. Fans hope that despite the comparisons, Jacob won’t be very controversial.

What did you think of Jacob's performance? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to others!