MINNEAPOLIS — When music fans filed into Target Field on July 14, five acts were lined up to play the first night of the inaugural TC Summer Fest: Yam Haus, Cannons, Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips, and headliner The Killers.
But another artist ended up on stage, too.
That artist was 37-year-old Eddy De Alba, a local drummer celebrating his upcoming birthday with friends and family at the concert.
Originally from Mexico City, Eddy has lived in Minnesota for the past 12 years, first in Minneapolis and now in Lindstrom. The whole time, he's been a big fan of The Killers.
"I've been following them to many cities. I have seen them in Mexico, I have seen them in New York... so then finally I hear they're coming to Target Field," he said. "I love outdoor festivals in Minnesota, they don't have that many like this big or like what they are trying to get going. So I was pretty excited and looking forward to it."
Clad in a Killers t-shirt, Eddy made his way to the floor soon after Target Field opened its doors Friday afternoon. For hours, he kept his place at the very front of the pit.
At one point, Eddy's friend Gabriel Rios invited him to come join him on the balcony level. An offer Eddy turned down to make sure he kept his spot. "I said, 'You know what, I'm sorry I won't be able to because if I leave, my space is going to be given up here.'"
Eddy said he wrapped up the call by joking with Rios that he'd join him "after I'm done jamming with The Killers."
A reality, manifested.
About halfway through the show, and after the band got the crowd on its feet with the millennial-era hit "Mr. Brightside" and a Prince cover of "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," frontman Brandon Flowers looked to the front row, prepared to invite someone on stage.
On one side was Eddy, with a homemade sign that read, "Can I have a chance to play drums. It's my birthday."
Another fan had a similar request. Flowers, who said into the microphone he was "stuck between a rock in a hard place" on who to choose, ended up inviting Eddy on stage. He was celebrating his birthday, after all.
"I was like, 'Really, me?' I felt like I was going to faint. My goosebumps went crazy. My blood dropped, I felt a little bit dizzy," he said of the surreal moment being led onstage.
"And I did blackout actually," he joked. "I just remember when I got through the light and I see all their stuff and Brandon said to me, 'Man, you made it."
Luckily, any nerves quickly wore off.
"When I got there I felt totally at peace. I was so thankful. I feel the energy from everybody in the crowd. And I’m like sure fine, I got it. I just literally enjoyed the moment and this is one of the life things that I’m gonna take with me when I’m not here anymore," he said.
Eddy has been drumming for about 15 years and currently plays with the Latin music cover band Angel Eletrico, so he came prepared with the skills, but how did he know which song he'd end up playing?
He didn't.
"It'd be really hard to cover some of the songs, but I was prepared for whatever came," Eddy said. "I wouldn't say, 'Yeah, I probably will nail it like (drummer) Ronnie Vannucci would,' but I would do my best and enjoy the moment."
Spoiler alert if you weren't at the show or haven't seen the video: Eddy did nail it. For the six minutes, Eddy kept up with the band as they powered through "From Reasons Unknown," a song off their 2006 album "Sam's Town."
When Flowers prompted Eddy to give the crowd "a strong right foot," he produced a beat that pulsed through the stadium, thrilling thousands of fans. And when it came time to close out the number, Eddy delivered an epic drum solo.
From drumming with sticks and buckets as a kid to bringing a stadium full of people to their feet with The Killers, Eddy said Friday was a birthday dream years in the making.
"I remember previous birthdays just blowing my candles on my cake. And I'd say, 'Just to at least see them backstage or if I can play with them'... and look at this. It came through."
And if you're wondering if Eddy has the drumsticks he played with on display at home, the answer is no. That's because they now belong to the other drummer that didn't end up playing with the band.
After the song, Eddy said he gifted the sticks to the fellow fan.
"I found him and I went down and said, 'I hope I can share a little bit of my happiness,'" Eddy said.
If you want a little bit of Eddy's happiness to rub off on you, too, check out Angel Eletrico this Friday night in Spring Lake Park. The band is playing at Don Goyo Restaurant at 10 p.m.
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