Rob Joyce’s birthday turned out to be a dream come true after Keith Urban let him play guitar on stage. Joyce, a music business major, was celebrating his 24th birthday at Urban’s concert at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion.
Joyce’s girlfriend, Alexandra Wright, held up a sign that read “It’s my boyfriend’s birthday! Can he play guitar?” Urban spotted the sign and invited Joyce on stage. Joyce then amazed the crowd and Urban by playing the guitar fluently for the song “Good Thing.”
The video of Joyce’s performance went viral, turning him into an internet sensation. Urban later praised Joyce in a post-show video, saying, “you killed it tonight on guitar!”
Joyce’s performance was seen by millions of people around the world through social media. He has since been interviewed by country radio stations and news publications and featured on national news broadcasts.
Joyce has been playing guitar since he was 10 years old and transferred to the University of Massachusetts Lowell to pursue his passion for music. He hopes to make it to Nashville someday and is currently playing solo gigs, including at Hudson House in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Joyce’s impressive performance at the concert showed “total command, confidence and poise,” according to Alan Williams, chair of the Music Department and coordinator of the music business program at UMass Lowell. He added that Joyce’s ability to “own the moment” is a trait emphasized to students in the program.
For Joyce, the experience was a birthday gift that he will never forget. “That ended up being a good birthday. The best! Keith Urban was the ultimate guy I’d want to perform with. So, yeah, it can only be all downhill from here,” he said.