UPDATED WITH VIDEO: ‘American Pie’ actor brings musical talent to campus

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The Bovee University Center served up a lunch-hour jam session Monday.

About 65 people rotated in and out of the UC’s Rotunda to watch actor and musician Thomas Ian Nicholas’ band perform. Nicholas is best known for his role as Kevin in the “American Pie” series and for starring as Henry Rowengartner in “Rookie of the Year.”

Program Board hosted the performance, one of 20 college stops on his tour for promoting the final chapter of the “American Pie” series, “American Reunion.”

“It’s the first time I had a song in one of the ‘American Pie’ films,” Nicholas said. “When we did the first film so many years ago, they did a lot of promotion on college campuses.”

Although the first “American Pie” film has always been his favorite, Nicholas said “American Reunion” is the best sequel.

“I had a lot of fun writing ideas or inspiring Seann (William Scott) to be funnier with Stifler,” Nicholas said. “Kevin doesn’t get to do any of those things, so we came up with some good bits together. But of course, he’ll take all the credit.”

Commerce Township junior Jan Howell was surprised Nicholas was on campus.

“We were just looking for time to kill, and we cut through Bovee and heard the music, so we stopped to watch it,” he said.

His friend, Zack Greening, said he thought it was Central Michigan University students playing in the band.

“It’s all hitting me now,” the Alma junior said after realizing who the lead singer really was. “I think it was the beard that threw me off.”

The noon lunch-hour program was a hit with Administrative Clerk Jeanette Smith.

“I think he’s awesome,” she said. “I love live music, and I appreciate people who can do live music.”

As a fan of the “American Pie” movies, Mount Pleasant senior Vinnie Schiavi came to see Nicholas’ musical talent front and center.

“I heard them when I was walking by, and it turned out to be really good, so I decided to stay for the rest of it,” Schiavi said. “He seemed really down to earth and really appreciative of us being here.”

Being a musician and an actor gives Nicholas the opportunity to use two different sides of creativity at the same time, he said.

“I think music is more of a representation of me, because I’m pulling all the strings and I’m writing all the music and doing what I want to do, whereas acting is taking direction,” he said.

Nicholas ended the show leaving the audience with: “You can tell people later on you were here when no one else was,” he said. “Because I’m going to keep touring and I’m going to keep playing, and one day you can say you were there. So tell your friends about us, unless you think we suck, then just don’t say anything.”