A lifelong Beastie Boys fan found a creative way to honor one of his music idols in a unique viral video.
Frank Anselmo, creative director of the advertising firm KNARF New York, posted a video of four “Buddhist monks” breakdancing in Manhattan’s Union Square and Washington Square Friday to pay homage to member Adam Yauch.
The fallen member of the band was honored by thousands of fans Saturday in Brooklyn during the third annual MCA Day and Anselmo’s video was done to promote the event — complete with an MCA Day logo in the middle of the makeshift dance floor.
The monks entered the busy transportation center with a solemn look on their face as they each stood on a corner of the logo. They then bowed and broke out into a very skillfully choreographed breakdancing routine to Beastie Boys music.
Anselmo told the Daily News the tribute was fitting because Yauch, nicknamed MCA, was a Buddhist and a supporter of Tibetan Buddhism.
The 38-year-old resident of Manhattan’s Flatiron District said he and his crew spent six months discussing various ideas and this was the final decision.
“I feel confident it’s the most conceptually appropriate promotion for the event (on Saturday),” he said.
Their plans went through painstaking detail, ordering robes directly from Nepal that are identical to the ones worn by the Dalai Lama, he said. They also auditioned several breakdancers until they found four that would look like Tibetan monks and were willing to shave their heads.
“It’s amazing how many people ask me if they are real monks,” he said. “Of course they’re not real monks.”
Anselmo said he is surprised with the video’s popularity.
“We didn’t put it online to be a viral thing,” he said. “The idea was inspired. It felt real. It didn’t feel like advertising. It felt like entertainment.”
And he is proud to pay homage to the Beastie Boys, which he started listening to at age 11 and has been a lifelong fan.
He said he has met the other two members of the group, Mike D and met Ad-Rock, but he never got the chance to meet MCA. He said being part of the promotion and being able to design the MCA Day logo helped fill that void for him.
“They’re a New York band and I grew up with them,” he said. “There are not a lot of bands you can grow with. My whole life I’ve had their music. It’s part of my DNA.”
jlandau@nydailynews.com Follow on Twitter @joelzlandau
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