From time to time, everyone indulges in a little air drumming, the underappreciated art of rocking out on an imaginary kit. After bringing three shorts to Sundance, writer, director, actor, and Honey Brothers band member Ari Gold makes his feature debut as Power, a New Mexico copper miner who doesn’t need drums because he is drums. Power moves to New York to enter an air drumming competition and finds himself facing off against the copper factory owner’s son (fellow Honey Brothers band member Adrian Grenier) and helping a hearing-impaired girl (Shoshanna Stern) “see” music. After the film’s world premiere midnight screening on Sunday, Gold tripped dramatically onto stage and announced, “I did that on the set of my movie and broke my arm. So this time I survived!” Then, he and several members of his cast rocked the questions from the amped-up audience.

Q: What was your inspiration for the project?

Gold: Well, maybe my own air drumming at age 10. But also living in copper country down in New Mexico, I saw a lot of weirdos.

Q: Did you ever compete in an air drumming competition?

Gold: I competed in an air guitar competition and scored very highly but was stopped from winning by the organizers because of my non-instrument.

Q: Did it take a lot of practice to learn the songs?

Gold: Well, I knew those songs pretty well. Adrian had to learn them from scratch.

Grenier: I actually worked really hard, because I had seen Ari do [Rush’s] “Tom Sawyer” before, and I knew I had competition. And I knew I didn’t have to be perfect, but we’re friends, so I didn’t want to see him show me up, that’s for sure.

Q: What was the inspiration for the movie’s oddball fashion sense, including the sweatbands, tight jeans, and short shorts?

Grenier: His legs!

Gold: My white legs. I’m not sure. Living in the Southwest and tight pants.

Q: How did you cast your leading lady?

Stern: My agent actually sent me the script. And I was a little confused at first, obviously. Adrian Griener was attached and Ari Gold. So I had told my agent, “You know, it’s not a real person. It’s a character.” But then I figured out, obviously, that Ari Gold is actually a person, so I met Ari for coffee. And I was supposed to be there for about a half an hour, and three hours later ... I’m still here. And that’s how I became part of the film. Thank God!

Q: How did you pitch this to legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who plays himself in the movie?

Gold: That was sort of a weird one. He was really supportive from the beginning. He allowed us to use “Tom Sawyer” for an incredibly good rate. And we said, “We want you to be in the movie.” He’s notoriously shy and doesn’t like cameras. And he said, “Oh. Yeah. Sounds great.” And I don’t know how that happened!