NH ‘junk rock’ band has hidden the key to a $25k jackpot in New England

The hunt is on after New Hampshire “junk rock” band Recycled Percussion hid the key to a $25,000 jackpot somewhere in New England.

“This is going to be the most insane three weeks as thousands of you compete against each other to locate, find, and win $25,000,” band founder Justin Spencer announced in a Sept. 13 launch video. 

The gist is as follows: Recycled Percussion has offered a list of 20 New England towns where the prize could be hidden, and daily clues posted to social media will help treasure hunters narrow down the search field. 

The game is free to play, but according to Spencer, it’s not necessarily a “finders keepers” scenario. In the launch video, he explained that the first five people to find the band’s hiding spot will then compete in a series of live games and riddles for a chance to win the $25,000 cash.

And there’s another catch: The ultimate winner will only keep $20,000 of the prize money, with the remaining $5,000 earmarked for a charitable donation of their choosing. In order to claim their prize, the winner must also log onto Facebook and follow the dozens of New England small businesses that chipped in for the jackpot. 

“Find a friend. Bring a relative in,” Spencer said in a follow-up video. “There’s thousands of people probably trying to do this on the back end, OK? You can be anywhere.”

If nothing else, he said, the treasure hunt should offer a fun activity for friends and family looking to collaborate. 

“In a world of f—ing negative energy on the internet, this is something positive to do. It’s team building, it’s morale f—ing building, it’s purpose building,” Spencer added emphatically. 

The game is also a passion project for Recycled Percussion, who broke out on Season 4 of “America’s Got Talent” and whose members are known for creating their “junk rock” using repurposed trash, tools, and household items as instruments. The band has hidden or given away money before, and Spencer estimated that he’s spent at least 200 hours working on the clues for this latest hunt. 

“I love the process,” he said. “I love knowing the $25,000 is going to change somebody’s f—ing life. And it could be you.”

According to Recycled Percussion, the key to the jackpot could be in one of the following New England cities or towns:

• Jaffrey, New Hampshire
• Nottingham, New Hampshire
• Brattleboro, Vermont
• Newbury, New Hampshire
• Townsend, Massachusetts
• Andover, Massachusetts
• Concord, New Hampshire
• Franklin, New Hampshire
• Lincoln, New Hampshire
• Tamworth, New Hampshire
• York, Maine
• Claremont, New Hampshire
• Lebanon, New Hampshire
• Franconia, New Hampshire
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Hartford, Vermont
• New Boston, New Hampshire
• Mount Holly, Vermont
• Barnstead, New Hampshire 
• Dover, New Hampshire

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Lindsay Clancy murder case since January 2023.