ResLife showcases local Fairbanks talent for a good cause
Alisha Drumm/Sun Star Reporter
December 4, 2012
The Naked Men serenade and abuse the audience during the final band of the night last Saturday. Dec. 2, 2012. Cordero Reid/Sun Star
Residence Life kicked off December with an all-ages benefit concert in the Hess Recreation Cener, where five local bands showed off their talent Saturday night.
The cost to attend was $3 for UAF students and $5 for non-students. All proceeds went to the Boys and Girls Club of Fairbanks towards music and arts funding.
Starting at 7 p.m., local musician JR Rosales, member of local band Slush Not Snow, opened up the concert with an acoustic set mixed with both covers and original songs. Rosales stood center stage with confidence and his acoustic guitar. Rosales mixed elements of acoustic and indie music in his original songs. His honest lyrics about common experiences such as “not being as cool as you think you are” complimented the mood of his music.
Kevin Haston, Leah MacSwain and Eamon Stack make up Sweet Premium, the second local band to perform. The acoustic folk band who played both covers and original material used acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, drums and male and female vocals in their set. Sweet Premium’s folksy original about “a ghost in a hotel” encouraged crowd participation as audience members clapped along to the beat. The acoustic folk band’s covers of “Wagon Wheel” and “A Man of Constant Sorrow” caused members of the audience to scream in excitement as they ran towards the stage to dance and sing along.
Between each bands’ set, audience members pulled out the raffle tickets they were given at the door and waited to hear their number called for a chance to win a variety of door prizes. A cross country skiing pass, bowling passes, a $50 gift certificate to Gulliver’s and UAF posters and sweaters were some some of the many door prizes.
Local post-rock band Circle the Sun transitioned the mood of the concert from a mellow folk atmosphere to a completely different atmosphere with their original music. Forrest Andreson, James Brooks, Mike Keller and Matt Sutton make up this four man band who incorporated cello, bass, electric guitar, drums and the triangles into their set. As Circle the Sun played, the stage lights changed to match the mood of each song, changing from red and orange to strobe lights by the end.
“One of the greatest aspects of playing is just the room energy. A good audience is good energy,” Brooks said.
Between each set audience members were able to cool down and be refreshed with a variety of free “mocktails” provided by Res Life.
Nearing the end of the concert was local post grunge/hard rock band Peligro. Austin Somaduroff, Jon Heintz, Zac Rohan and Dillon Williams comprise four man band that rocked out on guitar, bass, drums and vocals in their set. The post grunge/hard rock band brought an intense energy to the room when they played their originals that “are mostly all about my ex’s,” according to guitarist Heintz.
“Peligro was my favorite band of the night. It’s the first time I have danced without an ulterior motive,” said junior Chazz Gist.
Local ska/punk band The Naked Men were the last band to play at the ResLife benefit concert. Matthew Harris, Luke Nielson, Meghan Packee, Jon Heintz, Kellen Baker and Jacob Teague play in the ska/punk band that used drums, bass, guitar, trombone, saxophone and vocals in their concert closing set. Before the energetic ska/punk band would play, they asked everyone in the audience to come towards the stage, and get into the music.
The Naked Men started out their set list with incredible energy as vocalist Nielson ran through the crowd, singing and encouraging crowd participation. Although it was nearing midnight by the time The Naked Men played, they brought the energy of the room to its height by the end of their set list. By the near end of their performance, even audience members who had been quietly watching the rest of the concert jumped and moshed to The Naked Men.
After the Naked Men’s final song, members of the audience cheered for the their incredible showmanship, as well as the incredible performance of all of the bands that played Saturday night.
“I really liked all of the bands that played, but I’d have to say The Naked Men were my favorite,” said freshmen Colleen Matthews.
ResLife and the artists that performed gave Fairbanks a fun and easy way to give back to the community through their concert in the Hes Rec on Saturday, Dec. 1.
“It’s really nice to be able to go to a concert that is all ages and is local. I had a great time,” said freshmen Kaitlin Dault.
The Ice World Showcase benefit concert was a success not only for raising money for the Boys and Girls Club, but also for showcasing some incredible local talent.
Posted by Staff Report
on Dec 4 2012. Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Features, Media.
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