HomeARTSRose Rock Raves on in 2013

Rose Rock Raves on in 2013

By ASIA EWART
Staff Writer

The clock hit 10:30 a.m. on April 27, and a large truck promising fried dough drove from Lima Lot onto the quad. It sat patiently next to an already set- up stage, surrounded by musicians and sound techies. In the distance, a crowd of neon pink and yellow-covered students hastily ran in and out of the EAC, carrying armfuls of shirts, sunglasses and signs.

Rose Rock 2013, in the tradition of past years, promised students all the fun and good company they could handle this past weekend. From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., the campus green was brimming with laughter among friends, small circles of football and frisbee, weiner dogs and Huskies, and sweet, sticky, powdery desserts for all. The back drop of live music, performed by bands chosen by the Saint Rose student body, added to the warm, lively atmosphere and promised what all have undoubtedly been begging for: summertime and bright skies. The lineup this year included ska band Uncle Joel’s Comb, rapper Brian Jay, alt-rock bands The Meishlunday and Northern Faces, and our headliner, pop star Chris Wallace, best known for the single “Remember When (Push Rewind)” and his time as the lead vocalist of The White Tie Affair.

So, what work goes into putting together such a large event like Rose Rock together? “Whether it’s moving every single chair off the lawn or moving tables, or cutting up papers and hanging posters, it’s whatever Myles needs us to do,” commented junior Stephanie Santiago, one of the many Rose Rock Committee members. But that’s only the beginning. “We also run all of the activities that are going to be here,” added junior Lauren Klose, another committee member. “We sell the t-shirts, run the snow cone machines, and make sure everyone is safe on the obstacle course; they sign a waiver for that.  There’s also the dunk tank, the photo booth, managing the food tent; we do it all.” Thanks to an organized, but flexible schedule, all committee members were able to do their jobs and have enough time to enjoy time with their friends. All looked more than relieved at the progression of the day; this is an event that has been an entire academic year in the making. “It’s definitely a yearlong thing,” confirms freshman and the new Director of Social Activities, Patrick Burke, “Booking, contacting agents, contacting vendors; Myles works his butt off…because it’s a key event for the students. We start off as soon as we get to school [in the fall]. We work for other events that the position holds, and it all leads up to this. We begin everything early so there’s no consequence to us not acting.”

Senior Myles Clendenin is the current Director of Social Activities and has had the weight of delivering an enjoyable event on his shoulders since the 2012-2013 year began. “My goal for this Rose Rock is that I wanted to be diverse with our choices,” he explained. “A lot of the activities and ideas were done by me and the Rose Rock committee; I really couldn’t have done it without them. The Meishlunday were chosen because they won Harvest Fest: Fancy Fest last semester. Northern Faces, Brian Jay, and Uncle Joel’s Comb were chosen through the demo hearing a few months back. And Chris Wallace was ultimately chosen as the headliner.” His expectations for the event were very optimistic. “I just want people to have fun. I care about the students and have done this for them. I want to thank my SA board; they’re really amazing, and I’m truly going to miss this position. But I know Patrick is going to be amazing as well.”

For two of the acts in our lineup, it was their first time of the Rose Rock stage. Brian Jay thought long and hard about his sound before originally auditioning. “This is my second Rose Rock experience,” the sophomore rapper explained. “Last year, I auditioned and didn’t make it…because people didn’t know what I had to offer. I took the year to change my sound…” This change proved to be positive, as his performance had many students waving their arms and calling out to him on stage. He’s also confident for next year. “I’m just excited to be a part of something this huge on campus. I’m glad I won the position, and I will audition again next year with even better and more new material.” Northern Faces, a native Albany band signed to Equal Vision, is one familiar to Jack’s Place, but not so much the rest of the campus. This didn’t hinder their excitement to connect with Saint Rose. “We played at Jack’s Place, and since then, anytime we get an offer from Saint Rose, we are up to do it,” commented Marco Testa, vocalist and guitarist for the group. Bassist Mike Ippolito also gave insight to how he thought their first “official” performance went. “I think as the set progressed, people eventually started moving forward. People seemed genuinely interested; it’s a positive thing.” The boys also described their new album, Southern Places, which was on sale on the quad, as an “eclectic mix of…songs; some more hard rock, some more folky…shows both ends of the spectrum.”

Come 2 p.m., the energy was in full swing and the students wanted their music! Uncle Joel’s Comb took the stage first and dove into a guitar and trombone laden performance right off the bat. Students were eager to “skank” – described by sophomore Alissa Petsche as “aggressive skipping” – jump around, and blow bubbles while running in circles to the easily identifiable ska sound, including the fun and “haunting” “Halloween Song.” Vocalist Cody Okonski expressed his wish for the crowd to “bring something comfortable to dance in” so they could all “get into it…and have a tubular [time].” Junior Abbey Naumowicz expressed her “happy dancing joy” when listening to the boys. Brian Jay gave off a very chill, but cool vibe, performing singles like “She’s Moving On” and the fun 50s pop borrowed “Addicted.” Students were very eager to shake and dance with each other to Brian’s raps. Senior April Zwack commented positively on his “admirable passion.” Seasoned veterans The Meishlunday brought students rushing to stand back up when the energy began to waver a bit. They delivered tunes like “Dishonest Mistake” and “When the Bombs Fall” with the strong stage presence Saint Rose has come to know; the crowd hung to every word and sang along. Northern Faces was a surprise standout, as clear on many faces when they began to play. Testa’s commanding vocals, mixed with both drums and tambourines, had the crowd bobbing their heads rhymically and swarming their merch table. Kaleb Catricala noted them as “headliner worthy.” Chris Wallace caused mayhem from the crowd’s first glimpse of him. Students rushed to the stage quickly and began screaming and reaching for their phones. Wallace proved to be a crowd pleaser, covering Taylor Swift songs, jumping and running around the stage, and exchanging playful banter with the crowd. Flirty, high energy tunes like “Don’t Mind if I Do” and “Hurricane” kept the crowd singing along through his hour-long set, and the ending of “Remember When” resulted in unified voices throughout the crowd.

Whether dunking victims in the tank or hula hooping in the shade, students “kept calm and raved on” to the extreme this year. Clad in neon shirts and custom Rose Rock shades, students were able to kick back and take in all the fun offered to them for another year.

 

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