Album Club put on their second “Rockings and Stockings” fundraiser Thursday, Dec. 11 to raise money for the “Battle of the Bands” competition coming up later this school year. Four student bands and a student soloist played their hearts out in front of the festive crowd.
Album club moderator Dan Calderon, who started the event last year, put together a holiday-themed, acoustics pop-up concert for any student musicians who wanted to perform.
“I have been delightfully surprised by the level of talent that we have within the student body,” Calderon said. “I really like giving these guys an opportunity to play.”
Album Club members were given the task of recruiting musicians to perform.
“It has been the club guys who are reaching out to musicians in the community and saying, ‘Hey, we want you involved in our deal. We wanna showcase your band,'” Calderon said.
Students and parents paid to hear covers of songs like “Sparks” by Coldplay, “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John and “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley. There was also a mix of holiday classics such as “Feliz Navidad,” “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” and “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Audience members who attended enjoyed it.
“It was very festive, very organized, and there were great singers,” junior Jack Karl said. “Feliz Navidad was the best performance for sure!”
The audience was engaged throughout the night, especially during soloist Aiden Comeau’s performance of “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.
“It was a good atmosphere,” Comeau said. “I had a good note there, and they were all cheering. Some other bands did some really cool stuff and they were really into it.”
“Rockings and Stockings” was more of a mellow, low key platform for performers compared to the “Battle of the Bands,” which takes place Feb. 6. The $300 raised from admission and concessions at “Rockings and Stockings” will go toward improving the set up for the musical showdown next semester, where they have big plans.
“I would like to be able to hire a professional company to come in and make the Barry Commons look like an actual rock club, where you don’t feel like you’re in a school anymore,” Calderon said.
