Music lovers unite! On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, WIUP-FM stepped from behind the booth in order to bring the IUP campus live, acoustic music. It was the station’s version of a coffee shop open mic night; complete with fresh-brewed coffee, cookies, and of course, the music!
No genre of music was off limits as performers covered a wide range of artists including Adele, Coldplay, and Third Eye Blind. As someone who considers herself to be a music aficionado, I found myself enjoying not only songs by artists I have never heard of, but also new takes on songs I am already familiar with. Yet, while the music selection was vast, the performances at times felt a little redundant. There were at least six different performances back to back where it was the performer, sitting on a stool, with their guitar. It would have been nice if more of the performers utilized the stage space a little bit more.
As for the atmosphere itself, it was laid back and relaxed. The ambiance made you feel as though you were actually at a coffee shop, listening to unknowns struggle to become world-wide phenomenon’s. You almost forgot that you were actually just sitting in a campus establishment, listening to your fellow students.
Perhaps the only major downside of the night was the fact that some well-known WIUP-FM personalities were not in attendance. It would have been nice to see the station as a whole come together in support of this event. I think it would have showed solidarity, and unity amongst the vast group of WIUP-FM participants, which would have been nice because it’s not something we always get to see amongst various groups and organizations. I’m also curious as to how the event may have been different if everyone had participated. I feel as though it could have turned into the most memorable event of the semester.
All in all though, while it was not a perfect event, it was a very good one, and did a great job at showcasing some of the talent we have on this campus. In my opinion, it’s definitely an event that should be held again.
photos courtesy of Shavonneice Loubar and Tiara Corsey