Sun Rises at Eckhaus
The main room of Eckhaus opened up for a night of music on Thursday. A little before 10 p.m., Penelope Sablack, a graduate student majoring in student affairs, higher education, and the graduate coordinator of The Roundtable, unlocked the doors and opened Eckhaus for the night. The Roundtable on AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) of the Health and Wellness Center sponsors events at the Eckhaus four Thursdays per year.
This night happened to be one of them as Sablack helped the director, Katya Popova, a junior Fine Arts major, put a variety of cookies, brownies and coffee out for the guests donated by Global Libations in Kutztown.
It wasn’t long before students started trickling into Eckhaus. Before the musicians showed up, the students entertained themselves by observing collections of artwork. Others stood in groups or pairs, lost in their own conversations. By the time the music started, the room held approximately 25 people.
The opening act, Kirby Sybert, a Theater major from Red Lion, sang some of his originals for the first time, with an electric/acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder. Engaging directly with the audience, he said jokingly, “I might forget some words.” Singing songs about religion, love and even Heath Ledger, his soft voice and the notes from his guitar melted together, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Sybert, setting the stage for the main band, had the audience laughing and even had them singing along to the chorus of his last song.
The main act, a six-member band called The Rising Sun, took fewer than 10 minutes to set up and start playing. Upon hearing them, one could immediately pick out the jazz and blues feel with soulful layered vocals. Yet, they had a sound that could not be pinpointed by naming a specific genre. The blending melodies of the two guitars, bass, drums, trumpet and vocals reverberated off the bare walls of the Eckhaus and out into the street. Each instrument seemed to tell a story while contributing to the sound as a whole.
The audience seemed to enjoy the band as feet tapped and heads moved, enjoying the relaxation of the music floating through the room. “I’ve jammed with these guys before and it was nice to hear all of their styles combining together,” said Dylan Anderko Jr., an Electronic Media major in a band of his own called Tertium Quid. “The drummer’s a really cool dude and he’s good at what he does.” The drummer, Jack Pfeifer, has been playing drums since fourth grade. The lead guitar and back-up vocals are played and sung by Tim Straughter who is in his junior year as a Music Performance major and has been playing guitar for about five years. The back-up guitar player, Joey Shelley, is not stage-shy at all as he dances to the music while rocking out on the guitar. Former Keystone assistant news editor, Jordan Weagly, backed up the jazz, blues and soul feel by making his trumpet cut through the audience with clear, precise notes. Rob Adams, on the bass, plucked at the four strings of his instrument, adding a strong, resounding beat. Mike Clark, lead vocals, explained, “We want to combine different elements, different styles and make it sound good … We’re kind of like the rebels of the music department because we don’t just fit one style, one genre; we make a sound all our own.” Graduating this May, Clark hopes to become a songwriter/producer for “anyone who enjoys music, who loves what they do, or Alicia Keys,” he added with a hopeful grin.
The Rising Sun, having been together only since November of last year, breezed through their first gig. Hoping to make it in the music industry and become famous for what they love to do, The Rising Sun continues to strive for perfection and is constantly looking for that sunny future.
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