By Margaret Brinson
With four bands, three cobblers, some screaming guitars and a full-fledged mosh pit, the Hullabaloo at Casey Jones earned its name this year at the 3rd annual Student Activities Council event, Oct. 22.
Students sat in circles around bonfires or on the concrete floor below the stage. Others scooted in tight on hay bales. A fall-flavored feast of cobbler and cocoa was offered to an estimated 300 people, according to Matthew Parker, SAC secretary and treasurer.
“We find that this is the only event that combines the outdoors, bonfires and student artists,” Parker said. “Yes, there’s open mic. Yes, there’s bonfires. But this is the only event that brings these two together.”
The musical talent was pulled from Union’s own original bands. The night began with the acoustic stylings of sophomore biblical languages major David Knack, who was followed by Maddie Russo, senior elementary education major, and Kate Allen, senior art major, and their band Maddie and Kate. A self-titled ensemble with folk roots and a flair for bluesy ballads, Maddie and Kate gave a soft start to the show, which was soon shattered by next group, Flying Colours, made up of sophomore English majors Rob Griffith, Jay Griffith and Taylor Hare.
Flying Colours played an alternative set of lively covers and crowd-winning originals.
It only got louder from there, as Forester stepped up to face an eager audience. Composed of seniors Cameron Puckett, media communications major; Kevin Reed, computer science major; and David Hamilton, biology major, Forester rocked the stage with wailing guitar riffs, vicious vocals and some brutal dance moves, inspiring the audience into a fierce fit of head-banging, crowd-surfing and lots of laughter.
Junior nursing major Becca Faulks described the Hullabaloo as having “lots of energy.”
“It was really fun to be able to talk to people and listen to good music at the same time,” she said. “It was good to get a taste for student bands — especially the music they wrote themselves.”
