Sunset Fest brings hot music on a cold night

Students gathered at the University of Connecticut’s Student Union Mall on the evening of Friday, Oct. 11 for a night of local live music, free merchandise and food at Sunset Fest.  

The event was hosted by the Student Union Board of Governors, most commonly known as SUBOG. In recent years, SUBOG hosted the Sunset Series, which was a concert series held in the fall at Horsebarn Hill. This year, all the action was packed into one big night.  

At the start of the event, students lined up across the mall to get free SUBOG hats, blankets and tickets that could be used for free food from the Dairy Bar food truck and the Rolling Rolls food truck set up on the opposite end of the mall.  

As students waited in line and the sun slipped below the surrounding buildings, the performers got rolling. The lineup featured six bands and artists, most of which are based in Storrs or have performed frequently on or around campus. The lineup featured a variety of styles, including alternative rock, pop and improvisation-based jam rock.  

The show kicked off with rapper Sammer Jammer, whose set featured his effect-laden vocals over rock-inspired beats. These beats set a chill vibe to begin the evening as students began setting up on the lawn to watch the show.  

Following this was Tara Sunne, who performed a solo set accompanying herself on piano. Her set consisted of original songs as well as crowd-pleasing covers like “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan. The solo performance allowed her expressive vocal range to be the main focus as it rang out across the lawn. Her set was one of the most well-received of the night, as the audience gave her great applause after each song.  

The energy would soon be cranked up with the first full band of the night, Showgirl. There was an immediate energy shift as the band hit the ground running with their hard rock and punk-driven sound. It was a markedly heavier shift from the previous acts, featuring two guitarists who weaved back and forth between playing lead and rhythm parts and a thunderous rhythm section. But it was rounded out by the melodic vocals of lead singer Chelsea Vaughn, creating a great dynamic between the vocals and music.  

The heaviness of Showgirl’s set then gave way to AshBABY, who delivered a set of groovy bass-driven jam rock. There are few college bands who would open up their set with a 10-minute-long jam, but the three-piece jam band did just that with their take on “Ocelot” by Phish, featuring the flowing guitar lines by singer and guitarist Noah Bielecki that echoed Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. The group followed each other as they pushed into new sonic territory, with some great moments of synchronized bass and guitar riffs.  

The crowd started thinning out at this point as the night got colder, but the bands kept playing on. Next up was The Rotting Twentys, who played a mix of alternative rock covers from the 1990s and 2000s. Selections included “Wish You Were Here” by Incubus and “Man in the Box” by Alice in Chains.  

Closing out the night was Ruby Leftstep, who brought their warm, energetic brand of alternative rock to the cold night. During their set, students finally made their way close to the stage to dance with the band. The band performed their upcoming single “The Comedown,” which will be released on Friday, Oct. 18, as well as other punchy originals like “For the Record.” During their final song, “Shuteye,” lead singer Dylan Hrinda got the crowd to sing along as they ended the night with a raucous finish and huge applause.