Hundreds of students braved the cold to gather on the Student Union lawn on Thursday, Oct. 9, for the Student Union Board of Govenors’ (SUBOG) annual Sunset Fest concert.
Four indie artists from across the state took over the Student Union terrace between 6:30 and 9 p.m., giving a glimpse at the talent that can be found close to and on the UConn campus.
“I think people underestimate Connecticut bands, and I did too when I first went to my first show,” said Evan Elmore, the vice chair of music relations for SUBOG. “I’m surprised almost every time I go to a show.”
Sunset Fest began as a series of concerts held near Horsebarn Hill in 2022, but switched to a single yearly event in 2024.
Lawn chairs and blankets provided by SUBOG were quickly used up by attendees as they prepared for the beginning of the show. SUBOG also handed out Sunset Fest branded merchandise. Dude’s Donuts, a staple of UConn football games at Rentschler Field, was also set up near McHugh Hall, giving away free warm apple cider donuts to those who had checked in at the event.
Singer-songwriter Garrett Moore kicked off the night, blending distorted and acoustic sounds in a three-guitar attack. Though his studio releases mainly feature him solo with layered acoustic guitars, Moore benefitted from a three-piece backing band that drew out grunge influences to go along with country and indie rock. One of the highlights from his performance was a 30-second rant from his drummer about the movie “Whiplash” during the intro to the final song, which got the crowd cheering.
Moore was followed by Marko Katra, the only solo performer of the night. Influenced by both indie rock and country, Katra played a mix of covers, including “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson and songs by country artists Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan, as well as originals from his first extended play.
“I’m so thankful that SUBOG actually takes the time and effort to plan events like this,” said Katra. “I had a lot of fun.”
A UConn student himself, the guitarist kept an audience, which featured many of his friends and supporters, engaged throughout his entire set and drew a sizeable crowd to greet him after the show. The crowd sang along to the chorus of his song “Growing Dying” in his first ever live performance of the song. Katra, who is working on a second EP that he hopes to have out around Thanksgiving, also talked about how it feels to see the effort he puts into his music career begin to pay off.
“You know, as a musician, you work really hard, not only just to write songs but also to plan these sets to learn and practice,” said Katra. “Just to see your hard work pay off, it feels really good.”
The Vinteros, the first band of the night, played third. Characterized by reverb-tinted guitars and mid-song tempo changes, the four-piece crossed genres throughout each song. The indie rock group demonstrated progressive, punk and even Britpop influences and expertly navigated through each style. Their heavy covers of “Supersonic” by Oasis and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant contrasted nicely from earlier, softer originals like “Maria.”
The night was closed by Ever So Slightly in their debut live performance. Lead singer Sereen Zei, a singer-songwriter, was originally advertised to be performing solo but was joined by her new band for their debut gig. Influenced by 90s alt rock, their performance encapsulated SUBOG’s goals for the event.
“I think any good live music is always a blessing,” said Elmore. “Because we have the resources, I think it’s just our duty to support UConn artists and local artists at big stages in big events.”