By Victoria Cruz
News Writer
On Friday, Feb. 27, the WSIN Radio Station hosted an on-campus live show PunKnight in collaboration with Knight Owls New Haven and Cresent Players.
The show opened at 6:30 p.m. with an acoustic set by music major Jack Flanagan, a junior and the program’s director.
“The Nest was an excellent show. Starting with my set, the crowd enjoyed a rendition of Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’ as well as my own song, ‘Candy Cane,’” Flanagan said.
The show took place in the Lyman Center Black Box with four acts on the bill.
The first band to come on was Spray Bottle Fever. Their specialty includes heavy electronic with visual effects.
Their unique blend of effects and powerful lyrics created an energy that was contagious.
Next was inplainsight, a band out of Boston with a hardcore edge. Their New Haven debut was a tremendous success, performing their new album as part of their anniversary release tour.
Finally, University of Connecticut’s Ruby Leftstep brought indierock to the stage.
The Ruby Leftstep set brought slow melodies and upbeat tunes, which had the audience dancing and singing along.
“I hope we can host more shows on campus with more bands and people. I also hope my band, Firecharger, gets to play with WSIN and Knight Owls Show again soon,” Flanagan said.
Finance major Julio Merced, a junior and the live music coordinator, shared his thoughts on how the show went.
“The show was great. When I initially came onto the station, we heard stories about what student-led shows used to be. We see what other universities are doing with similar concepts, and it has been a huge success,” Merced said.
The radio station is looking to shift its focus towards highlighting bands within the campus community and music scene.
Communication major Gerryiki Williams, a junior and the general manager of WSIN, shared his new vision for the club.
“It’s been my dream for the past year to use our university and radio station’s resources to support the incredible local bands and artists that are keeping the live music and DIY scene alive in Connecticut and around the east coast,” Williams said.
The show was successful because it was a collaborative effort between the WSIN team and university and community partners.
“We came together as an E-board and decided we have so much potential. Everyone did a fantastic job,” Merced said.
Merced and other club members said they are thrilled that they had the opportunity to bring rock and roll to Lyman stage, for all students to enjoy.
“We want to do more shows, and Crescent Players played a huge part in making that a reality. It is great to give students the chance to experience shows like this,” Merced said.
This show was the first of its kind for the station; the club aims to continue its momentum and host more events like this in the future.
“This was a really empowering moment for our club and the campus. Seeing the success of this concert, I would like to make this a reoccurring monthly event and establish the university and WSIN as staples and allies of the DIY scene,” Williams said.
The radio station will host another show on March 27 in collaboration with Knight Owls New Haven and Crescent Players. Until show time arrives, students can support local artists and bands by tuning into wsinradio.org.
