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MORGAN HENDERSON
Special to The Leader
The drunken banter meets their ears before their hands meet the door, like they have any given Wednesday as if it were church on Sunday. The dim red light highlights fans’ faces eager to see the show, then bounces off their mason jars.
Keep Flying and Apathetic played at BJ’s on April 5 at 10:30 p.m. Apathetic played first and people enjoyed it, whether they stood in front of the stage or nodded their head to the rhythm from a barstool with fingers wrapped around a PBR.
BJ’s was already filling up and by the time Keep Flying came on it was packed, bar to chalkboard.
Keep Flying started their set strong. The crowd jumped in unison with the first note.
Samantha Zalewska, a senior early childhood education major, said, “I came to BJ’s as Keep Flying started to play, and immediately the energy in the crowd had changed.”
Everyone was singing, dancing and enjoying the company of one another as the band performed.
“I was thrilled to be there and the band just made my experience that much better,” she continued.
Thanks to their variety of brass instruments, Keep Flying had a unique sound but perhaps the most noteworthy element was the trombone slide that made an appearance above the crowd.
“The sound of the vocals, trombone and everything coming together was really exhilarating because they sounded that good,” said Zalewska.
She wasn’t the only one to feel the energy that engulfed the room.
Lexi Reyngoudt, a junior audio/radio production major and a member of Last Call Entertainment said, “It was definitely one of the crazier shows we’ve had at BJ’s and it was a nice warm-up for BJ’s Fest.”
“When everyone was cheering and dancing one of the singers of the band raised his hands in prayer,” said sophomore BFA musical theatre major Julie Shapiro. “It was a really beautiful moment. Even though it only lasted a second, his quiet expression impacted me so deeply.”
Fredonia didn’t disappoint the band either. Keep Flying said that they were completely speechless in regards to their first time performing here.
They were warned prior to coming that Wednesdays at BJ’s were “wild” but nothing could’ve prepared them for the outcome. Even they noticed that the second they started playing the moshers were ready.
“I thought to myself, ‘They are just drinking and having a good time,’ but then Henry starting singing and the whole crowd knew the words,” said John Ryan.
“It was our best headline show to date in a place the band has never been before. Truly an incredible experience,” Ryan added.
Keep Flying was the first band that Pat Walker, senior music industry major and co-founder/booking agent of Last Call Entertainment, booked for the Spring semester. It’s always been Walker’s goal to bring tours through BJ’s but it’s difficult to do on a Wednesday night.
“Working with the band was probably the easiest I’ve dealt with so far,” Walker said. “They were early for load-in and were all super excited to play.”
Each band was right for Fredonia in their own way. “They both exceeded my expectations and killed it,” said Walker.
It’s safe to say this Wednesday had a little something extra for everyone involved. “If you weren’t at BJ’s … for the show, you truly missed out,” said Zalewska.