ISABELLA INZINNA
Special to The Leader
No one knew that the night would end on the patio outside the Williams Center. Yes, that’s right, Acoustic Night, organized by Heather Leonardi from HAIL! Fredonia Records, ended on the patio.
Acoustic Night occurred Friday, March 24, set in the Blue Lounge from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. HAIL! sold snacks along with trading cards of the performers for a dollar each. Isabella Mowers opened the night. Playing mostly originals, the crowd cheered as they heard this fairly new artist sing her heart out on stage.
After Mowers, Sasha McCoy took the stage. She switched between playing her acoustic guitar and ukulele. McCoy dedicated one song to her family who showed up to support her.
Acoustic Night had “a very chill vibe” according to Leonardi, a junior music industry major, until things quickly went south.
“You guys only have the room [reserved] till 7:00 p.m. and it’s 7:15 p.m., the next group is supposed to be in here at 7:30 p.m.,” said a member of the scheduling team.
Everyone stopped as HAIL! member went to sort things out. There was a scheduling mistake. Sterling Brownell, the fiddle player in Hal & Pals came up with a quick solution.
Within 20 minutes, the whole set was broken down and set up outside the Blue Lounge.
With this change in scenery, Acoustic Night was saved, continuing out in the cold. Students passing by joined the crowd.
Suddenly, the small crowd of spectators grew in number. Students who didn’t even know the event was happening were drawn in.
Hayden Battaglia, a student who joined the crowd said, “I was walking to Mason Hall, and once I heard live music outside, I was intrigued.”
Hal & Pals played a new song, “Chickadee,” along with some other acoustic songs that can’t be played during electric sets. During the Hal & Pals set, a fan even yelled out asking Ryan Terry, one of the guitarists, to sign his trading card.
Although the coordinators were very stressed, many students approached them at the end of the event to congratulate them. The consensus from the crowd was that even if the night did not go as planned, it was still a lot of fun for everyone.