By AUDREY JENKINS – STAFF WRITER
On Fri., May 2, Centre Encore will be hosting the BYOBlanket music festival outside of the Campus Center.
Centre Encore is Centre’s very own music society, which was recently revived by sophomore Sue Choi.
“This past August was Centre Encore’s first birthday,” Choi said. “We have been officially running for over a year now after a couple of years of inactivity.”
One of Centre Encore’s main goals is to connect campus musicians with opportunities both on campus and in the greater Danville area. One opportunity will make its second appearance on campus May 2 — the BYOBlanket music festival.
“BYOBlanket is an ambitious and friendly lawn festival for Centre musicians and performers to show off what they can do,” Choi said. “Original songs, favorite songs, original choreography, favorite dance moves are all encouraged for performers and audience alike.”
Centre Encore hosted the event last year but was forced to bring the event inside due to rain.
“We ended up hosting it in the Warehouse,” Choi said. “Even though we had a small audience, we all had a great time – and people even brought blankets.”
Taking place on the lawn outside of the Campus Center this year, the festival encourages students to “bring their own blankets” and dinner, sit outside, and jam alongside their friends.
“It’s a very relaxed environment,” Choi said. “We want everyone to hang out with each other on the lawn while the event is happening.”
Performers at this year’s BYOBlanket festival include Moments in Motion, Nicholas Teale, Every Weird Thing!, Alan Secor, and Mus Musculus.
Mus Musculus, a student-led ska band, performed at the festival’s previous reincarnation last spring and have since opened both of Phi Kappa Tau’s “Air Guitar” parties.
“We play several different genres now from blues to pop to rock,” junior Michael Yu, the band’s guitarist, said. “This range of genres speaks to the musicianship that our band consists of. We have three music majors and the rest have an extensive background in music.”
The band is currently working on recording their first album with the help of Associate Professor of Music Nathan Link.
Junior Ali Gautier and her Pearl suitemates formed their band Every Weird Thing! after Centre Encore’s Battle of the Bands last semester.
“We all love and are involved in music in some way, it’s kind of like a fifth roommate,” Gautier said. “After the Battle of the Bands last semester, we realized that we could have put a band together and competed and were disappointed that we missed out, but then we were approached with this opportunity so we jumped in head first.”
Every Weird Thing! will be performing covers of “Pompeii” by Bastille, “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton, and “My Old Kentucky Home.”
At the end of the festival, all students will come back onstage to lead a group performance of “Centre Dear” to give the performance a “Centre meaning.”
Choi hopes that through the BYOBlanket festival, Centre will become a more “music-friendly” campus where students can meet up with another and perform. She, along with Centre Encore’s other officers, are launching a Facebook group in the fall where any student can ask for musicians to join or host impromptu jam sessions.
“We’re hoping to increase exposure so that people are more familiar with Centre Encore and we can become a resource for everyone on campus,” she said.
BYOBlanket will take place on Fri., May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. outside of the Campus Center.