The Audio Engineering Society (AES) held its first concert of the fall semester on Friday, Sept. 30. Performers included Tryptamind, Skunk and headliner Blond Guru. From EDM to alternative, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Scooter Armstrong, president of AES, discussed the processes of putting together the highly anticipated concert series as well as the desired outcome.
“We’ve got two people in charge of coordinating bands and setting [up] what they need for the concert series,” Armstrong said. “We focus on getting the word out about the event happening and making sure we’re publicizing bands that are local … we want to get them recognized in the community.”
In an interview with Blond Guru, band members Noah Gregory, Josh Hezel, Sean Buchert and Hal Gregory vocalized their sentiments about performing at the concert.
“I thought it was really cool between sets and stuff, you could talk to anybody. It was a really social crowd and I think that they were involved with all three of the bands,” Gregory said.
Along with local bands gaining support, community members benefit from the concert series too. These concerts allow the public access to live performances and an exposure to new music, all while being in close proximity.
“If you’re under 21, you can’t go to a bar where a lot of shows play. You can come to Webster and see a show of the same bands that go to other venues around town,” Armstrong said.
Exposure to live music is a large focus of the concert series for both concert goers and audio students. Students are given the opportunity to utilize their knowledge of setting up equipment for live events, which offers a way for them to gain firsthand experience.
Before and during the concert, members of AES set up equipment that would be used by the bands. Between sets, they swapped out the proper gear for each performance.
“[It’s] a safe environment to try a live sound gig, which is a lot of setting up equipment [and] running the show,” Armstrong said. “It’s a really good chance for people to get that experience because otherwise you need to have a job at a venue, and that’s hard to get if you don’t have a lot of experience.”
AES will host another concert, free to the public, on Nov. 4 inside Sunnen Lounge. The event will begin at 7 p. m. The concert will also be accessible to the public via livestream.
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