The Rocket

Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Submitted Photo [Click to enlarge]

Swope Music Hall has hosted a countless number of concerts since its opening in 1977, but on Jan. 30, the concert hall will host the first rock ensemble to ever be performed in the building.

The free concert will spotlight the bands Wentworth and Bruno and Rage Against the Vending Machine at 7:30 p.m. in the main recital auditorium.

Rage Against the Vending Machine is the concert's opening act and will perform popular songs by artists such as Rihanna and Flo Rida. The band has turned these songs into acoustic versions.

The band consists of three members: Kevin Maurer on vocals, Ryan Griffin on keyboards, percussion and vocals and Joel Page on guitar and vocals.

Wentworth and Bruno, the other band performing at the concert, was formed a year ago and had its first big performance last year at the Summer Kickoff Barbecue, which took place at the end of the spring semester in 2007. At the barbecue, which was held outside Building D, students enjoyed cookout style food, games and live band performances.

"We did a Blink-182 cover concert last year (at the Barbecue)," said John Anthony, who plays guitar and provides vocals for Wentworth and Bruno. "It was a great turn out and we decided to continue to make something of the band."

Along with Anthony, a 19-year-old sophomore music education major, Derek Stoltenberg, also a sophomore music education major, is a part of the band and plays the drums as well as contributing some vocals.

Stoltenberg said the group had the idea to perform a concert on campus during one of the band's rehearsals.

"Swope usually only has jazz or performance-style concerts," Stoltenberg said.

"We thought we would throw a rock ensemble together and make something new for the concert hall."

In order to get a time reserved in the music hall, the band contacted David Glover, the professor of percussion for the music department.

"(Glover) was in a lot of bands in his life, so we knew he would be the easiest to connect with," Anthony said. "We pretty much made the arrangements ourselves but we got a lot of help from him."

The band, which practices together a minimum of four times a week, thought it would be a good idea to bring a popular style of music that many students enjoy hearing but don't necessarily get to experience often on campus.

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