Two Christian-Rock bands appeared at pre-May Weekend concert
Quinnipiac’s Christian Fellowship group sponsored a Christian-Rock concert on a sunny Saturday afternoon, April 21. Ten Shekel Shirt and Thirsty Child were the two bands that played onstage next to Alumni Hall on the quad.
Sophomore communications major and Commons resident assistant, Eric Marrapodi was the organizer of the afternoon event, which was open to a general public audience. “We were all pleased and thrilled by the turnout, which was around 250 strong the whole afternoon,” Marripodi said.
Christian Fellowship assembled dozens of volunteers during the afternoon. Chartwells provided sandwiches, cookies, and refreshments to the mix of students and families who sat on the quad’s lawn.
Students and visitors enjoyed the afternoon’s sunny weather and rock music with a foundation rooted in Christian faith. Toddlers played on the lawn and clusters of audience members stretched out on blankets and picniced, while others tossed Frisbees around on the quad.
“The atmosphere of the afternoon while the show was going on was positive and pleasant,” said Freshman communications major, Tricia Lucente.
Ten Shekel Shirt and Thirsty Child are now based in New Haven and Hamden respectively. Both bands convene each Sunday night for what they have entitled, “The Gathering.” They share songs with a following of residents and local students at St. Michael’s Episcopalian Church in New Haven. Both bands hail from Texas and their involvement with local Christian mission organizations assembled their musical interest.
Managers involved with the bands had been communicating with the Christian Fellowship since January to plan an event on campus. Both bands couldn’t have foreseen a better weekend to plan their campus outing.
Ten Shekel Shirt began at 4:30 pm and their set lasted roughly 40 minutes. They ran through a slew of pop-rock standards lyrically played around their faith and involvement in the Church. In “Ocean,” Lamont Hiebert, the band’s singer/songwriter details his faith in God is boundless. The band’s single lately hit a peak #4 on Christian Music Charts among Billboard and radio sources nationwide. The band combines a good repertoire of modern rock with roots elements as well. They even covered a worthy Counting Crows staple, “Hanging Around.”
Thirsty Child appeared in the early evening with the sun still over the quad. Their set was somewhat edgier than Ten Shekel’s clean-cut routine but thoroughly enjoyable listening. A portion of the crowd that had gathered slowly started to vacate the quad’s serenading rock show.
The band covered a more modern array of Christian-rock tracks from their latest album, “Dying to Live.” Event coordinator Eric Marrapodi was onstage singing with singer Mike Ash to a cover of Lifehouse’s chart-topper “Hanging by a Moment,” to imprint a lasting image of the band with the campus community as well, especially to those that know Marrapodi.