For the first time since the Ramones played in the eighties, the WQAQ Spring Concert sold out this past Saturday night. Headlining the show was the band Say Anything, with A Wilhelm Scream and Patent Pending supporting. One Night Stand, the winner of WQAQ’s 2006 Battle of the Bands, opened the show.
Stamped and ready for a night of music and fun, students filled Alumni Hall as soon as the doors opened. Mosh pits and crowd surfers were a common sight, and the energy and excitement could be felt throughout the room.
Quinnipiac’s own One Night Stand opened the show with several songs. Shortly into their set, the drummer and guitarist switched instruments, and carried out the rest of their performance in the different places.
A blend of reggae and rock, the band had a unique sound that sent the crowd jumping and singing along. They brought out some interesting musical combinations, including two singers, an acoustic guitar for part of the set, and the occasional harmonica solo.
One Night Stand was definitely a hometown crowd favorite, with many of the students in the audience cheering and singing along throughout the set.
Patent Pending, a Long Island based band, was the second of the night to play. The set was electrified with energy as the band members jumped around on stage, and sparked the first of the night’s many mosh pits.
From the guitarist playing as if he were a robot to the lead singer using a toy laser gun for sound effects, Patent Pending’s set was full of fun and contagious energy, getting the students excited and eager for more.
The band will release an album titled “Save Each Other, The Whales Are Doing Fine” on June 6 of We Put Out Records.
The third band of the evening was Massachusetts’ A Wilhelm Scream. With many fans in the audience singing along, it was almost unnecessary for the band to sing the songs. They got the crowd even more energized, creating several mosh pits and many crowd surfers.
The band’s own excitement on stage was obvious, though the crowd’s enthusiasm may have surpassed them. Students were cheering, applauding and singing along throughout the set.
After several hours of great music and fun, the moment everyone was waiting for had arrived. California’s Say Anything took the stage amid screams and cheers from the crowd.
The band played an excellent set, with the crowd singing along to every song. Students in the audience surged toward the stage, standing even closer together to get as far forward as possible to see the band.
With crowd favorites such as “Little Girls” and “Every Man Has a Molly,” the band had the audience captured from the first note until the last. The band played for over an hour, including an encore.
Fans both new and old stayed after the show to get autographs, which band members willingly gave out. Many members of the bands were actually running their own merchandise tables, giving fans good chances to meet the bands they had just seen.
