On Sunday, Quinnipiac Student Programming Board and WQAQ 98.1FM hosted Fall Fest, welcoming students back to campus with free merchandise, food trucks, games and a live performance from indie-pop band “almost monday.”
The Mount Carmel Campus Quad buzzed with excitement as attendees arrived to enjoy the sunny afternoon and music that carried across campus. Students streamed through the inflatable Bobcat mouth to collect their punch cards to guide them through the day’s activities. From painting pumpkins and caricatures to custom airbrushed t-shirts — all in pursuit of the coveted Fall Fest quarter zip.
As the lines grew longer, the number of remaining quarter-zips quickly dwindled, fueling both the excitement of the crowd and anticipation for the band to take the stage.
IN PREPARATION
Like any major concert, Fall Fest takes months of preparation, careful planning and collaboration. As one of Quinnipiac’s biggest on-campus traditions, this year’s event was no exception.
Nicole Healy, assistant director of student engagement, said planning began as early as July to meet this year’s early start date.
In past years, Fall Fest has been held in October and even as late as November, but the timing changes year to year depending on the artist’s availability.
“‘Almost monday’ has been phenomenal,” Healy said. “I’ve really loved working with them because they have been pretty quick with our stuff and they’ve been very willing to engage with students and make the most of the experience.”
Promotion for Fall Fest proved to be just as important as planning. The Student Programming Board leaned into residence hall outreach and consistently posted on Instagram to make sure students were aware of the event.
“We want people to think, ‘Wow, I must have to go to Fall Fest, because it’s literally everywhere,’” Healy said.
But the goal went beyond filling the Quad. Both SPB and WQAQ emphasized making the event feel inclusive for all students, on and off campus.
“We like to give students a look into the other offerings besides just the artist, since everyone’s music tastes are different,” Amanda Geraci, a senior communications and media studies major and mainstage chair, said. “Food trucks, activities, games and merch are all things we like to hype up before the event so students feel like there is something for everyone.”
For Geraci, the highlight of Fall Fest goes beyond music and giveaways.
“The sense of community, 100%,” she said. “It feels so great seeing everyone come outside with their friends to let loose and enjoy a relaxing, stress-free afternoon.”
A CONVERSATION WITH THE BAND
“Almost monday” brings a laid-back California energy wherever they go. The indie-pop trio — Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby and Luke Fabry — are longtime friends from San Diego.
Before their Fall Fest performance, the band sat down with The Chronicle, WQAQ and Q30TV to talk about their music, creative process and what it’s like to make art with people you’ve known for years.
“It is definitely fun to be creating with your friends,” Daugherty said.
Now working on their second album, “almost monday” keeps the process fresh. For them, creativity comes from embracing change and leaning into spontaneity.
“Whether it’s going to a new place to record, or we have, like, some weird ideas to, like, have, like, suit day, so come to the studio in, like, a suit. Or, I don’t know, just trying to, like, keep the creative energy flowing so it just doesn’t, like, get stale,” Daughtery explained.
The band’s signature sound — a breezy, surf-inspired pop — reflects their passion and love for San Diego’s culture. That authenticity, they say, is what makes the music resonate with fans.
“I literally met Cole surfing, and then I asked him to be in the band,” Daugherty said. “I think people just love when artists are just very much so unapologetically just talking about what they like. So I think once we figured that out, we were just like, oh, cool, so just talk about what we’re into and what we like to do, and then, yeah, people seem to like that, which is cool.”
With their debut album “DIVE” in 2024, the band quickly gained traction with sold-out tours across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. They’ve landed appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and features across ESPN, CBS, HBO Max and more, learning lessons about both creativity and success along the way.
“… Have some faith in the process that it’ll work out, and even if you can’t fully see the end point yet, just trust the process and keep going,” Fabry said.
The band’s rise to fame makes their appearance at Quinnipiac feel especially exciting — and the band was just as thrilled to perform.
Used to endless sunshine, living on the West Coast, the band appreciated Quinnipiac’s mountain views and the beginning signs of fall foliage, calling the campus a “utopia” upon first impression.
Like SPB and WQAQ, “almost monday” hoped their performance would provide a fun afternoon where students can relax, leave their stresses behind and bring the Quinnipiac community together.
IN THE MIDST OF FESTIVITIES
As the event kicked off, students lined up at each booth, punch card in hand and free giveaways on their minds.
While waiting in line for an airbrushed T-shirt, senior computer information systems and business analytics major Brianna Ortiz said she was most excited about two things: the band and the merch.
“I think I’m most excited to see the band and get all my free merch,” Ortiz said. “I’m excited to complete the punch card and get my free quarter zip.”
Although Fall Fest has been an annual tradition, this year was Ortiz’s first time attending.
“This is actually my first time coming, cause I was like ‘I’m a senior, I need to experience it, ’” she said.
Food trucks Liberty Rock Tavern and Blue Chip Creamery proved to be crowd-pleasers, offering students sweet treats and savory eats to enjoy alongside the fun music and activities.
For many attendees, this was their first time listening to “almost monday”, but they were nonetheless excited to hear what the band has in store.
First-year friends, Sophia Pigeon, a mechanical engineering major, Kyle Fox, a mechanical engineering major and Spencer Horowitz, a computer science major, started off their first Fall Fest by painting pumpkins.
“There’s a lot of activities and it’s like not that crowded, so you have the freedom to do what you want,” Pigeon said.
Some students had a different perspective, however. Dominick Caruso, a first-year mechanical engineering major, argued that the waiting time for activities was a headache. When asked what he would change, Caruso said, “more booths. It takes forever.”
Because the booths were all a hit, there were long lines, ultimately creating some gridlock and slowing down the punch card system for students trying to hit all the stations before the band performed.
“I think it’s really cool they have a lot of artistic stations,” Zoe Xanthopoulos, junior physical therapy major, said. “They do take a while to get through and so it makes it really hard to get your quarter zip if you’re waiting in line and they run out of supplies by the time you get there.”
Even with the wait time, students were willing to stick it out for the free merch and food. For much of the afternoon, the booths were the main attraction until the music began.
“almost monday” PERFORMANCE
“Almost monday” took the Arnold Bernhard Library steps at 1 p.m., with one of Quinnipiac’s most recognizable landmarks serving as the backdrop for their high-energy set.
“What’s up QU?” singer Dawson Daughtery shouted, before launching into an electrifying sound of their song “is it too late?” as heads turned and students gathered by the gate.
With a lively stage presence, the band kept the energy high, cracking jokes and keeping the crowd engaged, with plenty of fan interaction — getting the crowd to sing along with the chorus of “tidal waves” and ending songs with shouts of “Yee Haw!”
People spread across the quad, some right up against the front gate, while others listened from a distance, sitting on the lawn with friends, food and merch in hand, just soaking in the music.
“I only heard a few of their songs before, and I liked their whole setlist that they played. It’s not usually the genre of music I listen to, but I really enjoyed it,” Morgan Kolomer, junior media studies major and event staff, said. “‘coast to coast’ has become one of my favorites.”
The band’s setlist featured songs like “jupiter”, “can’t slow down” and “cough drops”, maintaining their chill but upbeat vibe throughout the performance.
As the concert came to a close, and attendees began to trickle out, Fall Fest had achieved its purpose: pull students out of their Sunday slump to enjoy the beautiful weather, community and celebrate the first couple of weeks of the semester.
