By Emma Colton
Correspondent
With the Rathskeller’s seats filled and amplifiers ready, College Union Board’s concert on Friday, Oct. 12 was set to be exciting.
Shane Henderson, frontman of Philadelphia band Valencia, accompanied by guitarist Trevor Leonard, rocked the stage with Valencia classics, new solo material and even a couple covers.
Opening the show was Vinnie Caruana, who set the tone of the evening with good, angsty music and edgy humor.
Since the start of Valencia’s hiatus in 2011, Henderson has devoted much of his time to his solo project called Promise of Redemption.
“We’re actually really stoked on the sounds and the material. We’re ready to go full steam ahead,” Henderson said about his solo band, which is expected to release new material in the near-future.
Describing the meaning behind his solo project, Henderson took a tone of serious conviction.
“Promise of Redemption basically is what I believe, that everybody has a second chance at redeeming themselves, or a chance at saying what they want in life,” he said.
Henderson stated that he is unsure when Valencia will get back together, but right now, Promise of Redemption is what he wants in life.
Though Henderson’s notable voice is the same, the front-man said that Promise of Redemption’s material has left behind Valencia’s pop-punk genre, for a more mature alternative rock style.
After warming up the Oct. 12 crowd with familiar Valencia songs, Henderson and Leonard unleashed a few of those new pieces. Which the crowd eagerly absorbed, sitting contently as the two strummed their guitars and belted-out new songs like “I Can Feel a Change.”
In addition to performing great music, Henderson and Trevor, to the delight of the audience, made cheeky quips in between songs. Harkening back to their childhood, they joked of how they needed to get home soon to catch Golden Girls, giggling as they took sips of beer.
Before they wrapped up their show, Henderson and Leonard wanted to musically express their love for New Jersey, while also paying homage to one of their beloved idols.
So before ending the show with one of Valencia’s most well-known songs, “The Space Between,” the two musicians readied their guitars, and crooned Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.”
With a satisfied audience, and a completed set list, Henderson and Leonard thanked their fans for coming to the show, and encouraged them to stay tuned for new material.
