The Rathskeller will be packed in the upcoming months, as established artists take to the stage, but not before one last night for students to showcase their own talents. Friday, Feb. 21, marked the last Student Soloist Night of the semester, which will usher in CUB Rat’s exciting spring lineup.
The first of the four performers of the night, Dan Gibson, a senior marketing major, wailed on his electric guitar as he sang both original and cover songs.
Gibson played songs by Bruce Springsteen and Alkaline Trio, as well as a passionate rendition of “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley, which he told the crowd is his mom’s favorite.
Gibson also played original music from the EP “Two Songs One Cup” from his band, The Dundees, who played at a Student Band Night last spring semester with TCNJ punk band Save Face.
The next performer, Allyn Calvis, a senior biomedical engineering major, played an acoustic set.
Calvis pumped up the crowd with two medleys of popular songs that featured “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake and “Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean.
Her second medley combined the works of Bruno Mars, Capital Cities and Macklemore, where the audience clapped and rapped along to “Thrift Shop.”
Calvis dedicated one song to her Barkada family, a Filipino organization on campus, which cheered her on throughout her set.
“Your confidence in me has given me confidence,” she said about everyone’s support for her musical endeavors.
Up next was junior health and exercise science major Selena Seto, who thrashed on her cherry-red electric Santana guitar.
Seto has played a variety of events on and off campus and mainly displayed original songs that she had been working on until she felt they were ready to be shared.
“I wanted to perform tonight, partially because I wanted to kind of see how people liked my songs, partially because there’s something about performing in front of people that I find nerve-rackingly satisfying,” Seto said.
Closing the show was Elizabeth Maricic, a senior international studies major.
The tables at the Rathskeller were packed with her fellow Sigma Kappa sorority sisters who were rooting on one of their own.
Maricic played the guitar while singing Nelly’s “Hot In Here,” in what she called a “rap song gone acoustic.”
Her rendition of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers had the sisters singing and stomping along.
“I always dreamed of being on Broadway, but I never thought I’d make it to the Rat,” she jokingly said with a smile.
