By Nicole Zamlout
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Music junkies raided Brower Student Center Room 225 and rocked out to a night of live music on March 5 at 8 p.m. Cub Alt’s lineup featured three bands — Teenage Halloween, Lunar Vacation and Charly Bliss. Each contributed a distinct sound, image and tone for the audience to enjoy.
The headliner, Charly Bliss, featured music with a strange but wonderful contrast — the lead singer, Eva Hendricks’, soft voice and gentle lyrics were paired with hard rock instrumentals. Hendricks was also very expressive and energetic during the performance while she danced and rocked along with the audience.
The band shared anecdotes in between songs, such as how Hendricks and her brother, drummer Sam Hendricks, both have history in New Jersey — their parents owned a video store in Nutley before moving to New York.
One of the openers, Teenage Halloween, a group based in Asbury Park, resonated with both music lovers and social activists. Their songs touched on themes such as gender identity, police brutality and LGBTQ+ rights. Because the band is local, some students had a personal connection to the members, which added to the excitement of the night.
“Two of the members in Teenage Halloween went to my high school,” said Julie Hyun, a sophomore elementary education and psychology dual major. “I’m really excited to see them because I’ve never seen them live. I’ve only heard about them and their music.”
Teenage Halloween’s songs mimicked old rock ‘n’ roll hits, which left the audience dancing and headbanging along to every beat. The band also featured a saxophone player, which set Teenage Halloween apart from other typical rock groups.
The other opener was Lunar Vacation, a band with a slightly different tone — its music was dreamlike and soothing but with an undercurrent of rock. The band is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and this was its first performance in New Jersey. The group was quick to thank CUB for its accommodations, which included food and a private room for performers to relax in before showtime.
“It was our first time being in New Jersey and we haven’t really ever played colleges before besides our hometown colleges sometimes,” said lead singer Grace Repasky. “This was really cool and everyone has been really nice.”
Even students who are not typically fond of this of alternative rock music spoke positively about the night.
“ I thought it was pretty cool,” said Jessica Shek, a sophomore English and secondary education dual major. “I’m normally not into super hard core stuff but I grew to like the opening band.”
