Nostalgia Night blasted off into an evening of music, talent and fun.
Students and locals flooded into Rediger Auditorium on Saturday, Mar. 1 to experience the Taylor Student Activities Council’s (SAC) annual student concert. The show featured thirteen performances of songs from before 2002, the current seniors’ birth year.
The theme of the night was Outer Space, setting the stage for an unforgettable journey.
The night kicked off with hosts Micah Pinson and Jaden Mason, suited up as astronauts in gleaming silver spacesuits. They launched into an intergalactic musical voyage.
For sophomore SAC member Emmaline Farley, one of the best parts of Nostalgia Night is the thrill of seeing unexpected performers take the stage.
“You'll maybe get to see people sing and dance or play instruments that you would never know that they could do that before,” Farley said. “I think it's really fun to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea that person, you know, could sing like that.’”
The concert provides an opportunity for many who may not otherwise have the chance to perform, junior SAC president Annie Troyer said.
SAC aims for Nostalgia Night to have a variety of performers: freshmen through seniors with different backgrounds, dorms and talents, she said.
“(The goal is) just representing people all across campus, and honestly, just being able to celebrate the talents that God has given them,” Troyer said. “Also just offering a fun night for students to come and hang out and listen to good music and hang out with their friends.”
Since the concert occurs at the end of the week, it provides a break to escape into a world of music, sophomore SAC member Olivia Repass said.
Seeing other people connect with the music and appreciate the concert is just as enjoyable as putting it on, she said.
“I know I find my escape in music, and it's really nice that other people enjoy this concert,” Repass said. “It's a Saturday night. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be exciting. There's gonna be music. You're gonna see your friends in the show.”
The event featured hits spanning across decades, from the 1959 classic “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis to Coldplay’s 2000 hit “Yellow.” Repass expressed excitement for “Stupid Cupid,” which was performed by the student band Robinhood.
“It's so different than all the acts,” she said. “We've had individual acts before, and we've had full bands before, but that one was just really interesting… there's like a secret dance in the middle of it, which I'm really excited for people to see.”
During a dance break in the song, freshman Lisa Pinsenchaum swing danced with background freshman vocalist Jonathan Fisher. Their stage presence made the performance stand out during the judging process, Repass said.
Another favorite of the night occurred when the Media Services team stepped from behind the curtain to take the stage.
“The entire band, including vocalists and all the instruments, are all people who work on Media Services,” Troyer said. “No one will be working lights or sound whenever their group performs. They basically pre-programmed everything, down basically to a T, so that they can do it with nobody working there.”
Students in the audience rushed to the stage as they performed.
The final act was the 1973 Aerosmith hit, “Dream On,” which was performed by student band JASOC. The performance had everyone on their feet.
The evening finished as astronaut MCs Pinson and Mason ended their musical journey with Troyer taking the stage.
She commended the hard work of the SAC and other contributors, including the Media Services team. A multitude of time was poured into the event. Troyer estimated around 30 hours of preparation from the SAC alone went into the night.
The night shone a spotlight on the talents of many and honored the nostalgia of the past, offering an entertaining musical escape.
