With Techfest rapidly approaching, there is a large amount of excitement about the arrival of the annual music festival hosted by the Entertainment Committee (EC). As one of the most popular on-campus events, many Stevens students are waiting in eager anticipation. At the beginning of the year, the student body completed a survey to rank their top choices for the headliner. EC eventually selected the band Neon Trees, and the openers will be the top three winners of the recent Battle of the Bands competition. The openers for this year’s Techfest will be The Vibrotones, Midnight Drive, and Future Nostalgia.
The Vibrotones are a modern rock band that takes heavy inspiration from the classic rock era of music. This inspiration is clear when you listen to their released tracks on Spotify, particularly Double D, which fuses a modern sound with what rock was at its inception. Jack Keelan, Jack Hamilton, and Matt Testa were all part of a band in high school. Later on, they met Jeremey Orienza this winter when they were in the market for a new drummer. As they put it, “Something clicked between a group of us within that band, and from there, the Vibrotones started to form…we’re each other’s best friends.” The origin of their name comes from Keelan’s suggestion of combining the words vibe, bro, and tone together, which worked for them; they all appreciated that it sounded like a “doo-wop band from the 50s.” Though everyone in the band performs vocals, Keelan and Hamilton are the lead vocalists, and Testa and Orienza take on background vocals. Instrumentally, Keelan is on guitar, Hamilton is on bass, Testa plays the keyboard, organ, and saxophone, and Orienza is the drummer. The Vibrotones write and produce all of their own music and now help other local bands record their music with the supplies and skills they’ve gained over the years.
Midnight Drive is an alternative rock band that was formed this year by Sam Ferro, Jake Paccione, Pat Cortelli, and Drayton Barrand. Ferro and Paccione — roommates at the time of their first day on campus, met Cortelli and instantly became friends, bonding over their love of music. Ferro then met Barrand at an Audio Engineering Club (AEC) open mic and introduced him to Paccione and Cortelli, expanding their group from three to four. From the start of the year, Ferro and Paccione had wanted to form a band, and it came together in March of this year, just in time for Battle of the Bands. Ferro and Paccione both play guitar, Cortelli is the bassist, and Barrand is on drums, with Ferro, Cortelli, and Paccione switching off on vocals. As a newer band on the scene, they are absolutely ecstatic to open for Neon Trees and encourage anyone interested in their music to follow their Instagram @midnightdrive_nj.
Future Nostalgia is an indie folk band that came together this year, consisting of Liam Cunningham, Sia Quinn, Sophia Zahran, Conlan Hurley, and Sam Ferro (yes, the same one playing in Midnight Drive). The group met each other through a statistics class and then several music-related clubs and open mics on campus. The band began when another student asked Cunningham if he had a band and would like to play a show with her; Cunningham said he would love to without actually having a band. So Cunningham quickly messaged Quinn, Zahran, Hurley, and Ferro, asking if they would be interested in playing together. They all agreed, and the rest is history. The show they were initially supposed to do was canceled, and their first-ever performance was actually at the Battle of the Bands. Cunningham is the lead vocalist and also plays guitar, Quinn and Ferro are both guitarists, Zahran is on the bass, and Hurley is the drummer. What is particularly interesting about this group comes from their name, as Cunningham says: “Contrary to popular belief, the name ‘Future Nostalgia’ is not taken from the Dua Lipa album; The name comes from the idea that people are too focused on nostalgia from their past and take for granted the present. “Everyone has so much going on in their lives and it can be easy to experience important moments and only fully understand its importance looking back. It’s a reminder to experience the present and remember the things you take for granted will be your nostalgia in the future.” In short, “Enjoy the present and don’t take life for granted!”
All of these amazing groups could not be more excited to play for the Stevens community. With the Spring semester winding to a close and finals around the corner, students are looking forward to hearing from these aspiring local bands at the biggest Entertainment Committee event of the year. (Plus, it’s free admission with free food.) Attend Techfest on Schaefer Lawn and in Canavan Arena next Saturday, April 20.
Photo Courtesy of Drayton Barrand
