Five student acts take the musical stage pre-Bacchanal.

WANG PAVILION—After getting their hands stamped, students file into the newest wing of Lerner Hall, a dimly lit party space ready to accommodate over a hundred students. Five artists take the stage, performing songs they’ve produced, all with the goal of becoming the student opener for the annual spring concert, Bacchanal. 

The space is just crowded enough when the first act, Rayan and The Crossroads Crew, featuring Jeff Stein, Christina Li, Marino Bubba, and Karl Schulz, steps into the spotlight. The group performed songs from their album Crossroads, which is currently available on Spotify. Rayan, the head of the group, can also be found at @rali.04 on Instagram. Following Rayan, duo Noelle + Bella performed a magical set filled with guitar and glitz. According to them, their partnership was born after a music production class last semester. Together, they sang three songs, streaked with passionate pop tones. Noelle, the lead vocalist, can be found at @noellenafus on Instagram. 

The next band that performed was Noshows. According to their Instagram @noshows, they are a “NYC indie outfit” fronted by Max Satow. Their indie and rock-infused set was filled with intense saxophone and guitar solos, one of which ended with Satow shredding his guitar on the floor. Following the third act was Chandra, a singer-songwriter who says her music style is influenced by neo-soul, R&B, and Carnatic music. Using her strong voice, she dazzled the audience as she sang her self-written songs, one of which, “Over The Phone,” is available on Spotify. She also sang “The Sun,” which is not on Spotify but is clearly a fan-favorite, as people in the audience were singing along with her. Chandra can be found at @chandralekhaxx on Instagram. Finally, the last act to enter the spotlight was JawsAlight, who graced the stage with an energetic performance that brought his hip-hop and rap-influenced songs to the audience. Despite self-reported technical issues, JawsAlight put on a great performance. The crowd was enthusiastic, making sure to match the artist’s pure infectious energy. His single “Lightning” can be found on Apple Music and @jawsalight on Instagram. 

After dancing and enjoying the music in a huddled crowd, audience members were able to vote for their favorite act in hopes they’ll propel the winner to the stage of Bacchanal later this spring. Voting happened in person at the event and will soon be announced on CU Bacchanal’s social media platforms. Bacchanal is scheduled for April 6, 2024, and main lineup hints can also be expected soon on the organization’s Instagram @cubacchanal. 

Header via Staff Writer Chancey Stefanos