By Jake Rogers
The talent was diverse, and the crowd listened intently as acoustic performers shared heartfelt original songs at the ?Acoustic Explosion? in the Traditions Lounge of the Wilkinson Center Wednesday.
?It was a great crowd, people were into it,? said Justin Huntington, a neuroscience major at UVSC who performed an acoustic set with his band Code Hero. ?I?m a person who always focuses on the crowd, and I think everyone who went was pleasantly surprised. There were a couple of acts that followed us that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I consider myself somewhat of a music critic.?
Eighty music fans crowded into the lounge and applauded enthusiastically after each performance. One student made the trip from Salt Lake City to attend the event.
?The talent was really good,? said Eliana Gomez, a vocal performance major at the University of Utah. ?It was fun, and seemed like anyone who played the guitar would have especially liked and appreciated it. I don?t know if it?s all right for me to say this, but I think BYU is a fun school.?
Two full bands played acoustic sets, and most acts played for about 15 minutes. There was plenty of warm acoustic folk from artists like Scott Zuniga, as well as heavier rock sounds from the band Code Hero. With the exception of one Ben Harper cover song the artists performed all original material.
?I wish it would have went longer,? said Joey Mayes, an English major at UVSC from Memphis, Tenn. ?I got here late and only caught about the last three acts. It must have only gone for an hour or so. I?m thinking about playing at the next one.?
The Student Activities Board hosts the ?Acoustic Explosion? on the first Wednesday of every month.
There are usually 6 or 7 acts, and it goes for about an hour and a half to two hours, said Jordan Faux, a microbiology major from Las Vegas and member of the Student Activities Board.
Bands and artists can leave their demo in a drop box in the Student Activities Board office, located in room 3326 of the Wilkinson Student Center. Performers can also contact the Student Activities Board via email at studentactivitesboard@byu.edu.