Despite the torrential downpour, MemAud was packed Wednesday night with Ohio University students, alumni, locals and music lovers alike.
The concert, sold out, featured two local bands: no stars and CAAMP. Prior to the performance, each band had tables set up in the lobby, where representatives sold merchandise and band memorabilia for drenched fans to purchase.
While audience members were still finding their seats, no stars kicked off the night. Emma Schultz, Seth McBee and Julian Runyon opened the concert with their self-proclaimed “moss rock” style. Although the trio played mostly their originals, the crowd expressed their excitement when the familiar tune of “Potential Breakup Song” graced their ears from hit pop duo Aly & AJ.
After no stars ended its performance, the anticipation to hear the main act, CAAMP, grew.
Kylie Sauer, a sophomore studying outdoor education and recreation, was excited to hear one of her favorite bands perform.
“I have been a fan of CAAMP for a while,” Sauer said.
Not only was Sauer excited to hear the music, but she was also looking forward to spending time with her friends.
“I’m really excited. A lot of my friends are here tonight, so I am looking forward to seeing their music live after listening to their music for so long,” Sauer said.
Another OU student who shared Sauer’s excitement was Issy Martin-Dye, a freshman studying journalism. Although not as long of a fan as Sauer, Martin-Dye was still equally as happy to be at the concert.
“I got into CAAMP in the fall when I met my new friends,” Martin-Dye said.
Students were not the only audience members eager to hear the American folk band perform. An OU alumna was happy to be back in Athens to attend the concert.
Katie Anderson, a 1996 OU graduate, made the drive from Cleveland to witness the performance. Her daughter, Maddie, is a fan of CAAMP, having been introduced to the band by some of her friends and an old teacher.
“I’ll take any excuse to come back to campus,” Anderson said.
Before the band came on stage, Josh Antonuccio, the director of the Music Industry Summit as well as director of the School of Media Arts and Studies, presented Jay Sweet, executive director of the Newport Festivals Foundation. Sweet accepted a large check from Antonuccio, representing all of the money earned from ticket sales. Prior to the show date, CAAMP announced all of the proceeds earned from the concert would be donated to the Newport Festivals Foundation.
The Newport Festivals Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting music education programs around the nation. Sweet said a “big chunk” of the money earned would be fueled back into the community to support music education in Ohio.
Once the four members of CAAMP stepped foot onto the stage, all of MemAud jumped to their feet. Lead singer and guitarist Taylor Meier seemed very at home on stage — spinning around his bandmates and, at one point, joining the crowd.
Meier said the last time he was in the auditorium, he was a freshman watching Craig Robinson do a comedy skit for orientation. Although he said school didn’t last long for him, Meier seemed happy to be back.
The rest of the concert was filled with rambunctious applause and lively clapping. About 20 minutes into the performance, CAAMP slowed down a bit. Meier switched to the acoustic guitar, and other member Evan Westfall picked up the banjo.
It was evident the audience was captivated by the folk band’s performance, many patrons singing the words aloud. It seemed the general consensus was CAAMP gave a rousing performance to end a successful Music Industry Summit.
“I’m so thrilled,“ Martin-Dye said. “I feel like this is going to be a good ending to a freshman year.”
