A mosh pit? In the quad?

Mia Adduci, Managing Editor|April 14, 2023

It was already 77 degrees when the Music Industry Club (MIC)’s student showcase started to bring even more heat to the Bixler/Gerber quad. The first truly warm day of the semester was set ablaze as U. New Haven students took to the BSAC patio to flood campus with a diverse array of sounds. The quad beyond the performers continued to grow, and the campus community was pulled together by the sounds coming from MIC’s performers.

The late afternoon kicked off with a duo potentially more essential than man and dog: nerd and guitar. Nerd on Guitar had a set that combined covers with originals “Alone Together” and “Parasite.” He had a booming personality and a voice with a slight twang that despite being an acoustic set, radiated across the entire span of the quad.

Next to the stage was rising vocalist Sarah Serkosky accompanied by Elise Browell, who is notably part of the founding team of Rose Room Records, a local record company to which Serkosky is signed. The two flooded the quad with electricity supported by two other musicians on the keyboard and drums.

Serkosky’s stage was nearly monochromatic black but that did not distract from the angelic nature of her voice. Her lyricism is deeply powerful –– in some ways she closely emulates a young female David Kushner –– with hard-hitting lines like “the whole world could be knocking but I’d only let you in.” Even with the beating sun overhead, her voice rained down onto the quad from somewhere far above us. The instruments played to her voice, capturing her ability to take charge of her music.

Serkosky also covered “All the Same” by Sick Puppies, a performance which showcased the artist’s ability to display the same level of connection to everything she sings regardless of whether or not she wrote it herself. This was wildly impressive this early on in her career.

Browell, who performed on Serkosky’s left, was found mouthing the words of the artist’s originals throughout the set. The chemistry between the two was clear and their energies contrasted each other powerfully onstage.

Fractured Mentality took over the quad soon after, switching up the vibe as they tackled some heavy metal content. One of the band members even kicked off the first track of their set wearing a neon green ski mask, which turned heads before being tossed to the ground.

The instrumentals went wild in this group, and drummer Ryan Seagull took their sound to the next level with some unbelievable talent.

It was the band’s first time performing live together as a group, but from in front of the patio you would never think this was Fractured Mentality’s first gig.

They covered “Violent Pornography” by System of a Down, a song which allowed lead singer Ava Roberson to push her vocal envelope and showcase the level of control she has over her voice. Her ability to enunciate at such a high rate of words per minute was wickedly impressive, especially for someone who is not highly familiar with standing front and center of a growing crowd.

As individuals, the members of this band had incredible personality. Robertson even took a break from flooding campus with her wicked voice to give the crowd a highly requested tattoo tour between songs.

As a collective, the group has plenty of potential to gain maturity in their sound and their chemistry as a group is only just beginning, but Fractured Mentality is one to watch as they continue to find their footing.

No Rush! headlined the event, earning their reputation as a campus fan-favorite after MIC’s Battle of the Bands back in December. Their energy could not be contained within the span of the quad and there’s no doubt that their radiance is what made the crowd nearly double in size during their closing set.

Even in the last four months, No Rush! has matured notably as they took to the stage with a collected presence this week. For a band composed of such young members, their interactivity was incredibly applaudable.

The crowd absolutely came alive and did not die down until the set wrapped up.

They continued their trend of playing a wide array of classics that sucked spectators in. No Rush! skillfully shifted their energy to match that of each and every band they covered.

Their energy ranged from mellow to totally jacked-up, showcasing the band’s variety in yet another way. This kept the crowd on their toes, creating an atmosphere that ranged from groups moshing on the concrete to a line of students linking arms and swaying to their slower songs.

An encore was even in session as none of the clusters of students in the quad wanted them to clear the patio.

For more on-campus live music, mark your calendars for next Thursday, April 20 when MIC is hosting a coffeehouse style open mic at the Sheffield gazebo from 3-8 p.m.