The Spill Canvas won over the crowd Saturday at Movin' On, taking the stage with little fanfare and playing a powerful set.
Before the band's performance, Nick Thomas, lead vocalist and guitarist, commented modestly about securing the headlining spot.
"It feels like we fooled someone and they're about to catch on," he said.
The lesser-known band from South Dakota not only entertained fans who stayed through the cold weather to hear its set, but also gave them the opportunity for a personal meet-and-greet earlier in the day. And, though Thomas might not have believed it, Spill Canvas fans were at the show in full force.
Nanse Clewell and Kristin McMullen, both students at Juniata College in Huntingdon, said they'd traveled to Penn State for one reason only.
"I came only for The Spill Canvas," Clewell said, adding she hadn't seen any of the day's other bands.
Maryssa Geltz (sophomore-microbiology), who attended the meet-and-greet, said The Spill Canvas was her "favorite band of all time."
"I didn't know they were going to do a meet-and-greet," she said. "When I found out, I started screaming."
Sean Tubridy (freshman-advertising), a fan of the band, said Canvas' set lived up to his expectations. However, he said he would have liked to hear "All Hail the Heartbreaker" or some of the band's other older material.
Thomas said he enjoyed the chance to interact with fans, but was also modest about the hype from younger fans that surrounded the meet-and-greet.
"I feel like maybe they'll grow up soon and figure out that I'm just a normal person that got really lucky somehow," he said.
Near the end of the night, Thomas told those in attendance he didn't care if they weren't there to see him and thanked them for supporting all the bands that played.
"The only thing that matters, the only thing that has ever mattered, is that you guys like music," Thomas said.
As The Spill Canvas closed its set, shouts of "Encore!" rose from the crowd. After about 10 minutes, members of the Movin' On core committee informed the audience the show was over. Afterward, those in attendance slowly dissipated.
Tubridy said he was upset by the lack of encore.
"I have never been to a show where the headlining band didn't play an encore," Tubridy said.
