In 24 days, hundreds will stand and dance for 46 hours during the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. On Saturday night, hundreds stood and danced during THON’s first benefit concert, Chords for a Cure.
Chords for a Cure featured performances by independent bands WALK THE MOON and Boyce Avenue in the debut concert that benefited THON.
WALK THE MOON kicked off the night with an electrifying, fast-paced set that immediately got the crowd on their feet, dancing and clapping to the beat.
Although they apologized for being unable to make it to THON next month, the band said that there was no reason everyone couldn’t have a dance party during their performance.
“If you haven’t done so yet, start making a weirdo out of yourself,” lead singer Nicholas Petricca said as he encouraged the crowd to keep the energy high toward the end of the set. “Just have fun with it.”
Boyce Avenue, a band made up of three brothers, later took the stage and excited the crowd with a more mellow, soulful performance. The audience swayed to the sounds of the acoustic performance and danced again as the band picked up the pace.
“We’ve got a good little crowd here,” lead singer Alejandro Manzano said in between songs. “We’ve got some passion in this room.”
A quick informal poll taken by Manzano discovered that many people in the audience discovered Boyce Avenue through their popular cover songs on YouTube.
Throughout their performance, the band mixed in covers of popular songs like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” with its original songs, many of which had heartfelt, uplifting messages.
Corinne Wilson said that she was excited to hear Boyce Avenue play live.
Wilson (sophomore-chemical engineering) became a fan of the band when their cover of Rihanna’s song “We Found Love” was used in last year’s “Road to THON” promotional video.
Britney Elsbury said that the sounds of the two bands encompassed the feelings of THON weekend.
“Some of the songs were more upbeat, others were more slow,” Elsbury (junior-archaeological science) said. “THON’s an emotional weekend, and tonight covered both the happy and sad emotions.”
Danielle Kovalsky said the benefit concert was a great way to enjoy new music while donating to a great cause.
“Both bands got a lot of people moving,” Kovalsky (sophomore-biobehavioral health) said. “They were really positive and upbeat — perfect for THON.”
To email reporter: kiz5038@psu.edu
