Seton Hall's Theatre-in-the-Round was rocking Monday night as The ONE Campaign presented the first rock concert at SHU since The All American Rejects in 2007. The three-hour concert, co-sponsored by Alpha Sigma Phi, Theatre Council and Housing and Residence Life, opened with Hungry Ghosts, Swear and Shake and Koo Koo Kanga Roo, and featured a nationally-known band from Springfield, Missouri: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSYLBY).
The theatre was full of energy when SSLYBY took the stage thanks to their great opening acts. The first of these performers was the Seton Hall-based band, the Hungry Ghosts, who was playing only its second show. Then three guitarists of New York's Swear and Shake set the stage with their upbeat, acoustic rock.
Swear and Shake filled the theater with a folk-rock sound complete with soothing melodies that brought their New York style to the Hall. "The Promise," "Bones," "Being and Time" and "The Light" are only a few of the soulful songs Swear and Shake sung at the concert.
The unique Koo Koo Kanga Roo, who took the stage after Swear and Shake, really hyped up the audience and got everyone on their feet.
Blacking out the Theatre, this band had chaotic neon lights to fill the stage and all the fans participate in choreographed dances to songs including "Dinosaur Stomp," "No Crust!," "Friendship Bracelets" and "Awesome Rainbows." The energy rose in the theatre as everyone got to their feet jumping up and down to the animated performers.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin headlined the show. While they have a unique name for a band, SSLYBY rocked the Theatre-in-the-Round with a sound similar to Mumford and Sons and The Beatles.
The group stopped at the Hall while on their tour to promote their new album "Let It Sway." They played popular songs like "Think I Wanna Die," "Modern Mystery," "Pangea" and "House Fire," as just a taste of the indie rock that filled the theatre.
All the proceeds collected at the concert were donated to Nuru Interational, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to provide clean drinking water to those in need worldwide.
Christina Brattoli can be reached at christina.brattoli@student.shu.edu.
