Faith Logue, Contributing Writer
Every year, local musicians from SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College perform in front of an audience of students for the chance to open for the OH-Fest concert in an event called OH Factor. Wacka Flocka Flame will bring his trap discography with Young M.A to the Dewar Arena on April 27th at 7 p.m., with one lucky band or solo act opening for him. OH-Factor featured 19 talented acts in IRC 3, with an energetic crowd excited all night.
Each act performed two songs to keep the event under three hours. Although long, it went by fast as each act took the IRC “stage” one after the other. The event began at 8 p.m. with Wits End – an indie rock band that performed a cover of Cage The Elephant’s “Come A Little Closer,” which had the crowd cheering and excited. After them came Mary Notoe – an R&B cover artist who wowed everybody with her powerful and emotional vocals.
Hartwick College’s Ben Hulbert brought his original folk/country music to the stage with his intricate acoustic guitar and unique vocals. Next, the indie rock band The Pikes – established last year – showcased their new original song “Sail,” to great applause. Although the night mainly featured indie and pop acts, rappers Brycxn, kaico, FNGCasper, MB Mopy, Xavier Sharp, and Gritatcha showcased their original, catchy, and mind-blowing singles that had the audience on their feet and dancing. Full of complex beats and energetic stage presences, the rappers were excited and grateful to be there and showed great potential.
Other acts during the night included Canned Peaches – a three-piece indie rock band – who performed a refreshing cover of “Linger” by The Cranberries, and an energetic original song. Orange Grove took their spin on “Just A Girl” by No Doubt – having the audience singing and dancing along, while Sam Starr started his set off with an acoustic original but shocked everybody as he broke into a rap/R&B song, lighting up IRC with applause.
Metal band Brotality had the highest energy of the night – with the guitarist walking and jumping into the crowd and standing on the desks. During each breakdown, the band and audience jumped and screamed so loud that if I didn’t have earplugs in I might have lost my hearing.
Two-time OH-Factor winners Rib & The Bones took the stage shortly after with their eclectic mix of indie and rock. The four-piece band performed their original tracks, featuring unique and powerful vocal arrangements. Benjamin Keen slowed the night down with his acoustic guitar originals, while Lily Soleil and her band brought the heat with their cover of “Brazil” by Declan McKenna and her iconic track “Cryin.”
The final two acts of the night were Teddy Holly and Allie Sandt. Holly is an indie/pop artist with an eclectic discography featuring warm vocals and a lively stage presence. The last act of the night was the bubbly and vibrant Allie Sandt, former vocalist of the student band Seeing Double. Ending the night on a high note, Sandt brought her groovy and bluesy vocals matched with her talented live band.
OH-Factor, although long, showcased some of the talent in the Oneonta music scene – with an eclectic mix of genres and people. It was announced that the energetic metal band Brotality will be opening up the OH-Fest concert. The annual OH-Fest concert will be taking place on April 27th at 7 p.m. at Dewar Arena.
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