The band “Opus Orange,” led by guitar and lead vocalist Paul Bessnebacher, played the closing act at the Eddy on November 10, 2011. | Tyler Otte/THE CHIMES
On Thursday, Nov. 10, Associated Students hosted the first Eddy of the school year outside of Common Grounds. The Eddy is a longstanding tradition of concerts on campus that take place at least once a semester.
Eddy aims to feature local artists
The Eddy spans diverse genres, including alternative, folk, and even heavy metal in past concerts. Thursday’s concert was no exception, with a mixture of alternative, folk, indie, and any type of ‘chill’ music, featuring the artists Hannah Wang, Anna Nelson and Opus Orange. These artists are all up-and-coming musicians that the Biola Social Board researched and worked with to bring them to the event. Alex Erb, Eddy Coordinator, explained the detail in the research process.
“We look for local artists, emerging in the music scene, willing to play for the right price. We search the area, and some bands also approach us and send links, specifically looking to be featured at the Eddy,” said Erb.
While posters around campus read that musicians Opus Orange, Hannah Wang, and Huntingfield would be performing, there was a last minute change in which they added Anna Nelson in place of Huntingfield.
Hannah Wang and Anna Nelson perform original and cover songs
A freshman Biola student, Annalise Welch commented, saying she highly enjoyed her first experience with the Eddy.
“I like that this kind of stuff is brought to students,” said Welch.
First to perform was Hannah Wang, a self-taught singer/songwriter from the Bay Area in California. Wang’s songs were filled with abstract lyrics, with thought-provoking themes such as falling for someone who is not real, or just wasting a day with a lover in the park who turns out to not be who you think that they are.
“Angel in my mind, you are a demon,” sung Wang.
Second was Anna Nelson, who performed several covers by artists such as Kings of Leon, Bon Iver, and Brandy Carlile. She also sung many self-written ballads about her past experiences with love. These songs boasted detailed lyrics that included long distance relationships and ice skates. Nelson’s colorful lyrics gave vibrancy to her slow tempo and folkish style of singing.
Indie-pop band Opus Orange ends the night
Last was Opus Orange, a band that has been featured in ads for the Apple iPhone, AT&T, and Buick. Biola freshman Andrew Sears commented on Opus Orange.
“I’ve only been here for a few minutes, but we could hear the music coming all the way from Metzger, and they have a good sound,” said Sears.
This indie-pop band featured songs laced with electronic instruments, contrasting from the slower tempos of the first two artists. This allowed for the audience members who wanted to get up and move, to do so.
