Ten bands played to bring awareness to Laramie’s local music scene and raise funds for a newly formed Registered Student Organization and a local residential treatment home for youth.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), which started only two weeks ago, held its first event, Larapalooza, Thursday night in the Union Gardens and at O’Dwyers.
The portion of the show at the Union was free to the public and accepted free will donations. If someone made a donation of $5 or more, they were entered into a raffle and received a band for free admission to the portion of the festival at O’Dwyers. Admission to the second half of the festival was $5.
Larapalooza Committee Chair and bass player of Medicine Bow, Niko Kolis, said the event came out his and other SPJ members’ interest and involvement in the local music scene.
“It just kind of felt natural to do this,” said Kolis. “It seemed like a good way to have a local show and raise money.”
SPJ will keep 75 percent of the donations and money received from Larapalooza, while the remaining 25 percent will be donated to The Cathedral Home for Children. The Cathedral Home is a residential treatment center that serves troubled and traumatized children, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, according to cathedralhome.org.
SPJ extends beyond the UW campus.
“SPJ isn’t just a college organization,” said Kolis. “It is a national group of journalists; we’re all about networking.”
Kolis said the group prepares those who want to be involved in news media in the future.
Larapalooza was an event that was exclusively Laramie-oriented.
“This is 100% local,” said Kolis. “Every band, every member has some connection to Laramie and is mainly based out of Laramie.”
Kolis said the point of the show was to illustrate that there is a thriving music scene in Laramie, not only to promote SPJ.
“If you disconnect this from SPJ, we are trying to show people there is a really good music scene in Laramie,” said Kolis.
The festival showcased the following local bands: Not My Weekend; Harriman Exit; Medicine Bow; So Your Friends are Actors; Markus Holly; Windward; Stoic.; Nocturnicon; Caged Bird Songs; and Sorry, No Sympathy.
“Playing live shows is the best thing ever,” said Kolis. He said being involved on all ends and being able to promote the local music scene, promote SPJ and benefit The Cathedral Home was very exciting.
There were even more local bands asking to be added to the list of the Larapalooza event, but there was just not enough room, said Kolis.
Clancy Gill, drummer and vocalist of Harriman Exit, was “stoked to the max” to be playing last night.
“We don’t turn down shows like Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t turn down roles in movies,” said Gill.
Kolis said the festival could not have gone through without the help of AZTEC, a group on campus that provides audio services for events like Larapalooza.
