Centennial Nights: March venue excites despite technical difficulties
Centennial Hall made the transition once again into a venue of music, art and dancing March 23.
"Centennial Nights: March" took place at Centennial Hall 360 W. Michigan St. in downtown Mount Pleasant. The event was produced and sponsored by Magical Mitten Productions and Skuzzy Boys Presents LLC along with a group of members and promoters.
"For this one, we wanted to push the boundaries," producer Chris Stewart said.
At the event, two wedding banquet halls were transformed to become the ”Live Room," which was dedicated Friday to a cellist, two live sets and a "mega jam," and the “Vibe Room," dedicated to DJs, hip-hops artists, hula-hoopers and bouncing bodies.
Friday's Live Room was headlined by Sun Tribe — a feel-good music playing band from Ann Arbor.
Car Crash Rhetoric — a pop punk band from Mount Pleasant — also showcased their abilities with a live set in Friday's Live Room. The band played an array of originals along with covers from Fall Out Boy, Blink 182 and others.
The night's main event was a collaboration of Pining and Pineapple Psychology.
“Pining and Pineapple Psychology is the best crossover ever,” said Kyle Engel, vocalist and guitarist of Car Crash Rhetoric.
“Better than Marvel's '(Avengers:) Infinity War?'” added the band's bassist Jeremy Wattie.
The collaborating bands named themselves Pining Psychology and described their collaboration as "alternative progressive slick funky jams." With their combined efforts, the bands hoped to perform a two-hour "mega jam, ' providing featured favorites and exhibited new tricks.
Unfortunately, screeching microphones and silent pianos shortened the "mega jam" to two songs. Both bands later performed separate live sets alternatively.
Stewart said he could not remember if it was Pining and Pineapple Psychology's fifth or sixth time performing at a Centennial Nights event, but he wanted to give the bands full control while "putting a little spin on things."
The Vibe Room was headlined by DJ Gyp$y — an Atlanta-based hip hop artist with old school sound who provided tracks from his new album.
Other artist featured in the Vibe Room included: A Tropical Martian, AMINALHOUSE, Hazedog, Gyp$y and Jordan Tukkker. Slevlth was also featured but a family emergency kept him from perfoming.
"I hope you rage extra hard for all the other incredible performers and I will see you all soon!" Slevth said in a post to the Centennial Night's Facebook page an hour before the event.
Attendees did not let him down. The sea of smoke and bobbing bodies was loud and immense as twitching silhouettes were cast onto the wall.
For Macomb sophomore Bradley Bellafaire, Centennial Night's Vibe Room introduced him to electronic dance music.
"My friends wanted me to hear live EDM music," said Bellafaire. "Although I personally didn't care for EDM, (Centennial Nights) was a great experience."
Eight tables sponsored by local artists and an art raffle gave attendees a chance to walk home with a new piece of artwork from local artists.
All raffle ticket proceeds went to Oil and Water Don't Mix, an oil field equipment supplier based in Traverse City. The company desires Michigan to come together around a common concern: protecting the Great Lakes.
An April date for the next Centennial Nights event has not yet been decided.
