Students perform during the fourth annual ‘Gatestock.
The stage and amps were covered in plastic sheets and flannel shirts last Saturday, as the fourth annual ‘Gatestock kicked off amid the rain and wind.
‘Gatestock, a music festival started by Andy Peng ‘12 and the group Broad Street Records four years ago, came back this year bigger and better. Modeled after Woodstock, the event had a huge stage in the Academic Quad where student bands played throughout the day. Student groups offered food and activities, and even blow-up obstacle courses.
Broad Street Records president Caitlin Grossjung ’13 began planning the latest ‘Gatestock this past summer.
“We did more mass advertising this year. We posted fliers on all the doors in the apartments and the townhouses and hung up posters all around campus,” she said about the four-hour festival.
Students in rain jackets and rubber boots gathered around the stage to watch their friends play, with bands ranging from the three-piece Textbook Granfaloonery playing only Beatles songs to Grossjung’s own band incorporating violin and dual male-female vocals.
Grossjung’s hope was that the musicians would have a good time. “We don’t want it to be stressful, we just want it to be fun because with the rain and wind — the weather is never nice for ‘Gatestock — the sound can be difficult to control.”
The musicians felt the same way. Bassist for Textbook Granfaloonery, Michael Massey ’13, said of playing on the Quad: “It’s a lot of fun. It’s cool seeing it in a musical setting instead of just everyone hustling to class.”
Ben Diamond ’13, who plays guitar and vocal for Woe the While, agreed with Massey.
“With the reverberation off the stone walls of the academic buildings and the picturesque view in the background, music was meant to be played in the Quad,” Diamond said.
Student groups provided food and activities at ‘Gatestock.