Written by Isiah Price. Media by Joseph Wood.
The Blackroom had their first Open Mic Night of the school year on Tuesday, September 12 on Greenville University’s campus. The Blackroom is a building between Hood, Mannoia, and Holtwick Hall where student artists can show their talent. Students can perform anything from music to spoken word, or even stand-up comedy routines.
Many students showed up with their music or other equipment, ready to perform. The room was dimmed, yet there were bright flashing lights from the stage. Many students were there to support their friends and classmates. The event began at 7:30 pm and had a host, Shaquille Beck, to introduce performers and get the crowd excited for the night. Beck was very comedic and funny, and his jokes kept the audience standing on their feet.
The lights began to dim as the host brought an end to this comedy skit and welcomed the first performer, Mckenzie Wade. She walked on stage and introduced her song, which was an original cover song. The crowd got quiet as she began to sing. Many were intrigued by Wade’s vocal skills. She showed lots of rhythm and passion in her song selection, which particularly had an R&B feel. The song ended as the lights went up and the audience cheered loudly to show how amazing they thought she was. The crowd at the Blackroom was fantastic; the whole room was full of energy.
The host returned to the stage to bring about another applause for the first performer. Beck then got the crowd laughing by doing another comedy skit. The audience howled at the funny jokes the host made about his past. He then introduced the next set of performers. Allison Benton and her guitarist, Moses Leininger, performed the song “Inner Beauty.” The young lady began by complementing the previous artist on her amazing performance. She then introduced herself and her song to the audience. The crowd was absorbed in the classic country sound and loved the performance. Benton’s voice was amazing and it sounded great with her partner’s guitar. They both had tremendous energy on stage that brought the crowd to life. The crowd started to dance and sing along to the music as the beat picked up. Benton’s voice lit up the room and the audience gave a standing ovation.
Darryl Seals, a student at Greenville University also performed on Tuesday. After his performance, he said, “Performing in the Blackroom was a great experience. It’s always my favorite part of the school year. I loved how interactive and responsive the crowd was to my performance.” The first open mic night of the year at the Blackroom turned out to be a huge success and those to follow will be too, with the participation of more students.
Keep your eyes open for dates of future shows in the Blackroom. We hope to see you there!
Twitter: Blackroom Cafe
