Mondays Just Got Better

Forget March Madness, let's talk about Music Mondays.

Hunched over a music textbook, Jeremy MacDonough, freshman Music Business and Industry major, details his dream recording studio while his fellow Summit of Thieves band mates filter into the SALC lounge.  

"This kid's a genius," Aj Raskin, a junior MBI major and all-purpose staffer for Summit, says pointing to MacDonough.

The Summit of Thieves is just one on campus band that will be featured during MEISA's upcoming "Music Mondays." Music Mondays will showcase musical talent on campus through a series of concerts held at 7 p.m. on Mondays through the end of March in ASAC 100. The concerts are free, but students must present their student ID's to get in.

Raskin, who is organizing the concerts, says the main goal is to get people excited about on campus bands. 

"I don't care who you are, at one point or another you want to see a live show. We are bringing you that live show, bringing you that entertainment, and trying to do it well."

The first Music Monday will be held Jan. 30 and features Red Tin Box, The Summit of Thieves, and Suncooked.  Suncooked band member Ry McDonald, a sophomore MBI student, describes their sound as acoustic folk rock Americana—Jack Johnson meets the Beatles meets Bob Marley.

"We are just everything you like and more," laughed Jake Gregg, fellow band member and sophomore MBI major. The band had an eventful winter break with the December 12th release of their EP "Did you mean: Uncooked?"

"It just went viral," said Gregg.

Perhaps even more exciting, the band opened three nights for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at a sold out House of Blues in Boston in front of 2,500 people.

"One of my favorite moments was when we were packing up the car and somebody approached us and was like ‘ah, you guys are in the band, you guys were incredible!'" Colin Murphy, band member and sophomore MBI major, said.  "For me, it's really about that personal connection."

However, Suncooked's new found success has not stopped them from getting excited about playing smaller shows. 

"Coming home, coming here, people are going to accept us for who we are and know our music. Up here we have a good following," McDonald explained.

The second goal of Music Mondays is to provide publicity for MEISA, the Music Entertainment Industry Students Association. Trever Gross, vice president of MEISA and founding member of The Summit of Thieves, hopes the concerts will show that MEISA is not just a club for MBI majors. 

"This program is about networking with a common interest,"—that common interest being the music industry. Members of MEISA are hoping to send students to attend a nationwide convention in Los Angeles this spring to network with other chapters.

Every Music Monday has a theme genre. Raskin hopes to conclude the concert series with a battle of the bands.

"We really just want to entertain, so come on in and enjoy the music!"