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Bringing back the sounds of summer

Activities Council of Bradley University (ACBU) brought singer Angie Keilhauer to perform in the Michel Student Center Wednesday.
Photo by AJ Lamb

As students wrap up their first month of the school year, the Activities Council of Bradley University (ACBU) provided students an opportunity to take a break and reminisce about the feelings of summer.

With picnic tables, beach towels and pillows scattered throughout Michel Student Center ballroom, students were invited to relax with their friends and listen to live music at the Take Me Back to Summer concert Wednesday night.

Since summer ended we, kind of wanted to get people hyped for the school year and [make] sure theyre still having fun and just hanging out with all of their friends, Olivia Schoenfeldt, ACBU special events coordinator, said.

Along with Megan DeSmet, a fellow special events coordinator, the two said they planned the event to give students a break from the first weeks of classes and to help them unwind.

During the beginning of the year, Welcome Week is very busy, and then you have Homecoming week, so [we wanted] just a chill and relaxed event, DeSmet, a sophomore nursing major, said.

ACBU invited acoustic country soloist and former contestant on The Voice, Angie Keilhauer, to perform.

It was nice with the [beach towels]. It reminded me of setting up on the beach and hanging out with friends, freshman elementary education major Ryan Wirth said.

Keilhauer tried to make the concert feel personal and interactive by requesting songs from audience members instead of sticking to a traditional setlist. Performing songs such as Keshas Timber, to Luis Fonsis Despacito, Keilhauer put her country spin on each of the fans requests.

I thought it was really unique [how she took requests]. Ive never seen anyone else do that and I really liked it, Josh Tortuga, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said. I think shes really good at engaging the audience she makes it feel like a personal [concert].

Keilhauer performed some of her unreleased original songs as well, and always made sure to explain their significance with great color commentary. For example, her new song Tequila, was inspired by a crazy weekend with her girlfriend.

It was a lot of fun to hear her talent being used to perform for Bradley students, especially songs we all know and love, Wirth said. I liked her originals as well, being able to hear new music even before [it is] recorded. Its just really cool to be the first group of people that could hear her music.

According to DeSmet, ACBU will be holding another small concert like this one in just one week.

Next week on Friday, Sept. 29, there is another event called Food Truck Friday. [The performers] name is Hayley Vaughn: shes an African American country singer, [and] shell be performing on the quad. There will be food trucks and giveaways, DeSmet said. Those are all of our small music events [for this semester]. We did a couple [events] in the beginning for Welcome Week, but otherwise, next semester there will be more.

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