‘Friday’ singer Rebecca Black brings infectious energy to WERW launch party
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The Schine Underground stage featured colorful light fixtures that shot auroras of color into the room. A large LED sign sat at the back of the stage and displayed animated visuals of sci-fi content.
Only a few feet away stood a swarm of Syracuse University students, shining their phones’ flash lights toward the headliner. Behind Rebecca Black — donning a red corset top with matching red pants — stood her DJ Cecilia Gomez, who goes by the artist name Ceci G.
Early in her set, Black thanked the crowd for attending and announced how great it felt to be back on a stage for the first time in nearly two years.
WERW radio returned to Schine Underground for its 2021 Fall Launch party with performances from SU student band Picture Us Tiny and pop singer Rebecca Black. This is the radio station’s first in-person event since its 2019 launch party that featured performances from Kae Draco and Aidan Ochre.
The radio station would not be the same without its in-person concerts and parties. After all, radio entertainment centralizes around music, WERW general manager Laurel Matsui said.
“I think it’s a really integral part of our organization since we are all about music and radio that we have this fun celebration,” Matsui said. “We did a virtual launch party in the spring, but obviously it doesn’t have that same energy and vibe that a real in-person one does.”
One principal element of WERW radio is its appreciation for student artists. The radio station recognizes the abundance of talent at SU and encourages students to share their talent with the campus, Matsui said.
WERW got Picture Us Tiny, a pop-punk band established in 2020, to open for Black. The band’s single “Indie Girls 101” has gained over 15,000 streams on Spotify and reflects early 2000s aesthetics.
“My sound is definitely drawn from early 2000s pop-punk,” said Jackson Velli, Picture Us Tiny’s guitarist and lead vocalist.
“I think another one of my influences is writers like Elliott Smith, almost trying to create this expression of early 2000s music with some mature writing on top of it,” he said.
Picture Us Tiny is known for applying unconventional elements to their performances. The band’s last performance took place on a balcony on Ackerman Avenue, leaving attendees to crowd the lawn. However, lead guitarist Vir Batra said he enjoyed the traditional stage setup at Schine Underground.
“This one was a real stage with ventilation and people were kept away. It was much better organized than our last performance,” Batra said.
The instantaneous crowd matched its energy with the pace of the band’s setlist. One song brought out the raging energy of mosh pits, while another prompted the crowd to sway in unison.
Black took the stage second at the launch party. Her hit single “Friday” went viral in 2011 and led the way for her second hit “Saturday” in 2013.
After each song, Black joined the front line of the crowd in a singing duo. One sign in the crowd stood as a tribute to Black’s queer pride. The “I’m Gay 4 You Mommy,” sign was held high during her performance.
When Black came back on stage for an encore to perform a remix of “Friday,” the crowd erupted with cheers, and crew members dispersed colorful balloons amongst the crowd. Before the beat dropped in the electric-remix of “Friday,” Black called for the audience to open up for one more mosh pit. They followed her wish, and the crowd quickly turned into a center for rowdy dance pits and crowd-surfer galore.
Black sang her 2011 hit “Friday” while audience members danced along.
Will Fudge | Staff Photographer
One student said they were surprised that Black’s style of music would attract such a large crowd. Another surprised that Black chose to perform at SU.
“She’s such a niche artist, and Syracuse is such a niche school,” Amy Tena said.
As a fan since elementary school, Tena felt it was no coincidence that Black performed at her school. “It was like it came full circle,” Tena said.