Video: Willipalooza rocks out on campus

The Geissler Gymnasium transformed into a rockin’ night of music, dancing, and vendors on April 15 for “Willipalooza.” The small music festival, hosted by the student-led WECS Radio Club and Storrs-based booking company the Dog P0und, gave an estimated 300 students and community members each a free ticket to see local talent take the stage.

The event was a revival and rebrand of the Radio Club’s “Willistock” festival, which was formed in 2011 and followed a similar format. This year, “Willipalooza” invited four acts to the stage:

• Shinomiyaa: DJ Jack Neri, an Eastern computer science major.
• joey cxp: New Jersey-based punk-rock band.
• Remedies: Local metal band.
• Symposia: Local nu metal band.

"It's hard for local musicians to gain recognition in their communities, let alone at a regional scale," said Kyle Berson, president of the WECS Radio Club. "Willipalooza aims to get our performers' names out there, while providing a good time for our campus community."

"Supporting local music also opens you up to sounds you may not have otherwise heard," added Lucy Jones, the club's vice president. "Symposia, for example, plays music that I ordinarily wouldn't listen to or wouldn't get recommended to me through algorithms or social media, but I really enjoyed listening to them because they feel different and exciting."

Willipalooza also hosted vendors, including T-shirts with a Purpose (T-SWAP), The Dog P0und, joey cxp, Symposia, WECS Radio Club, Gymnastics Club, and Women's Weightlifting Club.