As students adjust to life back on campus, many took time to catch up with their friends and attend the annual Elizabethtown Fair. The fair took place at the Elizabethtown Fairgrounds from Aug. 24 through Aug. 29. The event featured carnival rides, games, animals, vendors and live music.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, a band of college aged students from Reading, Pennsylvania took the stage. A few students as well as Elizabethtown residents of all ages ventured out to enjoy the live music.
Vinyl Rush creates strong setlists to fit all their audiences to the best of their ability, hoping to play something everyone can enjoy.
“Our discography is so diverse, so we have a lot of songs for everybody,” Cody Toplak, guitarist and student at Berks Career and Technology Center, said. “We try to have a mix of some older songs, some newer songs.”
Etown students in attendance found a greater sense of community through music.
“Music is something that brings people together,” Olivia Goldman-Smith, sophomore early childhood and special education major, said. “I think the act of live music allows for gathering and can be its own outing. My mom loves live music and we will go places because of the live music.”
The band has been broadening their performance locations, moving from Reading to other counties and even other states.
“It’s nice [playing in different regions because] we can take a dip into each local scene that another county has to offer, and we are now a part of that, and those people,” Fioravanti , bassist and sophomore at Kutztown University. “Even if it’s a small number of people, it’s still people that get to know us.”
“Seeing [Vinyl Rush] perform at an event [like this one] made me think of ways I could get more involved in the local area and community at large,” Goldman-Smith said. “It also encourages me to go out more to see other groups of students performing.”
During the band’s cover performance of “Two Princes” by Spin Doctors, the audience clapped along to the beat.
The members of the band expressed their gratitude for the audience participation. The members recalled the feeling as inspiring, remembering moments audience members would dance or even air drum parts of songs along with the band.
“It feels good,” Nicholas Alvine, drummer and first-year student at Millersville University said. “You know, people appreciate your music, even if it’s not your own originals.”
The members thanked those in attendance and hoped everyone enjoyed the performance.They invited listeners to come to another performance or check out their album, Dead Luck, which is available on all streaming platforms.
Upcoming performances include: The West Reading Fall Fest and The Denver Fair on Sept. 19th, Freedom Valley Harley-Davidson Bike Night on Sept. 24, The 18th Ward on Sept. 26 and The Bloomsburg Fair on Sept. 27.
More information can be found on Vinyl Rush’s website, https://vinylrushband.com/ or on their Instagram: vinyl_rush_.
