Update: The event location has been changed to Old Dickinson, see Bupipedream.com for coverage
Adding to the fun and excitement that comes with the end of the spring semester, WHRW 90.5 FM’s Moefest is scheduled to take over the Peace Quad on April 29.
Musical acts are to include headliners Wet, Porches, Paola Bear and LED Effect.
Carly Klein, WHRW’s music director and a junior double-majoring in English and psychology, was involved in the planning for this year’s Moefest. Part of her position is taking in music inventory and charting what people are listening to, so she’s constantly thinking about new bands to bring to campus.
“I have my music preferences,” Klein said. “But I catered this year’s lineup to what I think everyone else would like.”
Klein found out about Wet when she attended the College Music Journal Festival in October.
“I saw Wet open for a group I was seeing and I’d never heard of them and then I was really impressed and I knew that this group is going to be up-and-coming,” Klein said.
Wet is signed to Columbia Records and has done events for big names such as Calvin Klein. The Brooklyn-based trio has performed with CHVRCHES and released its first full-length album, “Don’t You,” this year.
Porches is what Klein describes as an “alternative, pop-rock band.” Its sound is very similar to Eskimeaux, a band that Binghamton Underground Music Presents brought to campus in the past.
Although Wet isn’t well-known, Klein feels that attendees will appreciate them.
“The band kind of just embodies that summertime feel,” Klein said. “I feel like with Wet and Porches together, they’re two groups that maybe you wouldn’t think to put them together, but together they work.”
Ariel Cohen, a freshman majoring in human development, likes Wet and described their music as chill with good lyrics. She’s happy to see them getting more exposure.
“I just didn’t think that anyone knew who they were, so I was surprised to hear that they’re coming,” Cohen said. “I’m really excited to see them.”
The two other acts have close ties to WHRW and the community. Paola Bear, whose real name is Paola Diaz, a senior majoring in psychology, is a DJ at WHRW and has also DJ’ed at The Place. One of the members of LED Effect, Daniel Kadyrov, a second-year graduate student studying mechanical engineering, is a past WHRW general manager. LED Effect has played at venues such as Social on State and Chatterbox.
Kadyrov says that he’s excited about how the band will adapt its usual set for this year’s performance.
“We usually play three-hour sets, so it’s going to be fun to condense it into 45 minutes,” Kadyrov said. “I’m bringing four synthesizers, so it’s going to get weird.”
Student bands Roman Love and Winter Olympics were chosen out of about a dozen community member submissions to open.
Moefest will also host tabling from Food Co-op, a tie-dying and henna table by WHRW and body painting by SHADES.
This is the fifth Moefest that WHRW has hosted and Klein hopes that the event will continue to gain prominence with time.
“This isn’t Spring Fling, this isn’t the thing everyone talks about,” Klein said. “But I think this is going to be the best Moefest yet and I’m really excited to see who comes out.”