At 7 p.m. on Friday, May 23, Archie Williams Performance Workshop (PW) put on their final concert of the year. To kick off the night, PW teacher and director Mario Aparacio introduced the bands and spoke about their hard work throughout the school year, then welcomed the first band to the stage.
Composed of senior vocalist and guitarist Colton Renga, junior Eli Chao on keys, Archie Williams assistant music teacher Seth Pressley on bass, and junior Jamie Lapic on guitar, the first band only performed one song to start off the night. With smiles and happy vibes, their infectious energy set the crowd’s mood for the night as they performed “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire before welcoming Band #2 to the stage.
Band #2 entered the stage with equal enthusiasm, engaging with the audience, dancing around, and telling jokes. Freshman vocalist Ace Rose introduced the band, accompanied by junior Maddie Bushnell on bass, junior Wyatt Morrison Walker on drums, freshman Noya Morquecho on bass and vocals, and freshman Rowan Sandusky on vocals. They started with “Here To Forever” by Death Cab for Cutie, followed by a soulful and customized rendition of “No One Noticed” by the Marias.
Band #2 proceeded to play a popular Gen Z anthem, Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO,” prompting the crowd to sing and dance along. They ended with “I Don’t Know How I Survive,” the second Death Cab for Cutie song of the night.
Band #3 included sophomore Lilly Zucker on vocals, Colton and sophomore Quinn Menke-French on guitar, freshman Lyla Barnhardt and Eli on keys, Scarlett Rankin on bass, sophomore drummer Everett Connell, and senior Orion Manely on percussion. They performed a version of “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar first, and Lilly left the stage to leave vocals to Colton for a haunting cover of “People Are Strange” by the Doors. They ended with “Working Man” by Rush.
Band #4 entered the stage and launched into 70s favorite “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate, sung by experienced senior vocalist Stella Berlin. With junior Milo Brown on drums, freshman Reid Terry on guitar and sophomore Hanaleia Lavie on bass, guitar and vocals, they followed with skilled and beautiful covers of “Use Me” by Bill Withers, “Killer Queen” by Queen, and “Bags” by Clairo. They ended their set with “Polyester Bride” by Liz Phair.
With a spectacular entrance, Band #5 performed an otherworldly rendition of “The Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, highlighting strong, haunting vocals from freshmen Gemma Prescutti and Ramona Helzberg. They followed with “Rambling Man” by Allman Brothers Band and “Hold the Line” by TOTO. They proceeded with ABBA’s “Waterloo” and ended with “Rosanna” by TOTO.
The vocalists paused between songs to introduce the rest of the band: juniors Finn Donnelley and Teo Donnelley on guitar and keys respectively, and sophomore Julian Silver on drums. After the last song finished, Mario addressed and awarded the Donnelley twins with outstanding performer recognition certificates, prompting cheers and applause from the crowd.
The final band entered the stage dressed to the nines in suits, sunglasses and formal dresses. They began with the famous Beatles hit “Get Back.” Sophomore vocalist Petra Betti introduced senior Stella Gregor as a special guest for their second song, “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. They followed with a surprise rendition of “Do I Do” by Stevie Wonder.
The whole band with the exception of Petra was composed of seniors: Zeke Cunningham on drums, guitarists Elliott Garneau and Elijah Galland, and bassist Noah Casey. They continued with “Free Man In Paris” by Joni Mitchell and Gino Vannelli’s “Brother To Brother,” then ended the night with “The Spirit of Radio” by Rush.
The concert left the audience with a lasting impression and ended the series of concerts on a high note, looking forward to future PW concerts next year. With a great selection of songs and a happy vibe all around, the concert was enjoyable and unique. Showcasing the raw talent in all six bands, the event earned itself five out of five feathers.
