Drew’s WMNJ radio station was back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 28, when multiple performers took to the Ehinger Center stage for the station’s Starry Night concert. The radio concert provided a relaxed space for students to come hang out, listen to music and attend tarot card readings to predict their future.
Having encouraged guests to arrive bundled up in their pajamas, WMNJ maintained a cozy atmosphere as they kicked off the night with a live DJ and student performances, featuring groups such as the Automatics and the Madison Blues Band. Most attendees took a seat to watch comfortably as performers covered classic rock songs and shredded guitar solos.
Bass player for the Madison Blues Band and WMNJ member Jonah Fine (‘26), stated, “I think for the first WMNJ concert in years, the turnout on a Wednesday night was great, and the inclusion of outside performers made the night fun.”
The station incorporated various activities and areas where students could play board games with each other, have their face painted or watch a silent movie being projected onto a wall. Balloons littered the floor and fairy light centerpieces dotted the tables as students filled in to watch the festivities take place. With the steady arrival of guests, the station showed its caliber after having been almost entirely dormant over the past couple of years.
Samantha Haase (‘25) has already created a complex and collaborative team of people in her first semester as head of WMNJ, after taking over the position of station manager from Griffin Harris (C’23). Organizing this concert shows just how far she has already come in trying to jumpstart the station’s transformation into a place where students can express their creativity freely.
“Starry Night was WMNJ’s first successful attempt at putting ourselves out there again; We’ve really worked on making a name for ourselves this semester and I think we’ve done that so far,” said Haase when asked about how the concert went. “It has really been amazing seeing WMNJ go from absolutely nothing to the place it is now and I’m super excited for what the future brings.”
To liven up the night, Shaan’s Funk Band took the stage. Featuring upbeat classics like Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” the band knew exactly how to draw students out onto the dance floor. As the performers played song after song, their audience never tired of jumping around the floor and belting the lyrics to their favorites with their friends.
With a brief pause between acts and an announcement from Haase about a pajama competition taking place later in the night, the event’s mood shifted from the type of wild dance parties one has at a sleepover to a more intimate feel of reflecting on old times and new beginnings with a group of one’s closest friends.
Headliner Christian Sparacio took the stage as the last performer of the night to deliver a sweet, yet melancholic performance characteristic of the indie folk rock genre. Cozying up near the stage, most of the audience sat by and swayed as Sparacio strummed away on his acoustic guitar and interacted with all those seated before him.
“It was the perfect last set for Starry Night to relax and just vibe with friends, and even people I don’t normally talk to,” said WMNJ board member Lindsay Orellana (‘26). “Something I loved about Starry Night was the community that we were able to build and how people connected with those they wouldn’t normally interact with.”
An air of peacefulness and good feeling filled the space as Sparacio finished his set. It seemed that WMNJ’s first concert of the semester was a success for everyone involved. The long event culminated in newfound conversations between people who were just meeting for the first time and solid memories for friends who attended together. The success of the Starry Night event is a great sign of progress and proved to be a significant confidence boost for the club. WMNJ plans to host their next concert in late April or early May. In the meantime, make sure to keep up with any upcoming events before then by following their Instagram @wmnj_radio.
Eva Esqueda is a sophomore majoring in media and communications and minoring in French, film and American studies.
