Norton Auditorium had the privilege of hosting two local bands on Friday, August 23. Planned and coordinated by UNA’s University Program Council, the event proved to be a huge success with an impressive turnout.

This event was a part of Mane Month, a month dedicated to building a sense of community for new students on campus.  

“I think a big draw to UNA is that it feels like home,” said UPC member Omarie Bartee’el. “Crowds like this lead to friends you’ll have four years down the line.” 

Bartee’el was also excited to plan this event because music is such a large part of the Florence community. 

“I love seeing how people come together to appreciate music, and I think seeing people come to experience something new is great,” Bartee’el said.

Florence’s own Bold Bloom performed first, with Paul Ivy hyping up the crowd. He rapped a few of his favorite tracks, including “What is Love?” and “IDK Anymore.” Ivy impressed the crowd with his effortless rhythm, and he later welcomed fellow member Dwayne Baba to take over the stage. 

Bold Bloom consists of a number of talented singers, such as Ivy, Baba and fellow artist JRNL, as well as gifted musicians, EJ Powell and Nick Watford. The group officially got together in 2020, and they have been pursuing their dream ever since.

The group is not new to performing at UNA, having both written and produced a couple songs here at UNA’s own Rivers Hall. In fact, the song that opened the show was the first song produced by the members, titled “What is Love.” 

They performed previously as openers for the Spring concert, and were excited to bring some of their newest songs back to campus. 

“We were excited to bring a completely different setlist to UNA,” said Ivy.

Rockin’ River Bottom Band performed next on stage at Norton Auditorium, bringing a mix of old and new school country. The group officially formed in October of 2023, originally for Battle of the Bands. Remarkably, the band was only together three weeks before the competition. In actuality, it was only the sound check before BOTB that the band was able to practice with all members. 

Rockin’ River formed for the opportunity to compete and earn a spot to perform at the Spring Concert. 

“We wanted to give it our all,” said lead singer Brody Gravitt. “I told the guys, if we win, we win, and if we lose, we lose.”

The music fest featured a unique element of purple and gold light up wristbands, and this was something Gravitt highlighted specifically. Most artists will feed off the crowd’s energy and participation, and the wristbands certainly kept the crowd engaged. When all the lights went out for the bands to perform, the auditorium transformed into an impressive concert hall. 

Both groups have some future events on the horizon. You can see Ivy performing next at Singer River Brewery on October 26. This event will feature 16 artists for a festival style lineup. 

Rockin’ River plans to perform at a couple sorority events on campus, and they also hope to be featured at a couple of places downtown.