On April 5, Tech’s very own WREK radio hosted their annual music festival, WREKtacular at the Underground Atlanta. WREKtacular has been an annual tradition for almost a decade. Consistently growing in size and popularity, WREK radio’s effort put into organizing this event was clear.
True to their festival theme of COLLAGE, WREK highlighted a variety of different art styles and genres of music. WREK also partnered with Georgia Tech Creatives to host a festival market complete with food, artisans, vinyl sellers and Tech artists.
K.R. Badlands started the night off right at 4 p.m. Made up of several Tech students, K.R. Badlands are no strangers to performing, having played at several venues across Atlanta. With WREKtacular being one of their final shows, they made sure to make it a good one for the crowd that was present.
At 5 p.m., local prog rock, or, as WREK described, “dad rock,” band Against the Fold took the stage. Commonly found playing at Georgia bars, this group brought an amazing energy while performing their greatest hits.
Suede Cassidy, made up of Atlanta natives Jeremiah Percival and Ian Boyd, brought the funk at 6 p.m. with their new wave, synth-pop R&B sound and personable lyrics. The final Georgia-based artist, Rose Hotel, played what can best be described as indie rock at 7 p.m.
Primarily playing music from her debut album “A Pawn Surrender,” she focused on the psychedelic and folk influence of her southeastern roots. TOLEDO, an indie rock duo based in Brooklyn, took the stage at 8 p.m. with Steve the drum machine. They made the most with their hour-long set, bantering with the crowd as the sun was setting, while filling the set with their biggest hits.
Atlanta was saoirse dream’s first stop on her tour of the East Coast. The Portland-based hyperpop artist attracted the most energetic crowd of the night, complete with several mosh pits across the set. The night wrapped up with yesterdayneverhappened, a Chicago EDM drum and bass artist. WREKtacular, overall, highlighted the diversity of music and creative expression.