Last Friday at the Ehmer Theater, Musician Network at Georgia Tech (GTMN) hosted their Fall Kickoff, showcasing three electric acts: indie folk artist Trevor Griffin and bands Uniqo and Mutual Disjunction.
GTMN is a student-led organization that teaches students how to lead open-mic shows and gives bands an opportunity to book gigs and perform on big stages. The Fall Kickoff served as a way to get students pumped for the semester and excited for the special events to come, such as open mic nights and showcases for solo artists.
Doors of the 300-seater theater opened at 7 p.m., where guests could browse CDs and find good seats as the bands warmed up and tuned their instruments on stage. The crowd filtered in slowly, filling the room with a buzz of anticipation as friends greeted each other while musicians chatted excitedly.
After a quick greeting, the stage erupted in galvanic green as act Uniqo took the stage and wowed the audience. Opening the fall kickoff, Uniqo delivered a set that was equal parts precision and chaos: razor-sharp guitar solos, a bassist whose energy spread like wildfire and a frontman whose voice cut straight through the room. Audience members cheered loudly between each song, with a few standing to clap along to the lively drums.
“Last fall, I was looking for clubs to kind of kill some time … and then I found the [GTMN] and they’re incredibly open to new members … We write pretty much everything ourselves, and we like to sprinkle in covers in our sets because people know [those songs],” remarked JJ Espinosa , fourth-year CE and lead singer of Uniqo, adding that his favorite part about performing is dancing on stage.
The band was formed after Espinosa met friend Andrew C, a second-year film student at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), at a music shop C worked at as both were GGC students at the time. Eventually gaining members, Izzy Rivera, second-year arts student at GGC, and Landon Millard, second-year accounting student at GGC, the band took off performing original songs at local venues from the Watershed to the Masquerade.
After roughly a year of playing together, the group has seemed to find their stride — writing about events that are both meaningful and random — a balance reflected in how guitarists Izzy Rivera and Andrew C describe the band: “chaotic but structured” and “weird but cool,” respectively.
Following Uniqo was Trevor Griffin , also of the band Tavern Breakfast, who shifted the post-Uniqo frenetic energy into a more intimate space. Griffin’s set was groovy and dreamy, uplifted by smooth vocals and a mellow, laid-back production that felt effortless but intentional.
While the energy slowed down, the audience remained fully engaged. A quick glance around the room revealed rows of heads bobbing and rocking in unison as they sank into Griffin’s chill and vibey performance. The relaxed rhythm seemed to wrap the crowd in a homogenous calm as the theater breathed in time with the music.
Closing out the night, Mutual Disjunction brought a burst of goofy, youthful energy that was impossible not to smile at. Their set leaned into playfulness just as much as musicianship, mixing bouncy riffs and vibrant rhymes with a stage presence full of carefree charm and animated movement.
The audience matched their energy by laughing, clapping along and moving with the band’s unfiltered joy. At one point, a cluster of musicians from earlier acts broke into spontaneous dancing at the side of the theater, showing how the band’s spirit spilled off the stage and into the crowd. With their dynamic vibe, Mutual Disjunction showed the audience that the most memorable performances come from simply having fun together on stage.
Tech’s Musician’s Network is a place for creatives to thrive and express themselves through music, songwriting and soundmixing. Members have access to practice rooms in the Student Center, as well as a professional recording studio. The organization also puts on monthly concerts and free music festivals every semester, and it provides equipment rentals to musicians eager to showcase their talents.
Whether passionate about music or just a lover of live bands, GTMN has something for everyone. Any students looking to share their music and enter the world of live music are encouraged to attend GTMN general meetings every Monday at 7 p.m. at the Musician’s Lounge on the 2nd floor of the Student Center.