Every year, just after spring break has passed, the Georgia Tech student programs bring in a band for a Sting Break concert. Last year featured bands such as OAR, Augustana and Parachute. This year brought in opener Crash Kings and headliner JET, an established band and an up and coming. Sting Break was held on April 8 at the Burger Bowl on Georgia Tech campus, the same location as the homecoming concert the previous fall.
The Burger Bowl wasn’t sporting a super-sized crowd, but rather a meager half full venue. Many in attendance were in fact outside the gates, with more crowding on the hills then against the stage.
Crash Kings is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2006. It consists of two brothers, Tony Beliveau and Mike Beliveau, who are the keyboardist and bassist respectively. Jason Morris adds the beats to the music, finishing up this trio as the drummer. This unique trio adds a complex zest to the rock genre with a tuneful, aggressive and hard rock sound.
Their music stems from the introduction by keyboardist and lead vocalist Tony, who provides their interesting sound. Tony, commenting on his own music, said “I visualize a place where I feel complete peace – usually a place of natural beauty, immersed in nature. Songs like ‘Mountain Man’ and ‘Come Away’ came out of me being out in nature.”
Many of the songs have not made it onto mainstream radio or television yet except for their first single, “Mountain Men,” which they were able to finish up their act with to provide a lasting memory of their performance. This song was composed to resemble the intensity of the slopes that Tony and Mike grew up loving.
Headliner JET provides a contrast in many different aspects. A band that was formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 also consists of two brothers out of the four-member ensemble. Nic Cester, lead vocalist and guitarist, and Chris Cester, drummer, began the formation of JET during their high school days with current band member Cameron Muncey, guitarist and backup vocalist.
JET opened up their set with songs from their recently released album, “Shaka Rock,” which didn’t draw much excitement from the crowd. Although the band tried to provide an energetic show, there was not much feedback coming from the audience. However, the emergence of “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” and “Cold Hard Bitch,” from their number one singles during the year 2003, caused a burst in the crowd.
JET and Crash Kings were nothing short of expectations, with Crash Kings setting the perfect stage for headliner JET. Although the mood of the concert didn’t produce the rock vibe you would get elsewhere, the music was spot on. Sting Break always brings in big names with great music. These concert events are a must go for any student around campus.