With the weather warming up, music festivals are back on campus. On March 28, the Georgia Tech Musician’s Network (GTMN) held its spring semesterly 1000 Couches, a free event showcasing Tech and other local talent. Starting at 2:30 p.m., students, friends and family gathered to listen to music and check out the vendors set up around Tech Green. Some of the vendors were artists selling their work, and others were food trucks stationed around to satiate the hunger of those in attendance on the hot, sunny day.
The beauty of a GTMN event is that, while students come to celebrate and attend the festivals, students also plan, organize and run all of their events. Students were dancing, moshing and sitting out on the field with a blanket enjoying the sets, while other students were working sound, setting up the stage and even playing the event. It is no easy task for the students who organize each of GTMN’s events. It involves booking, audio engineering, networking, flexibility and the ability to get everything done in a timely manner. All of that requires a cohesive team of individuals with a shared goal of fostering the community of musicians here at Tech.
To start off the event, Mooncastle, who interviewed with the Technique earlier this year, graced the stage with their funky “space music” and fun stage presence. Mooncastle made their mark winning the GTMN New Bands event held last fall, and the 11 members of Mooncastle are all a part of GTMN and have been there for their duration of time at Tech.
Next was Sporadica, a 6-piece group combining elements from different genres to create their experimental sound. Their set held to their name, unpredictable and keeping the audience on their toes. They tend to create a pause in their songs, build a little anticipation, and then rip right back out with a punch.
Flower from the Rock came next, another band that appeared at New Bands, with only their second time ever making an official appearance on stage, the first being Goth Valentine’s Night back in February at the South Bend Commons.
Boywifer brought their emo tunes to the stage next with Boycat, followed by their slow-core, melancholic sound. Boycat will make an appearance at the, also student-run, WREK 91.1 FM’s annual Wrektacular event this year held at the Goat Farm.
Fishbug, Hippie Love Party, Melaina Kol and Postcard Nowhere closed the night by offering screamo, distortion and experimental sounds that consistently drew in more people as the evening went on, displaying the creativity of the many students in GTMN and the artistic influence that is evolving in Atlanta.
GTMN has been on a roll, planning events for this semester to further cater to the local community. Last month, they held two events, the UTC Showcase and another hosted by the beloved venue, “The Whale.” But after 1000 Couches, GTMN’s work is not done. Coming up next, an event called “Styrofoam,” a project that the students at Tech collaboratively work on, will take place on April 4. They will bring in ideas and plans and successfully write an album in 12 hours. All different styles and skill levels are welcome to help and meet other musicians. For more information, check out @gtmusiciansnetwork on Instagram.
GTMN can further be supported by purchasing their merchandise or just by attending their events, like 1000 Couches. Meetings are held every Wednesday night at the John Lewis Student Center, and open mic nights are held every Thursday for all students.