SAC Presents: Hush Sound, Lenka

The Midwest met the West coast and Australia last Saturday as The Hush Sound and Lenka shared the stage for the SAC Concerts spring show. The Regents Center proved a little too large for the smaller-than-usual crowd that attended the concert, but both groups kept the audience entertained.

Lenka stepped into the spotlight at 7:00 p.m. With her unique vocal tone and eclectic beats, the Aussie and her band charmed the audience for a little more than an hour.

“We’re very grateful to play here and to be able to make music for a living,” Lenka said.

After her performance, Lenka signed shirts, took pictures and chatted with fans outside the main gym.

“This is probably the most isolated place we’ve ever played, and I mean that in a positive way,” Lenka said after the show. “It’s nice to get into the country and breathe the fresh air.”

Many people found it difficult to make musical comparisons between Lenka and other artists. She shed some light on the issue.

“I would describe our music as melodic pop leaning towards indie pop,” Lenka said. “It’s eclectic with dark undertones.”

Lenka’s crowd was a bit larger than that of The Hush Sound, and the concert’s entire attendance was much lower than past SAC Concerts shows. Only a few more than 400 people hit the Regents Center to hear the two groups perform.

“I think the quality [of the show] was high, and it was unfortunate that so many people chose not to come,” outgoing SAC Concerts co-chair Vanessa Oelrich (‘09) said.

Her counterpart agreed on the disappointing attendance, citing the strength of the performances.

“We basically had two full-length shows,” outgoing SAC Concerts co-chair Brandon Flaata (‘09) said.

The reasons for the lack of concert-goers could be many. As well as having several ensembles and sports teams out of town, the show’s timing falling so soon after spring break didn’t help when it came to publicizing it.

“It was difficult getting the word out about this show and we didn’t anticipate that,” Oelrich said.

Still, both groups were excited to play the show. The Hush Sound said it was their first show in a while and they were glad to be on the road again.

The Hush Sound played a piano rock concert. The Chicago-based group entertained their smaller audience with their laid-back personalities as well as their music. At the prompting of the audience for the band to “do something crazy,” the guitarist played the last few songs of the set shirtless.

Their beats were easy to tap your toes to, and they played a few covers that had the audience singing along.

Despite the concert’s low attendance, Flaata and Oelrich were still pleased with how the year went for SAC Concerts.

“It’s been a good year,” Flaata said. “Both concerts we had went extremely well.”

Oelrich agreed.

“I love the bands we’ve had to finish out the year,” Oelrich said. “These were my favorite groups that I’ve seen at Luther so far.”

SAC Concerts will begin selecting an artist for next fall in the coming weeks. To be added to the committee’s email list, check with the new Concerts co-chairs Matt Olson (‘10) and Laura Forst (‘11).