On Saturday, March 2,

Circle Magazine

, a new student-run campus publication, hosted its first event — the Night of Magenta Funk — at the Saranac Brewing Company’s bar in Utica.

Circle Mag

shuttled two busloads of students to and from the bar, having sold-out every spot in the days leading up to the event.

The evening featured performances by three student bands, with Yonic Youth and Uptown Booty opening and Otis Shanty headlining.

While the musicians performed on the bar’s first floor, students also mingled in a more intimate setting on the second. For those of age, there was a selection of beers, wines, and hard ciders to enjoy, while the under-21 group played board games and admired the gorgeous wooden interior design of the establishment.

The bar was part social space, part museum. Tributes to Saranac’s history adorned the walls, including vintage bottles, promotional posters, and engraved panels. Even the bathrooms added to the aesthetic — on the second floor, a massive throne had to be circumvented to reach the sink. The unique setting, especially relative to what one might find on a normal night out, primed attendees for the excitement to come.

Yonic Youth opened the night with a lively set that prompted a brisk migration from the bar to the dance floor. The group debuted last spring as the College’s first and only all-women band. It features Casey Tobin ’19 on bass and vocals, Julia Opatrny ’20 on drums, Sara Jadbabaie ’21 on guitar and vocals, Sadye Bobette ’21 on keys and vocals, and Lizzie Ely ’21 on lead vocals.

On Saturday, their set featured a trademark blend of rock, funk, and soul that permeated both levels of the building. “A lot of preparation and hard work […] went into getting our set ready,” said Ely. Next, Uptown Booty followed with equal energy as the dance floor neared maximum capacity. The band features Chris Victor ’21 and Josh Biltekoff ’19 on vocals, Anthony Reyes ’20 on keys and vocals, Andrew Little ’22 on guitar, Julian Snyder ’22 on bass, and Ben Grummon ’22 on drums. The passion with which the group played drew the remainder of the crowd to the first floor, and their cohesion was on full display as they transitioned between songs and solos effortlessly. Finally, Otis Shanty took the stage, punctuating a night of fantastic music with an exclamation point. Ryan DiLello ’21 plays guitar and lends vocals, Jono Quinn ’21 is guitar and vocals, Bobette plays keys, Brian Lynch ’21 drums, and Julian Snyder ’22 plays bass. The group played a variety of songs in their set, including a rousing rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain.” Students seemed to enjoy the opportunity to spend a night off campus with friends, drinks, and music. Ely, who is also

Circle Mag

’s Executive Editor, said there was “a really amazing, collective demonstration of joy and sublimity once the music started playing.”

Preparation for the event included working with the Brewery’s event coordinator to rent the space and ensure a smooth set up of performance equipment. Ely said she and

Circle

’s other executive board members also had to arrange bus transportation and work with the Student Activities Office to finalize other logistics. It was hard work, but Ely says it paid off.

“Being able to perform amongst such a talented and wonderful group of musicians was an honor and a personal highlight,” she said. Further, she says the reaction from the students in attendance was just as exciting.

“There was a lot of dancing and singing and letting go of inhibitions,” she said. “I saw everyone just existing with the music and each other. “This venue was conducive to both sides of the coin: those that wanted to relax and have a beer, and those that wanted to dance and jump up and down. Striking that middle ground, and knowing that I played a slight hand in creating that was a real highlight of the night for me.”

She adds that her only regret is that they couldn’t accommodate more students, saying, “It would have been even more exciting and fulfilling to know that there were more students there to experience the music and group fun.”

Given the turnout and reception to the event, it might be surprising to hear Ely say that

Circle Mag

was “a bit nervous” about how the night would go.

“

Circle Magazine

is a very new publication,” she said, “and with that jumpstart comes a lot of growing pains […] while we were organized and excited to host the event, it was certainly a big pill to swallow.”

Early into the night, however, it was clear that any growing pains paled in comparison to the overwhelming amount of support from attendees. Ely said, “It reminded me of how, on “This venue was conducive to both sides of the coin: those that wanted to relax and have a beer, and those that wanted to dance and jump up and down. Striking the most fundamental level, people just want to have a good time with each other and meet new people.”

Circle Magazine

intends for this event to be a jumping off point for future endeavors. In addition to publishing online monthly editions of the magazine, Ely says the group has “a lot of events in the works.”

She adds that these events are “at the crux of our message and intent to bring together different circles of people to create one giant communal circle.”

As for the future? “Our goals for future events are to work with more organizations on campus to diversify our reach and get involved with as many student groups as possible,” says Ely.

“We are always looking for more people to get involved, and any fun event ideas people have are always appreciated.

“We’re thrilled about the success of Saturday night’s event, but we’re looking towards the future for even bigger and brighter opportunities.”