Although students were studying for final exams, they decided to relieve some stress by watching SB Live perform their End of the Semester Gig on Dec. 8 in Student Activities Center Ballroom A.
When the guests came through the door, they saw members of SB Live dressed in their pajamas, as part of the gig’s “Pajama Knight” theme. About half of the audience also dressed in their pajamas to join in the fun.
“This is my senior year and I have been trying to push the idea of pajama night but it kept getting rejected by the president of the club and people weren’t into it,” Dan Wood, SB Live president and senior music major, said. “But this year I became president and nobody could stop me.”
SB Live is a Stony Brook musical group that performs music ranging from rock to jazz to pop tunes.
At this event, they played songs from their traditional set list such as “Getaway” by Earth, Wind and Fire and “All of the Lights” by Kanye West. The night began with the troupe playing “Acousticon” by Youngblood Brass Band. They continued their set with music from movies, broadway shows and famous artists. They also played the theme song from the Disney Pixar film “The Incredibles.”
Over the years at Stony Brook, SB Live has performed at major events including Earthstock, Winter Jam and drag shows in Tabler Quad.
Not every member of SB Live got to perform in previous events; however, they did join and practice with them throughout the year.
“This is the first [show] that I have been a part of, but the past few years we’ve done the drag show in Tabler,” Charles Eder, a senior astronomy major, said.
Members of the group had friends and family members in the audience to enjoy the entertainment with them.
“I was looking forward to all of their songs and to see my son,” Elizabeth McGuiness said, referring to Alex McGuiness who was involved in the band.
While the second set was being played, some of the students got up and danced to “Make Me Smile” from the iconic broadway show “Chicago.” They went from jumping to forming a kick line.
“The purpose of this event is really just for fun,” Wood said. “We do enjoy hosting our own event and getting to set everything up ourselves and it’s great to have a gig where we can do what we want.”
The End of the Semester Gig was a musical way of ending the term before the students go home for the holidays.
