Students and parents flooded Kuhl Gym on Saturday Oct. 26 to attend Limelight and Accents sponsored performances by the Bacon Brothers and special guest Julia Nunes.
Ironically, the special guest stole the show away from the main event. While Julia Nunes entertained the audience with her wit and charm, the Bacon Brothers delivered a lack-luster performance that left many parents and students alike dissatisfied.
Nunes is a singer/songwriter who earned her fame through the popular Web site YouTube. Opening the show, she delivered a quirky, charming musical set, including such original songs as fan-favorite "Into the Sunshine," from her first album Left Right Wrong.
The crowd responded very positively to the covers she played as well. She performed a very charismatic version of N'SYNC's "Bye Bye Bye," as well as an acoustic version of Say Anything's "Alive with the Glory of Love."
Quite possibly the most distinct element of Nunes' music is her use of the ukulele, a rare instrument for today's popular music scene. Her exceptional talents have made her extremely influential and acquired a significant following over the Internet.
Nunes appeals to many young musicians as well as college students in general due to her fun and charismatic personality. After her performance, Nunes went to the table where her shirts and CDs were being sold to meet and take pictures with fans.
When the Bacon Brothers took the stage, the initial awe of seeing actor Kevin Bacon up close quickly faded as the group began playing music. Standing next to Kevin was his brother Michael, and rounding out the band was bass player and back-up vocalist Paul Guzzone, pianist Charlie Giordano, drummer Frank Vilardi and Ira Siegal on the electric guitar.
The style fell into the genre of country music infused with elements of funk, and although the performance overall was not terrible, it wasn't very groundbreaking either.
The band used a plethora of instruments throughout their set, including an accordion, bongos and a cello in addition to the normal bass, guitar, and drums. While this decision may have demonstrated the wide range of talents of the members of the Bacon Brothers band, it was rather distracting for audience members to try to keep up with all the different sounds.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the performance was the fact that Bacon felt the need to give a detailed explanation of every song he played. The one that stood out the most was a song that he claimed was about a giant squid. Bacon said he "related to it" and made reference to his plight with the paparazzi.
It is safe to say that after seeing the Bacon Brothers, much of the student body will be hoping for more diverse, relatable talent to perform at Geneseo in the future.