Upbeat covers of the Arctic Monkeys, The Fall of Troy, and Veruca Salt are just a few of the highlights sure to be heard at IQH Fest, happening here at Concord Carlisle this Saturday night from 7:30 until 10:30 PM! CCHS’s own songwriters and musicians are eager to show off their musical talent at this year’s festival which will take place in the CCHS Multi-Purpose Room (RM 104). Tickets can be purchased at the door for $12.
There will be a total of 18 acts performing on Saturday, with a variety of genres and instruments. With so many groups coming together, it’s also nice to learn more about what makes a few of these groups so unique:
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is an indie rock band consisting of Tara Best (senior), Meilynn Teng (sophomore), Jacob Gettings (freshman), and Laurel Stuart (eighth grader) that formed five months ago. Tara, a singer and guitarist since the age of five, joined Reverb at the beginning of the school year, hoping to form a band. There, she met Meilynn, another singer and guitarist who shared her taste in music. Meilynn was thrilled to be a part of the band, but they still needed a bassist and drummer. The hunt wasn’t easy; they went through many people, but commitment was a common issue. Eventually, Tara and Meilynn put up posters around the school in search of the remaining members. Laurel, a drummer at Concord Middle School, contacted them after her older sister informed her about the opportunity and joined the group. Jacob, a bassist in a band alongside Tara’s brother, played at Alexandrite’s first show after their original bassist bailed, but after his impressive performance, he agreed to be a permanent member of the band. Alexandrite mainly plays cover songs, but they enjoy writing music as well. For the IQH Fest, they will be playing one of Meilynn’s original songs, “Hey Girl,” as well as another favorite in the set, “Volcano Girls,” a high-energy song by Veruca Salt.
Stella Kaplowitz
Stella Kaplowitz (junior) is a solo singer and guitarist. She got a pink toy guitar at the age of four and instantly fell in love with the instrument. At the age of six, discovering Taylor Swift inspired her to sing and play the guitar together. As she explains, she feels as though “it’s important for me to be playing music, as well as important to others who might be inspired by me to start playing guitar or performing.” Some other artists who inspire her are Dolly Parton, Queen, HAIM, and Pink Martini. She also enjoys writing songs, but she will be playing two covers for the IQH Fest.
Shadowplay
Shadowplay is an alternative rock band consisting of brothers Jude Hansen (senior) and Liam Hansen (junior). They originally formed a band with their older brother who played the bass while Jude sang and played the guitar and Liam covered the drums. Shadowplay not only does covers, but also creates their own music. Jude remarks, “The things that inspire me to write songs are feelings and experiences I have, and turning it into a song is almost like a coping mechanism.” The band is planning to share some of their original songs at an upcoming flex block concert. One of their favorite pieces that they will be playing on Saturday is “Arabella” by Arctic Monkeys, as it is full of energy. Another song to look forward to is “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.” by The Fall of Troy.
F-Word
F-Word is a hardcore punk band consisting of Wilbur Moffitt (senior), Sophia Ferreira (junior), Theo Collins (junior), and Carter Hack (sophomore). They formed around a year and a half ago, but have been in this lineup for around six months. They were sick of people only talking about forming bands and playing songs, so they decided to make it happen. F-Word was created to spread the joy of playing live music that’s loud and fun. They initially only played covers, but now they perform several of their original songs. Theo explains that “Covers are great because they give you perspective into how other people write and play music, but there’s nothing like performing a song that’s your own. An F-Word song could be written in a single sitting, but it’s always changing and being modified and improved upon.” Some songs to look forward to are “Sinister Influence,” their oldest one, as well as “Domination,” which has a killer beat.
Grace
Grace is a rock band that covers Jeff Buckley songs, consisting of Charlotte Rye (senior), Morgan Stuart (senior), Carter Hack (sophomore), and Miriam Sachs (sophomore). Grace was formed because all four musicians love Jeff Buckley and thought it would be fun to create a cover band playing his songs. This year’s IQH Fest will be the first time performing together! One of their favorites that they will be playing on Saturday is “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” because it is beautiful both musically and lyrically.
Carnival Fish
Carnival Fish is a band consisting of Grady Flinn (junior), Lucas Bartlett (junior), and Jay Goar (junior) that formed around seven months ago. They were planning on performing at the West Concord Porchfest, but it was unfortunately canceled due to inclement weather. However, they decided to keep their band alive and perfect their set. Unlike most other bands, Carnival Fish has a very flexible structure, with each member playing a number of roles, both musically and leadershipwise. Grady explains, “Sometimes, I’m the one to step up and get the band moving on something, and sometimes, one of the other members takes the lead on that. For this concert, the three of us have been working together to put together the best show possible.” One of their favorite songs in the set is “Swimming” by Lunar Vacation, as it is special to all the members. Grady remarks, “Every time we get together and rehearse, we add some little ear candy or change up a little bit of a verse or something to the song, and it has really been cool to watch this song that has been so special to each of us for so long really become ours.”
Again, the festival will take place in the CCHS Multi-Purpose Room at 7:30 and tickets are $12 at the door. Be sure to come to the IQH Fest on Saturday to watch these exciting performances!
