Park musicians host live concert, reveal talent

Performances at The Depot include vocalists, DJ

Dani Orloff

For sophomore Aidan Henry, The Depot Coffee House represents the perfect stage to unveil his love for music under his alias, “ZAZ.”      

Henry hosted a live event, which included performances from three Park musicians on Sept. 23. Henry said sophomore Marco Giovannelli opened the show singing while playing the piano, followed by junior Joe Holloway, a DJ, and Henry closed the night by rapping his original songs.

According to Henry, this concert was the first live show he’s performed.

“I just like performing. I get this weird feeling where everything is relaxed and there are no problems,” Henry said. “I want (performing) to be my career to a certain point, so all of my free time is around music.”

Giovannelli said the constant motivation from fellow students encourages their success.    

Junior Joe Holloway showcases his DJ skills from 8 pm to 9 pm at The Depot Coffeehouse, Sept. 23.
Dani Orloff
Junior Joe Holloway showcases his DJ skills from 8 pm to 9 pm at The Depot Coffeehouse, Sept. 23.

“It felt great that (Park students) actually came to support us. It is fun to perform and I try to do it as much as I can. It is enjoyable because my friends can see what it is that I spend my free time doing,” Giovannelli said. “It’s fun to actually show them this is what I do; this is my thing. I am not great at sports, but I can do music. People don’t see that all of the time.”

According to sophomore Neil Walsh, he plans to attend future concerts at The Depot.

“I thought that all three performances exceeded my expectations, with ZAZ’s (performance) blowing away any idea I had of what it might be like,” Walsh said. “I wanted to see if the magic of his recordings transferred well live and they truly did. I would definitely go if there was another show.”

Henry said the event’s attendance exceeded his expectations. However, Henry said he hopes for even greater crowds at future shows.

“(The turnout) was a little more than I expected. Next time, I want double the amount of people,” Henry said. “I think it was a lot cooler than most Depot shows because a lot of times, The Depot has rock bands or folk singers. To have an actual hip hop show mixed with Marco’s piano was a cool alternative.”

According to sophomore Cailey Hansen-Mahoney, the event was an opportunity for her to witness the performers musical talents.

“I thought that the performances were super cool. It was really awesome to see my classmates live and see how talented they are,” Hansen-Mahoney said. “I don’t think I can pick a favorite because they were all so talented and all their music is different.”

Walsh said the audience created a supportive environment for the performers.

“I thought that the atmosphere was really friendly and fun in a forgiving way,” Walsh said. “It was nice to see that nobody was being judged if they made a small mistake. I had a great time.”

Hansen-Mahoney said the audience’s excitement for the performers showed and she was surprised with Giovannelli’s talent.     

“I had a super fun time because it was a good, hyped crowd. Aidan, ZAZ, told me about (the concert) and I saw the posters around school,” Hansen-Mahoney said. “I knew Marco (Giovannelli) was super good at piano, but I didn’t know he sang. I would for sure go again if they had another concert.”  

Giovannelli said he has already begun planning new events that will take place in October with Henry.

“I played The Depot twice; once in January, where 30 people came and then I did it again in February and 70 people came,” Giovannelli said. “I think that we are in the process of booking (another show).”

Henry and Giovannelli’s music is available on their SoundCloud accounts.