The crowd clapped and cheered as the band “After Church” ended their set with a cover of “The Lord Will Provide” on Thursday night. The band performed at Harry’s Coffeehouse as a part of the Harry’s concert series. The show was called “Greater Love,” and they performed a mix of original music and classic worship songs.
This was the first Harry’s concert of the semester. Josie Lackey, a freshman commercial music major, has been to multiple concerts in Harry’s.
“I love it, it’s a great way to get new exposure from people walking by, and it’s also just a really cute little venue to play at, and there’s just a lot of opportunities to use this space,” Lackey said.
The band was formed during fall semester when student Emily Brooks brought her musically talented friends together. They all met together for the first time right before Thanksgiving break. Rylie Jones, a sophomore Christian ministries major, joined as a co-leader.
Jones, the lead singer and head of “After Church,” spoke about her experience.
“Playing for our friends and peers was really encouraging,” she said. “Sometimes having familiar faces in the crowd heightens nerves, but it was so sweet being able to look out into the audience and see friends connecting with our songs.”
After Christmas break, Jones’ friend who formed the band, Emily Brooke, decided to transfer.
“I was like you know what, I trust that the Lord brought us all together for a reason, and even though it’s going to look obviously not like I thought it was, this is still happening, the show is booked, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to cancel it,’” she added.
The band coordinated to meet during the spring semester, and they worked together on songs they started during Christmas Break. Each band member helped in creating new music.
“For the most part it’s me and JT coming in like, hey this is our idea, but the instrumentalists have been coming up with their own instrumental parts,” Jones said.
Lackey’s favorite part of the “Greater Love” show was the original music.
“I really just loved the originals, which was a lot of it, but I just loved the lyrics,” Lackey said.
Although most of the members of the band have been a part of a musical group before, this was their first time performing live together.
Last semester, Jones participated in a songwriting showcase, where she performed an original song. She has been on a worship team for several years, but the Harry’s concert was different from what she had done before.
“I normally get a little nervous before getting on stage, but right before the band went up, we huddled outside and prayed into the show and over each other,” Jones said. “Once we started playing, it was just fun; any nerves were gone.
The band landed the gig to play at Harry’s Coffeehouse by simply reaching out to SGA. Jones reflected on the journey it took to bring the band together and put on a show.
Definitely something we’ve talked a lot about as a band is like finding a balance, like yes, technically it is a performance and it is like a show, but also, it’s about God, it’s not about us, so we can’t treat it like a normal concert,” Jones said. “I’m really proud of the hard work and heart that each band member brought to the stage, and I’m grateful we were given this opportunity to use our giftings to make Jesus’ name known.”
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