Roc the band

The Alpha Omega Society in association with local label Ceerius Records hosted a benefit concert Feb. 4 in the Marlin Grille. Five bands played the “Roc the Band” event, including Graffiti Grey, Famous Last Words, A Steady Silence, The Kill Club and FIAD. The concert was held to raise money for the YWCA and the Women in Recovery Center in Norfolk.

The Batten Center lounge began to receive concertgoers around 6:30 p.m. Members of the Alpha Omega Society handed out white rubber bracelets branded with the "Roc the Band" insignia for just $3. The crowd drew in quickly, a mix of both the Virginia Wesleyan student body and fans of the bands playing. The first band to take the stage was Graffiti Grey. The band achieved an indefinable sound, mixing most every genre.

"We've been known as the Jackson Family meets the Partridge," boasts the band on its website.

Alongside the gym walls were merchandise tables peddling band merchandise and Ceerius Records clothing.

"The girls who ran it did a really good job," said junior Tamara White.

The second band to take the stage was Famous Last Words. Their punk rock melodies sent the crowd into a frenzy. The remaining performers, each significantly different from their predecessor, wooed the crowd, dwindling until midnight.

"I thought it was really fun, the bands were awesome, and I'm really glad the money is going to a good cause," said sophomore Maggie Gentry, who attended the concert.

Freshman Paige Backus is the president of the Alpha Omega Society. The organization is "geared towards the empowerment of women," said Backus.

"We truly believe that this is where the rebuilding process begins.”