On Friday, Oct. 26, Wes-leyan’s division of Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) hosted “Stung,” a night of funk music at Psi U that marked the culmination of a week-long initiative on campus to raise awareness of malaria. The show featured three University bands but was headlined by Half Krunk, a trio from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass. Feeding off the electric atmosphere provided by the four bands, the show was packed throughout and raised over $1,300 which totalled the week’s $3,713. AID will give the money to “Nothing but Nets,” a U.N. initiative that funds bed nets and malaria prevention education to disease-ridden areas.
To cap the week’s event, Amanda Contrada ’10 organized the benefit show at Psi U. Anticipation of the show had built all week, as it was the first major outing this semester for ensembles Kinky Spigot and the Welders and EBB and the Flow, along with Banish the Rabbit, who started things off with a grooving rock and reggae-infused set.
“We had a great time from the start,” said Jeremy Finch ’09, keyboardist for Rabbit. “The energy was tremendous and the place really filled up. We knew it was going to be a tight show.”
The EBB and the Flow took the stage next, pounding out explosive funk and latin rhythms in a hip-hop setting. Bombastic drummer Christian Komecki ’08 called the event a “great success.”
“It was really well organized, and by the end of our set, as early as midnight, I noticed that people couldn’t get in because the place was full,” he said. “It was an awesome collection of bands, and that got people really excited. Our MC (Mike Berger ’08) and singers (Susie Lake ’08 and Christina Boyd ’10) went into the audience and after that we couldn’t keep people away from the stage. The response was incredible.”
Following the EBB and the Flow, the funk and soul ensemble Kinky Spigot and the Welders kept the crowds moving with an energetic set featuring their usually well-handled covers of classic soul standards, leading things off with a blazing rendition of Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’.”
“The show was a throbbing and pulsating success, and we were excited to be involved in the event,” said singer Allie Levey ’09. “Our drummer Jonno Boyer-Dry [’08] a malaria champion in his own right, hates mosquitoes and loves funk. We were vibing with the crowd, who are always the magic in our wands.”
By the time Half Krunk took the stage, Psi U was packed with an enthusiastic crowd ready for more. After two groups featuring large on-stage ensembles, Half Krunk changed it up with funk in the trio setting without any loss of groove. They wowed the house with mind-blowing skills and infectious disco-funk numbers.
This was Half Krunk’s second major show at Wesleyan, and hopes to return sometime in the near future to play again. Their set was a perfect cap on a show where funk of the highest quality was available for all who showed up.
Earlier in the week, a student panel discussed approaches to preventing and curing malaria with Assistant Professor of Chemisty Erika Taylor and Science in Society Professor William Johnston.
“The reason we put this on to begin with was that Toni Zosherafatain ’10 and I started the Wesleyan chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy, and applied for a grant to participate in a contest involving twelve schools called Buzzcuts to raise awareness about Malaria,” said AID co-founder Katie Boyce-Jacino ’10.
Zosherafatain explained that AID is “about creating globally conscious international leaders, about being informed before you make decisions.”
Following the success of the night and of the entire awareness week, Boyce-Jacino said AID is hoping to turn next to raising awareness about child soldiers in Africa, and hopes to plan a similar awareness campaign for later this semester. The group meets weekly on Monday at 8:30 p.m. in Usdan.
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