Noah
Peschio
Staff Writer
At 8 p.m. today, Southern Avenue and special guest Stillhouse Junkies, will put on a free show in The Gardens at the Union.
Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Southern Avenue adopts a soul style reminiscent of music of that area, but puts a 21st century spin on things.
“A deeply soulful Memphis band that is turning the scene on its head,” said Relix Magazine when describing Southern Avenue.
7220 Entertainment presents a free-to-attend concert for everyone to enjoy, and the basement of the Union provides a locale that can encourage an intimate concert experience. The selection of performers is up to volunteers and committee members to present ideas and vote on which performances they think will bring the most attention on campus.
The Southern Avenue show is no different. Stillhouse Junkies was chosen as an opener for a unique headliner by vote.
“We voted on potential artists and came to the consensus to bring Southern Avenue as the headliner and Stillhouse Junkies to open for the concert,” said 7220 Entertainment Club Event Coordinator Aliea Ednie.
“[It’s] an electrifying live show that they’ve honed through extensive stage and studio experience,” she said.
Sisters Tiernii Jackson and Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Jeremy Powell and Evan Sarver are the individuals who make up Southern Avenue.
Honing his talents in Israel before joining with singer Tiernii Jackson and drummer Tikyra Jackson, Naftaly brings a worldly talent on guitar. The keyboardist, Powell, developed his talent at Stax Records’ music academy in Memphis, Tennessee. Sarver is the newest member of the band and is responsible for the bass.
Stillhouse Junkies is opening for Southern Avenue, providing a mixture of many genres of music ranging from blues to funk. Coming from Durango, Colorado, the roots style trio will provide a great opener with their range of guitars, banjos and fiddles with a recognizable, unique sound.
“This is an amazing opportunity for anyone to come out and listen to some live music on a Wednesday night,” said 7220 Ednie.
This is one of many events the campus entertainment group has hosted. In the Fall 2019 semester alone, there have been 7,000 UW students attending 23 different events from comedy, to live music to trivia nights.
With the potential partnering with Studio Wyo in the spring, the number of live shows will likely increase over the coming years. The goal, Ednie said, is to bring in more live bands to perform at The Gardens on campus.
