The music starts abruptly like a thunderstrike as the beat of Hot Chelle Rae’s music resonates within the audience’s chests. The ear-pounding shockwave of auditory nostalgia continues for an hour before turning things over to up-and-comer Nicky Youre who does just as well at hyping up the students of Winona State University.

According to Marley Wilkins, a second-year at Winona State and main stage director for the Warrior Entertainment network, any students who did not go are “kinda missing out.”

On the night of Friday, Feb. 3, the Warrior Entertainment Network put on a concert for the students of Winona State featuring Hot Chelle Rae and Nicky Youre. Held in the Kryzsko Ballroom. Many students showed up to the event, whether by themselves or with tight-knit groups of friends. It was yet another event that brought the community of Winona State together.

The concert started shortly after 8 p.m., with many students showing up early to ensure they would be as close to the stage as possible. The first act was Hot Chelle Rae, a famous 2010s pop rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. Students crowded around the stage as they came on, all of them delighted by their setlist of songs both new and old.

Students instinctively sang along to their favorite Hot Chelle Rae songs as if they had been transported back to their middle school days. The floor of the ballroom shook with the force of nearly every person in attendance jumping up and down along with the beat of the music. The band ended their act by playing their most popular song, “Tonight Tonight,” which was met with a tremendous uproar of applause.

The second act of the night was Nicky Youre, a relatively new musical artist hailing from Anaheim, California. While not as well-known as Hot Chelle Rae, students sang along to his songs regardless. The honey-smooth flow of his music instantly makes one feel like they’re cruising through town on a nice, sunny day, almost forgetting about the harsh Minnesota January outside. He ended his act with his most well-known song, “Sunroof.”

Hats off to the Warrior Entertainment Network for putting this event together.

Wilkins stated that she hoped the event would “bring members of the university together.”

When asked if the Warrior Entertainment Network would put on any more events like this in the future, Director of Student Union and Activities George Micalone said, “the goal is always yes,” though there may be factors that could hinder this.

According to Micalone, the cost of entertainment is always rising, and the funding for that can be hard to come by.

Micalone encouraged students to attend these events even if they may not like the artists, claiming that “the more support each one gets, the more likely there’s more of something you might like.”

Wilkins added that “we can only put on more events if we have more support.”

If students wish to see more events like this in the future, then it is important that they support the other endeavors of the Warrior Entertainment Network so that they have the funding necessary to do so.