TWIRP week started out with a scream, on Monday night when the band Since October came to campus. Since October is a Christian rock band out of Bradenton, Fla., whose lead singer, Ben Graham, graduated from Milligan with a Bible degree.

Although Since October has played in the Johnson City area before, it has never performed at Milligan College — something Graham said has been his goal since graduating.

The evening air was chilly but the mood was right for the TWIRP event sponsored by the freshman class. The stage was set up in the canyon near the physical plant, and the band started playing at 8:30. People trickled in and out through the whole concert, and the general reception seemed to be positive.

“They had a lot of energy, and it was sick,” junior Chris Wells said. “I love their music, I love their style. It was fun to relax and take my mind off of the stress of school by jumpin’ around and getting crazy.”

The concert was free to students thanks to the leaders of SGA. 

“We knew the band was amazing and that the students would really like them if they had a chance to listen,” SGA Vice President Michael Bartlett said. “We offered the concert for free because we knew that more students would toss aside their insecurities and give the band a shot. We also knew that once they heard it they’d be hooked.”

And if numbers are any indication, Bartlett was right. Over 100 people were present at one point during the concert. Both the members of the band and the SGA were impressed with the turnout. 

“The night was a huge success,” Freshman Class President Joshua Little said “We really didn’t know how many people were going to show up but we were very happy with the numbers, and we broke even on the cost of snacks.”.

“It was awesome that they put on a show for free and that they were funny. Funny and free are always good combinations for me,” sophomore Alisa Rickard said.

During the concert, Since October announced they were going to be signing with the Christian label Tooth & Nail Records later in the week. According to the company’s website, “Tooth & Nail Records, an independent label headquartered in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1993 as a means to give independent artists a forum to creatively express positivity through music.”

The label has put out bands such as MxPx, Underoath and Emery, just to name a few.

In an interview for an online magazine called Ticket, Graham stated that ‘“One of our main things is, we're trying to help the Christian music scene get a better name for itself … to show that there really are good Christian bands, they really don't all suck, they're not all cheesy.’”

For more information on the band you can go to their website at myspace.com/sinceoctober. Look for their first album to be released sometime in February of 2008.