Collision Theory Hosts Successful Release Show

Photos and Article by: Jordan Meiland

The brass section of Collision Theory

Collision Theory celebrated the release of their new album, bad spaghetti, with a packed show in the Music Building.

At 9:00, a crowd of concertgoers poured into room 0081 to get a spot to watch the show. The room, lit by lines of string lights, was buzzing with excitement, which only grew when WISHBONE, a six-piece jazz band from New Jersey, started playing.

WISHBONE. From Left: Jordan Pesola, Nick Nella, Liam Kerekes, Mike Bereski, Matt Tischio and Patrick Dudasik.

The band, consisting of Nick Nella (guitar and vocals), Liam Kerekes (drums), Jordan Pesola (keys), Mike Bereski (bass), Patrick Dudasik (trumpet) and Matt Tischio (tenor saxophone), opened strong.

In no time, bouncy rhythms and melodious riffs wafted through the room. As members took turns soloing, the audience nodded along to the music. The band even performed an Amy Winehouse cover. Between songs, Nella said “We’re very happy for these guys,” in a clear show of support for Collision Theory. Their set ended at 9:40 amid a shower of applause from the audience.

Nick Nella

After a change-over, Collision Theory took the stage at 9:51. Consisting of Alex Aitken (drums), Alex Kerssen (keys), William McKee (alto saxophone), Ethan Johnson (guitar), Joe Millen (bass), Julian Rigg (trombone) and Marty Scott (trombone), the band didn’t start right away.

Before they played, they asked the audience to stand up and move closer.. With a crowd of eager concertgoers packed in, the band tore into their set. As they played and soloed, the audience cheered them on and moved around to the music. Ash McMillan joined the band for their song “The Way” and gave the audience a top-notch performance.

From Left: Marty Scott, William McKee and Julian Rigg.

McMillan wasn’t the only feature of the night, though. Scott, who previously performed with the band in the absence of Rigg, played the entire set alongside Rigg. Rigg acted as a sort of MC throughout the set, shouting out the other members.

“Will, tell me a story,” Rigg announced before McKee tore into a wild solo that garnered plenty of cheers from the audience. Every member had soloing opportunities throughout the set, where they’d command the spotlight, the energy was high the entire hour-long set.

From Left: Alex Kerssen, Alex Aitken and Joe Millen.

In an interview, Johnson explained the decision to have the concert in the Music Building.

“We wanted to perform the whole album and then some other tunes as well. So, we decided to just do our own show. I know a lot of cats around here, so we knew we could probably get a good turnout here,” said Johnson. “We’ve been playing together for so long that we’re just happy to play. We don’t really get nervous anymore.”

Ethan Johnson.

Overall, the show was a major success. Droves of fans stuck around after the show to congratulate the performers on releasing the new album. Music by both bands can be found on streaming services.