A five piece horn section, three singers, a drummer, a pianist and a violinist took center stage at the Williams Center for the Arts last Friday. These are the parts that make up the whole of Sold Out Six, a student band that just put on its biggest performance yet.
Sold Out Six, which formed last spring, is a dynamic ensemble featuring a fusion of pop, R&B, hip-hop and alternative elements in its music. The group has played many shows on campus, but its most recent concert, named “Say Something,” was a success with a sold-out crowd.
The show also had performances from Lafayette alumni and friends, such as saxophone player and keyboardist Josh Ferguson, percussionist, guitarist and vocalist William Shelton ’23 and trombone player Jayden Daniels.
The band kicked off the night with an explosive opening performance of an original song, “NASCAR,” that immediately had the audience on its feet. Téo Rodriguez ’24, who featured the song on his debut album, expressed his admiration for the band’s energy and performance ability.
“Just watching everybody in the band progress and grow and learn the music, then get on stage and really put on that final product, and execute so well was really rewarding for me,” Rodriguez said.
Sold Out Six’s setlist included a mix of its own original compositions such as “Smooth and Chill” and “Seasons,” in addition to covers. For original compositions, Rodriguez took charge of crafting the lyrics, while his producer Shane Alston played a pivotal role in producing and creating some of the beats.
According to trumpeter Thomas Snyder ‘27, the audience’s active presence at the show represented why he wanted to continue playing music in college.
“I have been looking for opportunities to play music since arriving at Lafayette College and this was the perfect opportunity,” Snyder said.
In between sets, the band took the time to engage with the audience, adding an extra layer of intimacy to the concert and making it a truly unique and memorable experience for band members.
“The fact that people choose to show support means a lot and holds a lot of weight for me,” Rodriguez said. “If nobody showed up to the show, we wouldn’t even be here.”
According to Snyder, the energy was palpable throughout the venue.
“My favorite part was seeing everyone waving their phone flashlights,” Snyder said. “It gave me a lot of energy as a musician to just do my best for the performance, just seeing that many people come out and having a good time, on their feet.”
Given the success of the concert, the band is excited for what is to come. According to Rodriguez, the band’s success provides a needed outlet for musicians of color on campus.
“We started the band to just fill a void that was what I felt was necessary to fill up,” Rodriguez said. “Nobody else on campus is really playing the genres that we play and especially for the POC community, just being able to have people that know our music to be on stage and perform and do what we like is important.”
The group also included drummer Damoi Morgan ‘25, bassist Max O’Rourke ‘26, keyboardist Owen York ’26, violinist Brandon Doubek ’27, trumpet player Joshua Freiheiter ’27 and saxophonist David Antwi ’26. Shreya Suresh ‘25, Ronnie Ward ‘25 and Eline Pellicano ‘24 also contributed their vocals to the show.
Sold Out Six plans to play more shows later in the semester. The band is currently working on securing performances for both Nov. 14 and Nov. 17.
