Midterm week at Central Arizona College is the time for Signal Peak’s Entertainment Industry Technology (EIT) students to show off to their fellow students, in CAC’s Rocktacular. Organized by Dan Bush, this year’s concert stage was right outside of the O building. The show started at noon, which is a peak time for high traffic through campus. It gave the performing students a greater chance of exposure to other students and staff passing by.

I have seen each of the performers perform at previous Rocktaculars, so I feel like they are all somewhat veterans of the stage and CAC performances. The first band to open for the show was Crowning Thieves. They are a progressive/thrash metal band that has a unique sound with their lead singer’s deep low vocals. The fast paced guitar makes you wake up and is a good choice for an opening band. The next performer was Ryan Fairchild, a solo acoustic guitar player. His passion is writing music and performing it for the audience. He played his own songs such as “Fearless” and “My Generation.” His style makes you want to just relax and enjoy the music.

Marcus Snell was next in the lineup. He likes to do cover songs, but in his own style. With just him and his acoustic guitar it makes it a relaxed performance. He opened with a cover of Sam Smith’s “Like I Can,” and followed up with “Zombies” by The Cranberries, which is a classic from the 90s. After that, he announced that he has written his very first original song. He performed “My Own Little World” for the audience.

The last band to play was Until Paradise, with their cover of “Sweet Dreams,” originally by Eurythmics. They followed up with Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life,” a personal favorite that they usually perform.
A credit to their program and their own talents, these students always know how to put on a great show.} else {