On Thursday, Nov. 17, the AUBG Rock Jamming Club (RJC) threw the ‘Deadline Jam’ party at The Piano Music Hall. Despite pressured by deadlines and school work, many students came to the bar to sing along and dance to some of the well-known, all-favorite hits.

Ninja Turtles, Blemmyes, Karate Kid, Dem Awesome, and Borjomi, all formed by AUBG students, rocked the stage of the Piano Music Hall, helping AUBG students to forget about the approaching deadlines and exams. The bands performed covered versions of songs by Bon Jovi, The Weeknd, Twenty One Pilots, Sting, Arctic Monkeys, and Hozier. The AUBG students, who gradually packed the bar, danced back to back and applauded the performers, who smiled at them from under the spotlight.

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

Georgii Kolotilo, a fourth-year student, who is currently the president of AUBG Rock Jamming Club, said that this year the club has a lot of talented musicians and five bands, making it the “biggest as it has even been.” According to Kolotilo, the club started eight years ago as an underground-sort-of band and consisted of “a bunch of people playing together.” Five years ago, RJC obtained the official recognition from AUBG. Apart from their traditional acoustic nights, they try organizing bigger events like the ‘Deadline Jam’ party and the last semester’s Spring Fest, when bands performed on the main square of Blagoevgrad.

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

Brian Shkodrani, a second-year student, who is well-known for his leading role in the last year’s AUBG musical  ‘Catch Me If You Can’, soloed with Karate Kid and Dem Awesome. He said it was his first time performing live with the bands in the Piano Music Hall, leaving him with a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety before he hit the stage. “Everything turned out great and the concert went smooth. The Piano Music Hall was packed, and the audience gave the bands (…) a positive energy,” he said.

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

As it turned out, not everything was smooth. Kolotilo admitted to have “very mixed bag of feelings from the event.” He was glad that the performances went well and that a lot of people came, however, he reported to have an issue with the Piano Music Hall owners.

“We had an agreement that we would have two and a half hours to perform. What ended up happening was that the DJ started pulling up the screen with the Karaoke night advertisement an hour before we were supposed to finish [the concert],” he said.

This led to an incident with a local man, who was forced off the stage after he tried ordering a song for karaoke. Kolotilo also had to cut the last band short after the DJ asked him to stop the concert, saying he would turn off the sound system.

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

“I like that there are so many students at AUBG who are passionate about music and who can make such events happen,” Leila Suleimenova, a fourth-year student, who attended the ‘Deadline Jam’ party, said. She appreciated the efforts of the organizing team and noted that the performers were well prepared.

“When I was singing, I saw people dancing and having fun, which meant they were enjoying the performance. The comments were also really good and people seemed satisfied with the music and every band!” Shkodrani said.

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

Nini Pkhakadze, a second-year student, who performed with Ninja Turtles and Borjomi, loved the support of the audience, saying she was surprised to see so many people. “The audience was lovely. I actually could feel that [the audience] was so into the music and whatever was happening on the stage,” she said, adding that the concert wouldn’t take place, if not for both Kolotilo’s and the organizing committee’s hard work.

“The ‘Deadline Jam’ was amazing! Good music, great performances, and your friends around! What could be a better combination for a Thursday night?” Lika Tsintsadze, a second-year student, commented, and then added – “I wish we had more nights like this!”

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

Saida Karimova, a fourth-year student and a member of the Rock Jamming club, was also happy to see her friends perform on the stage. “What I like the most about the Piano bar concerts,” Karimova shared, “is the atmosphere. It is some kind of bonding for people. We go there and forget about deadlines and studies, and just enjoy the good music.”

Photo credit: Fatme Tsiko

“As a fervent amateur of music, it is always a pleasant experience to witness a live performance, where each band member seems to be enjoying their presence on stage. I just wish someone would try to sing Nirvana,” Louis Toussaint, a fourth-year student, said.

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