The Riekestra, Riekes Center’s student-run band, held a fundraising concert at the The Guild Theater on Sunday. The event was an exciting way to celebrate the band’s return from their summer tour in Barcelona, Spain, with stage presence and musicality shining through their setlist of throwback covers.
Beyond the music, the event dualed as a fundraiser to support The Riekes Center, a non-profit organization that aims to provide students with valuable opportunities.
To open the show, the Riekestra played Frank Sinatra’s “Nice ‘n’ Easy.” As the concert went on, M-A senior Bianka Zelaya, one of the band’s lead singers, made a statement by singing James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” sending waves of energy through the crowd.
The event was filled with feel-good music, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” sung by M-A senior Addison Andara and the Eagles’ “Hotel California” sung by Andara and Zelaya. The magic continued with a soulful performance of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” by Zelaya and fellow lead singer Keegan Dyer.
The Riekestra performed a mashup of the songs “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles and “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens. Another highlight was “Those Little Things,” dedicated to Ramon Mirabet, a Spanish artist the band had performed with earlier this year.
During a brief intermission from music, Zelaya and Dyer gave heartwarming speeches about their experience at the Riekes Center. Zelaya reflected on how the tight-knit community embraced her, inspiring her to believe in herself. Dyer shared how his experience at the center deepened his understanding of music in ways that have helped him thrive with other musicians.
As the show concluded, the audience roared for an encore. The Riekestra played an all-time classic that perfectly described their loving community: Sister Sledge’s “We are Family.”
Even after countless shows, Zelaya still gets the jittery feeling before going on stage. “I get really bad anxiety, but as soon as I get up there, everything just goes away. It’s crazy,” she said.
This concert also marked the first local performance for new members of the band Andara, Chloe Lucia, and Zane Watson, all of whom had debuted with the band in Spain.
The Riekestra’s concert was a thrilling way to close out the weekend, filled with infectious energy and exhilarating performances. “Music makes you feel some sort of way. It’s really cool seeing how people respond to putting yourself out there,” Lucia said.
