NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — An energetic punk rock concert featuring local artists from the New Brunswick music scene was held in Boyd Park on Saturday, September 12.

On a cloudy, yet warm afternoon, the artists and crowd were thankful that the lack of rain allowed for such a lively event.

Many bands from Don Giovanni Records as well as local Rutgers and high school artists from New Brunswick were showcased throughout the day.

The spirited performers included Delucy, Glazer, Izzy True, Wild Rice, Electric Trip, The Downtown Boys, and Screaming Females.

Comedian Brett Davis introduced each band and recited humorous poems before every set, and interacted with the audience throughout the day.

“Woman in the black dress, will you go to dinner with me?” he asked one woman, to which she responded “yes.”

The vigorous band Electric Trip was able to get the crowd to clap along to some of their songs.

Christian Gonzalez, the lead vocalist and guitarist, played a shredding guitar solo on the floor and smashed his guitar to pieces at the end of their set.

The dynamic artist The Downtown Boys played songs that dealt with current social and political issues in America.

Vocalist Victoria Ruiz praised the Black Lives Matter movement as being the biggest act of reisistance in America today.

“An officer uses cigarrettes to justify choking a man of color to death,” said Ruiz, alluding to the police killing of Eric Garner in New York City.

Ruiz dedicated a song to anyone who ever felt like they were persecuted on the basis of racism, sexism, or homophobia.

At one point Ruiz successfully got the audience to come closer to the stage to the point where much of the crowd was on the stage.

At the end of their set, the drummer grabbed the floor tom and ran with it off stage and up the steps connected to the ledges where the audience sits.

The charismatic trio, Screaming Females were last to perform. The crowd dramatically increased in size during their set as a crowd surrounded the stage on all sides, turning it into a theatre in the round.

The band got their start in New Brunswick, and opened for another famous Hub City group, the Bouncing Souls, at Starland Ballroom this summer.

Screaming Females was able to get the crowd to headbang to their songs and even start a few moshpits.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Marissa Paternoster in a humble voice complemented the rest of the bands that performed and thanked Don Giovanni Records for giving them the oppurtunity to play.

This free concert, curated by coLAB Arts was entitled “Love New Brunswick,” and is part of the New Brunswick Cultural Center’s Hub City Sounds free performing and visual arts festival series which began on August 8 and ends on September 26.

For more information about the festival series or the New Brunsick Cultural Arts Center call 732-729-0320 or visit www.NewBrunswickArts.org.