The band Maisy performs its final song on Monday during CAB’s “Riffmas” event at the UCF Arboretum.
Courtesy of Declan Rhodes
As night fell on Monday, the soft hum of an electric guitar drifted from the woods surrounding the UCF Arboretum. Soon after, students yelled and moshed along to what sounded like a private concert by local bands celebrating “Riffmas.”
“Riffmas,” an event put on by UCF’s Campus Activities Board and My Sister’s House, showcased local student band talent in theme with the upcoming holiday season. My Sister’s House is a new DIY band booking company in the Orlando area, produced by Jimmy Mura.
Jack Leventhal, junior entertainment management major, is a member of UCF’s CAB team who orchestrated the event and performed on stage amongst his bandmates. Leventhal is a guitarist for the band Maisy in addition to his role with UCF’s CAB team.
“The idea of ‘Riffmas’ simply came from just wanting to have an awesome holiday-themed show in the woods in the arboretum,” Leventhal said. “I wanted to make it feel like fall is ending and the new winter chapter has officially begun.”
Leventhal, the current UCF CAB concerts art ambassador, works specifically to plan events on campus involving the Orlando music scene. Leventhal said his role within CAB is unique and focuses on showcasing local musicians and their talent.
“My job is to bring the local Orlando music scene to the UCF campus and give students more exposure to local music,” Leventhal said.
The Christmas-themed event’s lineup included five student bands hailing from schools such as Rollins, Full Sail, UCF and more. The event featured local bands All Things Rot, Fawn, Deer, Maisy and Paperback Romance.
All Things Rot, a new Orlando angst band within the scene, played its second-ever performance Monday night to open the show. All Things Rot Lead singer and guitarist Randall Robinson discussed the opportunity.
“It was an honor to open for ‘Riffmas,’ especially as an inexperienced band,” Robinson said. “We always want to make the beginning of our set entertaining, so I decided to jump off my amplifier and run into the crowd.”
The band also performed a cover of “Thank You” by the renowned musician Dido, with the song representing an emotional connection for the band. Robinson discussed what the song personally means to him.
“The song is about finding safety in the love of your partner during difficult times … it gets me really emotional,” Robinson said.
The electric feeling of live music and performing together within a third space among fellow students is part of what makes these events so inviting to student life organizers.
Blankets littered the grass outside the UCF Arboretum office on Thursday as students settled…
Leventhal said other hit music events organized on campus, such as “Arboretum Unplugged,” “Trick or Beat” and “Battle of the Bands,” helped inspire the creation of “Riffmas.”
“I don’t quite know yet if ‘Riffmas’ will be a yearly tradition, but I hope and plan on having events like this one in the future,” Leventhal said.