Colgate University hosted a musical performance in the Vault at Bernstein Hall as part of its ongoing “Vault Sessions” series on Friday, March 6. Colgate students, faculty, guests and Hamilton residents attended the event, enjoying timeless sounds and buried classics.
The event showcased the DJ skills of Colgate senior Rei Albarez, known as DJ Rei Rei; Colgate Professor Dr. Aaron Dial, known as DJ Phade Ali; and Bobby Carter, known as DJ Cuzzin B. Carter is the host and series producer for NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts” and a widely respected DJ, writer and public speaker. The concert highlighted the power of music to help communities navigate difficult and tumultuous times.
The mission of the “Vault Sessions” is to give the audience a unique and unifying experience. In the vault, the audience is surrounded by ornate decorations and low lights. Hanging from the wall, a chandelier refracted the light to create patterns on the walls. The stage in the center of the room elevated the turntables and the DJs. To immerse everyone in a space of grooves and movement, Dial and his team encouraged the audience to give in their phones, so they could enjoy the experience without any distractions.
“We’ve had this idea for a while that people have the most fun when they are disconnected from their phones,” Dial said. “A lot of work went into making this event possible, and we want it to be special, not just for us, but for everyone.”
Carter echoed this idea.
“A lot of us, including me, can get addicted to our phones,” said Carter. “Sometimes it is beneficial to turn off our phones so that we can have times dedicated to genuine human connection. When I started doing this stuff, there were no phones, and it was nice to kind of return to that.”
One of the many people who made the night special, Albarez has only been practicing her DJ skills for about a year, yet one would think she was a seasoned veteran. Her set flowed smoothly between songs, maintained a good pace with a blend of songs and kept the audience constantly dancing and engaged.
“The whole thing really started to come together when the crowd got into it,” Albarez said. “On top of that, the stuff in the Vault was amazing, with all the decorations and technical stuff. The event was meant for community engagement and as something people could really enjoy.”
Senior Jack Mullen, a DJ for Colgate’s radio station WRCU-FM, was impressed by Albarez’s performance.
“DJ Rei Rei killed it, and I was blown away,” Mullen said. “I think it’s fantastic that Colgate’s hosting a DJ event. The whole thing has great production value, and I love to see Colgate students showing out. The experience was immersive and focused. I felt like there was no desire to step away and people were really enjoying it. I would love to see more student events in this space.”
After Albarez’s amazing performance, Dial stepped up to the turntables. His presence, song selection and performance created a joyful, electric and infectious atmosphere. Dial’s performance mixed genres and time periods, which added to the unity of the experience, as there was a little something for everyone to enjoy. Dial accomplished the clear mission to foster Colgate talent and interests.
“I’m getting old,” Dial said. “I don’t want to be up here doing all of this next year. Next year, I want to be in the audience and other students like Rei Rei, who killed it tonight, are up here instead of me.”
The amazing night culminated with Carter’s talented performance. As the event came to a close, Carter expertly blended beats, genres and moods to keep the crowd enthralled. Carter expressed a deep gratitude for the event and the timeliness of its message.
“We are living in scary times right now,” Carter said. “We are divided on so many issues, both politically and socially. It’s tough out here. So anytime I can help people forget about that for a while, it’s so important. I feel I am in a very privileged position to be able to provide that to people, to help them escape.”
The event allowed Colgate students to show off their talents and feel united with the student body and the broader Hamilton community.
