PHO, Fay Ray and Why More People Should See Centertainment Concerts
Opener band Church Booty. Photo by Nomin Erdenebileg

PHO, Fay Ray and Why More People Should See Centertainment Concerts

Centertainment Productions regularly hosts concerts at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. These concerts usually have moderate attendance, but the talent of the artists that are hand-picked to play at UWSP is worthy of massive crowds filling up the Dreyfus University Center.

On Friday, Sept. 22 Centertainment hosted the two bands PHO and Fay Ray.

PHO, a 7-piece instrumental funk group, and Fay Ray, an 8-piece jazz/funk/rock group, played in the Encore Room of the DUC.

The group PHO, pronounced “foe,” is from Minneapolis and considers themselves a progressive funk group. They use a mix of modern and classic music to make a supremely different and incredibly fun sound.

Encore crowd dancing to PHO. Photo by Nomin Erdenebileg

Fay Ray is from Chicago. They blend many different genres including jazz, funk, rock and pop. The group, who recently changed their name from “Church Booty,” uses a genre mixing style that makes it so listeners never really know what they will be getting from each new song.

Fay Ray opened the show at 8 p.m.

Liz Summers, fifth-year student and Centertainment’s Concert Coordinator was excited to see Fay Ray’s dynamic to be brought to the Encore’s stage.

“I think it’s gonna be cool to meet them because they’ll be relatable,” said Summers.

The crowd at the show’s beginning was smaller than what the group deserved. There were around a dozen people at the show’s opening, much too few for a band that drove a long time for the show.

“We drove here from Chicago today,” said Mariel Fechik, Fay Ray’s vocalist.

The long trip and the small audience did not bring the band down though as they continued to play as if they were playing to a stadium.

Their music made the audience begin moving around and dancing with songs like the James Bond feeling “Undercover.” By the end of their set, people were filing in and the dance floor was filling up.

After Fay Ray left the stage with a lot of applause, there was a brief intermission. Then, PHO got set up and took the stage.

Summers, not having seen PHO before, was eager to see them take the stage after learning about the band.

“They’re just known around the area. I’ve had a couple people post on Facebook that they’ve seen them in Madison, Chicago, a couple different places so local word of mouth pretty much,” said Summers.

PHO band members playing an amazing set at the Encore. Photo by Nomin Erdenebileg.

PHO took the stage and jumped right into a fast-paced and funky first song.

Every member of the group started moving to the beat and got the crowd to start moving with them.

PHO made the concert into a party, and everyone there was having an incredible time dancing with them.

PHO and Fay Ray gave the people that went to their concert a great Friday night.

They both have music on YouTube. PHO has music available on SoundCloud, and Fay Ray has music available on Spotify under their old name “Church Booty.”

The show that was put on by PHO and Fay Ray was an exciting and fun way to spend a Friday night. If more concerts that are put on by Centertainment are like theirs, then more people should absolutely be in attendance.

Corey Collins

Reporter

ccoll517@uwsp.edu

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