Newly resurrected student-run Flux hosts Battlefest show | The Triangle

Newly resurrected student-run Flux hosts Battlefest show

Two years after the organization closed down, Flux has officially come back to Drexel University’s campus. This student-run group creates, books and promotes local concerts at Drexel.

Battlefest was their first show of the year, held in the Westphal College’s Black Box Theater. The bands who performed were Lizdelise, Endless Taile, Tiger Oil and Drift.

Several bands were made up of Drexel students, including our very own arts and entertainment editor Matt Coakley, playing keyboards for Drift.

Each band had its own sound, bringing a great diversity to the show. The fest was set up in what is a called a “round table” format, with each band playing one song after the other in a constant rotation. This setup made the show more unique and even more entertaining to watch.

The musical genres ranged from alternative and hard rock to indie and experimental. It was evident that the students who attended were excited to be there. Battlefest marked the comeback of a great music organization that brought entertainment to the Drexel community for years.

Flux’s first show this year received a great turnout and showed that there is only more to come from them. They are currently looking for more students who are passionate about music to join and help put together more shows such as Battlefest.

I had the opportunity to speak with Wil Schade, one of the students who helps direct and run Flux, who answered some questions about the show and the organization itself.

The Triangle: When was Flux first created and why did you decide to bring it back this year?

Wil Schade: Flux first opened in February of 2012 in the basement of the James E. Marks Intercultural Center on the corner of 33rd and Chestnut streets. I came to Drexel in the fall of 2013 and that’s when I found out about Flux, a completely student-run concert venue. So many of my fondest memories from my underclassman years were shows I attended at Flux. Unfortunately, Flux lost its space when the building was leveled to make way for [The Study hotel] currently being constructed in its place. I thought that it deserves to live on especially considering the fact that my class is the last class to ever experience Flux. There have been attempts to bring Flux back in the years since but none of them have been successful and so we went in a different direction and decided to make Flux a mobile operation in hopes of reestablishing the name and eventually getting a space of our own.

TT: Do you feel that this year’s Battlefest was a success?

WS: I think Battlefest was a huge step for us. It was the first show we fully booked and produced with the help of the music industry program and MAD Dragon Enterprises, who were critical partners to have. We are still learning and adapting as we go, but seeing the success of Battlefest was definitely reassuring and made it clear to us that we’re on the right path.  

TT: How do you plan to grow Flux throughout the year?

WS: The way we plan on growing Flux is to simply put on more shows and building our team.  We have a lot of ideas floating around for shows, but they can only be realized if we have a dedicated group of students as the old Flux did.

TT: Are there any upcoming events Flux has planned?

WS: Upcoming Flux events are currently in the planning stages, but it’s safe to say you’ll be seeing at least two more major shows from us in winter and spring terms.

TT: How can students at Drexel get involved with Flux?

WS: Any students interested in joining the Flux team can contact me at [email protected]. If you are interested in the tech and sound production side of things, contact our executive production director, Ian Hunter, at [email protected].

TT: How can bands at Drexel get involved with Flux?

WS: For any bands that want to get involved, we have a Google form that they can fill out that is posted on our Facebook page.