Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Jacks of Steel at Stephen F. Austin Stage University will present the traditional soca and calypso music of Trinidad and Tobago, along with versions of rock and pop songs with an island twist, when the student ensemble performs at 6 p.m. Monday, April 18, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
The spring concert will feature steel band favorites “Soca Pressure” and “Rant and Rave,” as well as “some popular songs that will be sure to make you sing along,” according to Dr. James Vilseck, SFA adjunct music faculty member and director of the Jacks of Steel. Soca stands for “soul of calypso.”
“An exciting detail about the concert are two original arrangements composed for the ensemble, including one by SFA student Lauren Dean and one by myself,” Vilseck explained. “I was very excited to help Lauren realize her arrangement, and she did an excellent job in preparing the work for the ensemble.”
The steel band concert experience can be a little different than a “normal” concert, Vilseck said. “If the audience wants to dance along with the music, we heavily encourage it! In the past we’ve brought out the limbo stick for both the members and the audience. We want the audience to have as much fun as we are on the stage!
“Come on out and join us as we celebrate the music of Trinidad and Tobago in this fun night of music,” he added.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.