It was a memorable evening of colorful music and dancing as Latin Grammy nominees Mariachi Flor De Toloache captivated the Weis Center audience with their fresh and unique take on traditional Mexican Mariachi music. The five piece ensemble, along with a vibrant female dancer, took the stage with their instruments in traditional Mariachi garb to perform their very untraditional take on the music genre. The all-female group upend cultural and ethnic traditions in what can be considered a classically male-dominated style of music. All of the members pride themselves on their diverse cultural backgrounds and represent countries like Cuba, Dominican […]

In the Weis Center’s second free outdoor performance of the season, audiences were treated to the lively, upbeat, and spiritual music of Charleston, S.C.’s own Ranky Tanky. In a pre-performance talk, the band explained the importance behind their church and family influences and how they work to keep Gullah culture alive. Ranky Tanky certainly has a rock and roll vibe to their performance style, a testament to their playing of modern developed instruments, but it is clear that listeners can hear the ghost of older instruments and sounds reminiscent of early Gullah culture. Ranky Tanky began the performance in the Weis Center […]

With glowing reviews from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker, The Bad Plus was welcomed to the Weis Center by a crowd ready to hear some good jazz on an unseasonably warm Saturday evening. The jazz trio based in New York City includes a delightful mix of piano from Ethan Iverson, bass guitar from Reid Anderson, and drums from Dave King. The group began by playing several original songs. Some were melodic and piano heavy while others highlighted rhythm from the drums. Some of the most surprising yet enjoyable moments of the evening occurred in between […]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I attended Roomful of Teeth’s performance at the Weis Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15th.  However, I was surprised and enlightened throughout the performance. Tuesday’s performance was filled with all kinds of sounds—some harmonious; some cacophonous; some beautiful; some unsettling. Through their skills in various singing techniques, the performers created sounds that redefine the traditional description of music. Each member of the group offered a unique skill or technique, such as Dashon Burton’s deep, powerful bass sounds and Caroline Shaw’s beautiful, melodious notes. When performed together, these different sounds blended together to create music […]

  Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba provided a captivating blend of art and history during Sunday’s performance at the Weis Center. “Cuba Vibra!” celebrates Cuban culture and history through music, dance, and costumes. The show shared music and dance from the 1950s to today, so the audience was able to watch the nation’s and characters’ evolution over time. “Cuba is fashionable today. The entire world has its eyes over us and everybody wants to know,” said Lizt Alfonso in her director’s note. “For over 25 years, we have been showing to the world the young Cuban art, that more than revolution, […]

On Thursday, October 20, the Weis Center hosted folk icon Judy Collins and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ari Hest. The combination of her angelic voice and his velvety tone left patrons feeling inspired and transformed – even if just for one night. Ari performed a set of his own songs first and then after a brief intermission, Judy took the stage at 8:15 pm. Performing a wide-ranging set of her classic melodies, as well as some well-known covers from the 60s and 70s, Judy performed for over an hour. Throughout the set, she interjected lovely memories about the songs and the time […]

Bickram Ghosh’s Drums of India filled the Weis Center with captivating rhythm and melodies on Sunday, October 16th. Ghosh was joined by Anoor R. Ananthakrishna Sharma, Gopal Barman, Suresh Vaidyanathan, and Abhisek Mallick, all of whom are celebrated musicians worldwide. One of the most interesting elements of the performance is the fact that most of it was improvised. Ghosh explained to the audience that improvisation is typical of drumming in India, jokingly adding that things could go wrong at any moment. Nothing ended up going wrong during the concert, however, from my perspective; the music sounded and felt thoughtful yet […]

Merima Ključo and Miroslav Tadić filled the Weis Center Atrium Lobby with a blend of traditional Balkan and classical music on Wednesday night.  Ključo is from Bosnia and Tadić is native to Yugoslavia, so they were each able to bring their own personal background to the performance. Their duo performance, entitled Aritmia, allowed the instrumentalists to showcase their far reaching talents, performing a variety of songs from different cultures. Perhaps the most interesting element of the performance was the duo’s use of improvisation while playing traditional pieces.  Both Ključo and Tadić interjected at various points in the concert to give the audience more information about […]

What better way to kickoff Bucknell’s Coal Collections: Local, National and International Stories series than a night of Americana and bluegrass music? The year-long series, sponsored by the Weis Center and the Place Studies program of the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment will feature musical performances, film screenings, lectures and art exhibits throughout the academic year in order to share the rich history of Pennsylvania’s coal region with the community. On Thursday, September 22nd, the Coal Town Rounders and Van Wagner played to an enthusiastic crowd at the Weis Center for the opening event of the Coal Collections […]

Rajab Suleiman and Kithara rocked the Weis Center lobby on Friday night, playing to a captivated audience of all ages. Students, faculty, staff and community members filled every seat in the house, although the music brought much of the crowd to its feet, since the band encouraged dancing throughout the performance. Professor of history and international relations Dr. Cymone Fourshey, who introduced the band, taught the audience how to say, “welcome to Lewisburg” in Swahili. The group played taarab music, a style native to Zanzibar. Known for its rhythm and melody, this style of music features a variety of stringed instruments, […]