CHRISTOPHER DACANAY
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
In spite of the chilling weather outside, the eclectic student band Dynasty Xero fired up spectators with a rock ’n’ roll performance in the J.C. Williams Center atrium the night of Feb. 28.
The concert began slightly after 8 p.m. and continued for an hour. During the event, Dynasty Xero played a mixture of original and cover songs, aided by its newly acquired lead vocalist.
Dynasty Xero is composed of Franciscan University of Steubenville students and alumni: guitarist senior James Lamansky, drummer freshman Tim Rankin, bassist alumnus Keith Montenegro and guitarist and vocalist senior Michael Schisla. They were joined by junior lead vocalist Faith Sahagian, the band’s latest addition.
The night was slow, with a relatively small amount of passers-by entering the J.C. Despite the sparse crowd, Dynasty Xero played as enthusiastically as ever, punctuating certain songs by jumping off of the stage.
Guns N’ Roses, the Chainsmokers and Queen were among the artists covered throughout the night, accompanied by flashing strobe lights. In addition to covers, Dynasty Xero played some of its own original songs, including the band’s first single “Falling.” Another of its originals was “Oceans Away,” a song inspired by Schisla’s experience in Austria.
During a break between songs, Schisla formally introduced Sahagian to the crowd, mentioning her adoption in January as the band’s lead singer. In addition to Sahagian’s skillful singing throughout the night, Montenegro also took a turn performing lead vocals.
The concert concluded with the band’s original song “Sweet Summer Nights,” which was the first song Montenegro and Schisla wrote together as bandmates. As the song closed, Sahagain honored Elvis Presley by saying, “Thank you, thank you very much.”
Dynasty Xero utilized its last moments on stage to promote its Facebook and Instagram pages. They can be found under the name “dynasty_xero.”
Senior Gerard Pepin, a friend of the band, said, “It was really good. Everyone should come out and see (Dynasty Xero perform).”
Furthermore, Freshman Amelia Kehoe said the concert was “really fun. They had good music — they’re a very good band.”
Dynasty Xero’s concert was sponsored by Hounds of Heaven household.