UNITY -- The Unity Composite High School’s rock band, Backstage Pass, put on a show for a crowd of 75 rock music fans of all ages on April 30.
The band has nine students, with many who rotate between various instruments and vocals, and is directed by retired teacher, Greg Bick and Backstage Pass graduate Raegan Husch. The band consists of returning rockers Hailey-lynn Aldred, Sage Aldred, Hailey Sacher, Ron Cordita and newcomers Sam Gerlinsky, Miles Schwartz, Zach Ignacio, Xander Wells and Alexis Pitt.
One of the openers for the concert included Garg and Friends with special guest Dana Bayliss of Macklin, who “awed the crowd with her vocal dynamic, pitch range and soul.”
There was a special reunion of Zygotes Gone Bad, where Bick is a member alongside twin brother Geoff and Keith Heintz. Student Hailey-lynn joined the Zygotes for Crazy Train and was surprised to see her dad, Bryce Aldred, was pulled from the crowd to play drums for the performance.
Backstage Pass then took to the stage as headliner, with lights, smoke and pyrotechnics to pump up the audience. Ron and Zach both played up to three different instruments throughout the evening. The two were joined by newcomer Sam, performing a high energy version of Green Day’s Basket Case.
With many show-stopping moments throughout the night, one highlight of the evening included Hailey Sacher and Hailey-lynn Aldred donning wedding dresses for Billy Idol’s White Wedding. Another was Backstage Pass alum Reagan joining in on performances with the Zygotes and a piano duet with Jada Poitras during the final performance of the evening with all the band members.
Concerts put on by the rock band are an opportunity for the students to not only showcase the music they have been working on since the start of the school year, but it raises some money for future rock band activities. “It was a night of entertainment not to be forgotten,” said Bick.
