Melanie Case
Connector Staff

On Sat. April 11, music performance major Jessica Hall hosted her third annual cancer benefit show, Chords for Cancer. All proceeds from the show are donated to the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence, located in Worcester, Mass. The show was hosted in Lowell in The Onyx Room at Western Avenue Studios.

This year, the lineup included bands from multiple genres: from acoustic and pop punk to alternative and shoegaze. The full lineup is listed on the event poster (designed by Worcester State student and friend of Hall, Tim Sullivan).

Hall chooses the bands “at random,” involving those that are “motivated and dedicated,” while still keeping a diverse musical set. According to her, “it’s awesome exposure. These bands are from all over Massachusetts. It’s a good way to form connections and relations – it’s a great networking opportunity.”

The crowd was very energetic and supportive, with many band members sporting UMass Memorial Cancer Center t-shirts.

Hall was very excited to see all of the support: “I’m glad for the support, as long as people show up and have a good time.” She organizes the show herself, coordinating the bands and making sure that they have everything they need namely equipment), coordinating with the UMass Memorial Cancer Center, finding a venue, et cetera. In between all her hard work, she performed with her own band, oldsoul. This year, the event was able to raise $900. Hall aspires to coordinate more of these types of events, especially benefit shows, in the future.