Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys Light Up the Sky
This weekend, Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys will light up the West Texas sky--and we're not talking about the NASA engineer. Accompanied by a fireworks display rumored to be "better than the city of Abilene's 4th of July show," local band, Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys, will take the stage at HSU's Shelton Stadium Friday night at 8:00 pm for a free concert.
Branded Friday Night Lights, the latest event hosted by HSU Student Life is being talked about all over campus as the place to be this Friday night. So just how did the fireworks show become so large? It all began last summer when Lindsey Snodgrass, Coordinator of Student Activities, began planning events for the Student Life Department to host. Lindsey learned that the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor first sponsored a fireworks display in 2006 to coincide with their homecoming celebration, and has since made the show an annual tradition. Through our affiliation with the university, HSU was able to form a relationship with Premiere Pyrotechnics, the company which UMHB uses.
The generosity of local businesses, Wes Tex Connect and Taylor Electric, has made the concert and fireworks show totally free and open to everyone who wants to attend and experience the lights and the Rocketboys firsthand. When asked about the excitement of hosting such a unique event, Lindsey replied, "We're thrilled to host this event for HSU students as well as the Abilene community. Everyone in the Student Life Department has been working on the event and we hope it will be fun for everyone."
While thirty minutes of stimulating visual effects illuminating the Forty Acres is appealing, one of the main draws of Friday Night Lights is the music. HHRB may be rooted in Abilene, but garage band they are not. The six-member group has just been selected to be the featured band for the newest Dell computer systems campaign, set to debut this fall. They were also the winners of the 2007 "Sound and Jury" competition which landed them a 45-minute gig at the famous Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Their most recent independently released EP, "Sing. Bird, Sing" features the melodic artistry of lead-singer Brandon Kinder accompanied by visionary lyrics and musical talent that rivals many of today's top bands. Along with Kinder, the band is comprised of Josh Campbell, Philip Ellis, Mitchell Holt, Daniel Wheeler, and Justin Wiseman. Since their modest beginning in 2005, they have expanded their audience by touring across the Midwest and earning stage time at the Northgate Music Festival, the South Padre International music Festival, and the Cornerstone Music and Arts Festival.
However, it isn't just Abilenians who have taken notice of HHRB. The Austin American Statesman praised the band for their "clear, ringing guitars and full-bodied keyboard arrangements, hard-driving drumlines and well-practiced transitions between calm and controlled chaos."
The gates will open around 7 pm and Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys will take the stage at 8 pm. Students and community members are encouraged to park on campus and enter through the south-east side of the stadium. The fireworks extravaganza is set to begin at 9:15pm and is scheduled to last approximately 20-30 minutes. Concessions will be provided by Van Meter.
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