Slavic Soul Party entertained University students and faculty, along with many members of the Lewisburg community, during the Arts Everywhere Festival on Sept. 5. According to their website, Slavic Soul Party “has created an acoustic mash-up of Balkan and Gypsy sounds with North American music, weaving the gospel, techno, funk, dub, jazz, and Latin influences of New York’s neighborhoods seamlessly into a Balkan brass setting.” The band has performed all around New York City and around the world in North America, Europe, and Africa.

Slavic Soul Party performed outside of the Weis Center in the Weis Center Plaza. Many members of the University and the Lewisburg community attended the event; the Weis Center stairs were completely occupied, and many attendees brought their own chairs or stood and watched the event. 

The band started off its performance by playing a few songs for the audience. The audience was captivated by the unique music, but Slavic Soul Party decided to liven up the crowd. Members of the audience were encouraged to get out of their seats, come near the stage, and dance. Dancers lead the crowd, and people of all ages got on their feet and had a lot of fun dancing to the music together. 

“As a stranger to Eastern European music it was a pleasure to hear this unique sound blended with contemporary funk, jazz, and many other styles from around the world. And that accordion solo rocked!” Evan Sloan ’15 said. 

Slavic Soul Party was the first event of the 2014-15 Weis Center series, which will feature an additional 32 events this year. Slavic Soul Party and five other series events are free to attend and do not require tickets, but any other series event will cost money. The series will include folk, blues, classical, jazz, and world music artists, as well as modern dance performers and a Family Discovery Series.