By Lauren Morales

AfterHOURS was packed with fans Thursday night when Kappa Sigma sponsored a performance by Zox and Baylock.

Mechanical engineering major Chris Maccia, a member of Kappa Sigma who booked the bands to play, said he was hoping to please a diverse crowd.

“The whole idea of the show is to appeal to as many people as possible, to have a show that everyone likes,” he said.

Devoted fans came from all around Boston to enjoy the free concert, nodding their heads to the beats and singing the lyrics.

“I thought it was a great concert, but I wish they played more of their old songs,” said Hillary Gras, a sophomore finance major who called herself a dedicated Zox fan.

Although several older songs were absent, Gras said she enjoyed the concert thoroughly. She attributed the atmosphere of the concert to the attendants.

“The people who let loose and had a good time – they were the whole spirit of the show,” she said.

Long-time fans were not the only ones attending the concert; there were new listeners as well.

Audrey Bingham, a freshman communication studies major, said she came to the concert because her friend knows the members of Zox.

“I’ve only been listening to them for about a week, but I really like their music,” she said. “It’s fresh.”

Others knew about Zox from their popularity on the east coast since its Rhode Island beginnings.

Andrew Cembalisty, a freshman engineering major, said he grew up near the band “right outside of Providence.”

Maccia said one of the reasons Kappa Sigma sponsored the event was Zox’s wide fan base.

“They appeal to everyone,” he said. “I know when I first proposed bringing them here there was a lot of interest.”

The band had a booth selling Zox merchandise, from stickers to sweatshirts, including their latest CD, Line in the Sand, which was released Tuesday. Excited to see the performance, fans filled their arms with purchases and rushed to watch the band perform.

Once Zox took the stage, all eyes were on them. The opening song began with a somber rhythm, but quickly turned into an upbeat crowd pleaser. Lead singer Eli Miller danced to the music and interacted with the crowd, asking a rowdy fan if he could call him “Spunk.” The electric violinist, Spencer Swain, jumped atop a platform for his solo and sent the crowd into an excited frenzy.

“I don’t know what’s in the water or coffee, but the crowds here are the rowdiest, wildest,” Miller said. “It was a lot of fun.”

The performance had a variety of exciting moments. One of the band members sent a drum out into the crowd and it traveled to all edges of the audience. To intensify the atmosphere, several audience members crowd-surfed and Miller joined in toward the end of the show.

The audience participation rate was high; during fast songs audience members clapped in tune and during a peaceful song, members in the audience put up their lighters.

Zox had such an enthusiastic response from the crowd that the group came out for an encore.

This is not the first time Zox has performed at Northeastern; the band has played here three times.

Miller implied this is not the last time they will perform at Northeastern, ending the show saying, “We’ll see you guys next time.”

The opening act, Baylock, pumped up the crowd by starting with fast-paced energetic music. Bass player John McLaughlin compared playing at Copperfield’s (a club near Fenway Park) to Northeastern, saying Copperfield’s was “nothing like this,” causing the crowd to roar with pride. Even with slower songs, the vocals were strong and the crowd attentive.

During one song McLaughlin actually left the stage and performed in the crowd, strengthening the connection between the musicians and the audience. Baylock performed for a half hour and dedicated their last song to a deceased classmate, making for a dynamic ending to their show.