By Chelsea Reil

The Cool Kids, Mates of State and Tim Fite rocked Centennial Commons Monday night for WRBB’s annual Block Party, co-sponsored this year by the Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA). Hundreds of students sprawled out on the quad and took advantage of a free photo booth, custom silk-screened T-shirts and, of course, music.

Fite warmed up the crowd with some quirky antics and detailed graphics projected behind him. Fite, whose music is an unusual combination of country, folk and hip-hop, engaged the crowd with his own version of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” before playing his last song.

Earlier this summer, Fite toured with Adam Green of The Moldy Peaches to promote his latest album, “Fair Ain’t Fair,” released May 6.

On deck was Mates of State, who brought the crowd to life with upbeat tempos and vocal harmonies.

A husband and wife duo comprised of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, Mates of State had a distinctive vibe, filling the quad with the sounds of their drum set and electric organ. The band’s fifth album, “Re-Arrange Us,” hit stores May 20.

When The Cool Kids took the stage, the crowd applauded to make it clear that this was what they were waiting for. For security purposes, the fans were asked to stand about 10 feet from the stage, despite the band’s request that they be closer.

“We’ve got to give the extra effort, ’cause we got people 45 feet away,” band member Antoine “Mikey Rocks” Reed said after the band’s request was denied.

The Cool Kids improvised by jumping off the stage and into the crowd, and the show went on.

Fans sang along to “A Little Bit Cooler” and fist-pumped their way through “A Basement Party.” As loud as the crowd got, The Cool Kids were louder.

MEISA President Julie Vera, a senior music industry major, said the bands for this year’s concert were chosen by a very thorough process.

“We wanted something that would appeal to the student body and set the tone for the school year,” Vera said. “MEISA’s never done anything like this. I never expected it would be this big.”

Dan Germain, a junior music industry major and WRBB general manager, said he was impressed with the variety of bands this year’s concert showcased.

“WRBB usually just does shows of hyper-local bands, but we wanted to expand that this year,” Germain said. “We still tried to keep the bands independent and college radio-friendly. We teamed up with MEISA, and it just exploded.”

On the quad, students crammed together halfway to Ryder Hall. Sophomore Austin Burt, a music industry major, and sophomore Quinn Bott, a pharmacy major, said they were entertained by the event.

“This is a good way to kick off the year with a diverse line up,” Burt said. “It’s a good way to meet up with old friends.”

Bott said he enjoyed the musical variety, with bigger names at this show than past performances at Northeastern, and said he hopes next year’s show can follow suit.

“With Mates of State and The Cool Kids, it’s a definite step up,” Bott said.