It was like walking into a coffee shop without the smell of coffee. The people gathered in the Fine Arts Center to play at Total Backstage Access, however, they were not your typical coffee shop acts. Replacing the usual “man attempting to simply get by with just his guitar” were students and professors at Castleton State College, simply jammin’ out and having some fun.”The gods of rock are descending upon Castleton tonight,” said Brendan Lalor, singer of a two man band known as the Chupacabras and a professor of Philosophy here at Castleton.

Total Backstage Access (TBA) is a two-night event held by the Technical Service Crew of Castleton. Friday is Open Mic Night, where students and professors at Castleton get a chance to show off their musical talents. Saturday is an actual concert held with a few different bands.

“TBA gives the talent in the school a chance to play on a stage when they might not get to otherwise,” said Robert Wuagneux, who hosted and performed at Friday’s Open Mic Night.

The talents that could be brought onto TBA’s stage weren’t just musical acts either. There was acoustic music, electric music, bands with only one person, bands with several people and even a comedian.

More than simply giving people an opportunity to perform, TBA also gives people on the technical side of productions the ability to hold a concert.

“Every year we do 150 shows for other people. Dance studios, plays, soundings events, whatever. Once a year we get to do our own show, and we make it look as awesome as possible,” said Louis Riquelme, one of the heads of the Tech Crew

The crew put many hours of long work into making TBA happen. They spent time in between classes, evenings when they could, and they even worked tirelessly through a snow day until the wee hour of 3 a.m. Some crew members even brought some of their lighting and sound equipment from home.

TBA was well-attended for both events, and people were clearly enjoying themselves, laughing, dancing, toe-tapping and singing along to the songs they knew. The crowd was supportive, and enjoyed the overall experience of TBA.

“It’s only once a year we get to do this. I think we did a great job. I love it,” Riquelme said.