Music, smiles and good times were rampant in Opelika Saturday night for Covers for a Cause, a benefit concert that raised money for BigHouse Foundation.
Chandler Jones, senior in radio, television and film, helped put the event together and played one of the only sets with a full band.
"We had talked about it for a while, having just a big showcase of all the musicians and all the artists in the area, but this is the first event like that that we've done," Jones said.
The event was originally planned to be a Christmas show with proceeds going to BigHouse Foundation to distribute toys to foster kids, but the SEC Championship game fell on the same day. It was rescheduled to Sunday.
The show was held in a warehouse in downtown Opelika, and the walls were lined with vendors selling local goods. Curious Fox, Loyal Stricklin and John Emerald Distilling Company were a few of the vendors.
Sam Street, sophomore in marketing, talked about how he got involved with the event.
"It basically all started with Richard Patton, he owns the warehouse and he got everything set up," Street said. "He knew that I played, so when he was looking for local musicians to put on the concert he sent me a Facebook message."
Street played Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash and Skinny Love by Bon Iver. Many different genres and decades were represented, including songs by Elliot Smith, Bob Dylan and Band of Horses; a local artist played each cover.
When Jones took the stage with his band he surprised the people who knew him by sitting down behind the drum set.
"That was my very first time to play drums," Jones said. "Literally, I've never played drums before. The first time was in front of 200 people, and I broke a drumstick."
After Jones played, all the performers joined the stage and collaborated with a cover of "The Weight" by The Band. There were at least 12 instruments going and almost everyone sang a line.
The Good Doctors took the stage after that and it only took a few songs before everyone that was left in the warehouse was dancing and sweating to the funky jams. Just when the party was really bumping, however, the lead guitarist walked off the stage.
Everyone else in the band looked just as shocked as the crowd, but quickly a chant of "we want the funk" broke out and the band responded with an improvised bass and guitar number.
That intermission lasted about a minute before the guitarist returned with a cigarette in his mouth and picked up his guitar with a smile.
Abbie Hale, senior in education, stayed for the after party and The Good Doctor.
"There wasn't anyone standing at the wall," Hale said. "Everyone was dancing; [The Good Doctors] were funky."
They were called back onstage for two encores.
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