On Jan. 9, Derik Nelson and Family staged an amazing performance at UNC Pembroke in the Givens Performing Arts Center.
This was the folk and pop group’s first time performing in North Carolina. Derik Nelson and Family are a sibling band consisting of Derik Nelson, the lead guitarist on “GLEE” and leader of the group, his brother Dalten, who has also starred on “GLEE,”
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and Riana, who has starred on shows such as “Empire” and “Cinnamon Girl.” Their music touches on comforting topics such as family, home, love and life in the Pacific Northwest.
Before the performance, the siblings had workshops with students. They coached them and gave advice about working in the music and entertainment industry. During their stunning concert, people got to experience a light-show of flashy and vibrant colors with a misty smoke effect.
They performed songs like “Great Divide,” “Home Again” and “Geraldine” from their latest album Home Again, which was released last year in August. They also performed cover songs such as “Treasure” by Bruno Mars and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
Although the crowd was relatively small, the audience was very connected with the band and vice versa. The band shared behind-the-scene, in-depth and personal stories to give the audience a background of who they are, what they stand for and the ideas and meanings behind their songs.
“We were so impressed because they’re so young,” said an audience member and new fan. “You would think that they would be older and they look just really young to me.”
“I was really impressed because I never heard them before in my life, we’re going to go home and learn more about them.”
#aroundcampus #GPAC #DerikNelson #Music