WAMH Radio x The Student: Boiler Room

While it has officially been over a week since the WAMH Boiler Room party, which stretched into the late hours of the night of Saturday, Feb. 22, the event is still being discussed over meals across all of the Five Colleges. It’s very much within every partygoer’s right to do so. Hosted in Amherst College’s very own Marsh House, the stars seemingly aligned for the club. A mix of an interesting venue, several different sets from DJs representing each college, a high turnout, along with other elements fused together to create the aforementioned story of a night.

While the main party upstairs was nothing short of lively, the Marsh basement was transformed into a quieter, but nonetheless fun and low-intensity area that provided a great alternative to those who wanted a break from the scene upstairs. Colored shirts were used to toggle lighting, chairs, and tables were rearranged to specifically nudge conversation with the new 5C students you just met, and all the while, movies such as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Matrix” were playing through a VHS player. These little details and ideas were very much seen and appreciated; it’s what makes parties like these truly go to the next level.

The basement also contained a unique feature that has kept the Boiler Room party’s spirit alive:  Written along the wall was the message “WAMH is watching,” along with a live feed of the frame in front of the wall. Certainly a little unnerving, but once people eventually figured out the workings of the projection, it would get a little laugh out of them as well as an excellent photo op.

Moving upstairs, the Boiler Room setup was one that I’ve never seen at Amherst. Each respective DJ had their equipment set up not in the corner of the venue, but rather the very center. Instead of the traditional dance floor, WAMH brought a fresh take to the live music scene, uniting everybody under one simple understanding — that we were there to unwind and have a good time. Whether you were in the very center of the action or on the sidelines, the sets were each uniquely enjoyable in their own ways. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a great deal of other DJs had come to support. I would have to give the award for the non-home turf highest attendance to Smith College, making up the plurality. Numbers, decorations — all of that aside — WAMH’s main mission is something else entirely: music, and that was what made the party a success. The DJs featured that night include DJ Hedi + Ziji, DJ MandyyyCakes, DJ NotGirl, DJ RedDelicious, and WAMH’s very own DJ Quinn. With a variety of genres blasted from the speakers in the middle of the room, I heard quite a few songs that were most definitely added to some of my Spotify playlists. The success of the Boiler Room makes me excited to see what the club has left in store for the rest of the semester and onward. Though the stars aligning for this function will set a high bar, WAMH appears to have a great outlook and will hopefully continue to grow in presence throughout the 5C.