There’s no reason to search for talent when it’s staring you right in the eye. That’s been the case for most of THON 2012 as various local artists have had the opportunity to perform on the BJC stage.

The most recent such band to play was State College’s own Total Whiteout, more than likely named in reference to the Penn State student section. The group was full of energy to keep dancers and supporters alike energized through the most difficult time of the weekend, with their punk-infused covers of popular songs after kicking off their set just before midnight.

The band is let by frontman Eric Henkels, who’s backed up by guitarist Peter Macartney, keyboardist Chris Mower, bassist Kevin Franklin, and drummer Isaiah Thomas–but don’t get excited, there’s no indication that he’s of relation to the legendary basketball player and coach. Just about every performer to take the stage so far at THON 2012 has made sure to play a few crowd-pleasers, and Total Whiteout stayed the course, covering pop songs from LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem and Ke$ha’s Blow, to boy band classics like *NSYNC’s I Want You Back, and even some purely nostalgic songs, like “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” from The Lion King.

Shortly after Total Whiteout wrapped up their high-octane set–which many dancers cited among their favorites thusfar–the Alpha Omega Step Team got their turn in the spotlight. The Christian dance squad’s stomps and claps echoed through the Bryce Jordan Center as they made their own beat with no musical accompaniment for much of the performance. They got to spread their mission of “promoting change and breaking down the walls of tradition through uniting in rhythm and step” on the greatest stage of them all.

These two performances were perfect for some late-night entertainment, giving the Bryce Jordan Center just the boost that it needed in the early hours of Sunday morning. Sleep deprivation is starting to kick in for both dancers and supporters in the BJC, and if it wasn’t for the energy level set by these two groups, I’d probably be sprawled across this press table, succumbing to exhaustion.