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The Rockets Return To Keep THON Going Strong

The Rockets, a seven-piece band from Philadelphia, returned to THON for yet another high-energy set.

Decked out in glitter-gold jackets, the group opened things up with a cover of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” — one of the more popular songs at this year’s event. The band seamlessly transitioned into “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon, complete with plenty of booty shaking and drum thumping.

The Rockets clearly did their research before taking the stage, as they cut to a Pegula favorite in Ke$ha’s “Timber” — which had dancers and spectators alike jumping up and down thanks to a faster-paced beat. “Time of Our Lives” by Ne-Yo and Pitbull was next on the docket before the band slowed things down with a smooth rendition of The Temptations’ “My Girl.”

The Rockets kept their set rolling with another Motown classic, this time from Marvin Gaye — “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The BJC had its hands in air as gameday gem “Sweet Caroline” blasted over the loudspeakers. Of course, they added their own flavor to the Neil Diamond hit, opting for more of a dance vibe than the original version.

Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” which makes an appearance in the THON 2017 line dance, featured electrifying vocals from various band members. “I Don’t Care” by Icona Pop preceded Andy Grammer’s “Honey, I’m Good.”

The Rockets kicked things up a notch with a jazzy version of the timeless folk tune “Cotten-Eyed Joe” then switched gears with “Sexy and I Know It” from LMFAO. A few songs later, the group implored the crowd to throw their diamonds in the air before breaking into a hard-rocking version of “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”

As if the band hadn’t already showcased its musical versatility enough, The Rockets rolled into another THON favorite — “Closer” by The Chainsmokers — just for good measure.

“We wanna give a huge shout-out to Penn State football team for winning the Big Ten Championship this season,” the band exclaimed before playing Fall Out Boy’s iconic “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” The crowd enjoyed a grooving trombone and saxophone version of “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé and JAY Z ahead of another Bey treasure — “Single Ladies” — that saw four band members dance along to the beat.

The BJC swayed back and forth with phone lights hoisted high for “Let It Be,” followed by another Beatles favorite “Hey Jude.” Dancers were treated to a drum solo reminiscent of Dale Doback’s Catalina Wine Mixer showstopper before the band donned shimmering black jackets for another wave of Bruno Mars songs.

The Rockets certainly didn’t disappoint, providing a much-needed jolt for THONgoers of all ages.

 

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About the Author

Ethan Kasales

Ethan’s a senior journalism major who grew up in Lemont, a few minutes from campus. When he’s not covering Penn State sports, you can usually find him golfing or teaching snowboarding at Tussey Mountain. Feel free to email him at [email protected].

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