Under the shimmering sunset hour on Thursday, Boston College’s Music Guild hosted their annual BC’s Best contest. Unlike previous years, the first opener of Modstock will be decided through a student open vote coordinated by Campus Activities Board (CAB) rather than through BC’s Best.
Instead, the second opener was selected from one of the three bands performing at BC’s Best. This year’s winner, Caltha, is set to perform right before Swae Lee on May 1.
After the start time was spontaneously moved to one hour before the original scheduled time, the Vandy Cab Room remained close to empty at the new start time, with drastically lower attendance than in previous years.
The three singer-songwriter performances began at 5 p.m. sharp. Taking the stage first was familiar face Melina Piperis, MCAS ’26, who performed at past BC’s Best contests.
Piperis’ soft, angelic voice, accompanied by her acoustic guitar, echoed through the room as she showcased three singles from her upcoming EP and a cover of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer.
Up next was Elyza Tuan, MCAS ’27, also performing original pieces on an acoustic guitar. Tuan’s lyrics touched on themes including love, regret, and life lessons.
The final soloist was martí adserà, also accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The soft guitar backing his emotional vocals charmed the audience.
At the halfway point of the contest, the crew removed all the chairs and formed a big open space for the audience to stand in. The room started to fill up as the small, energetic crowd waited for the three bands to play.
After a 30-minute break following the conclusion of the solo performances, Letters in June took the stage as the first band.
Consisting of Aiden Joyce and Alex Brown, students at UMass Boston and Northeastern, respectively, as well as Olaf Konrad, CSOM ’27, the group started off strong as lead singer Konrad showed off his wide vocal range, hitting some high falsetto notes.
Playing original tracks, the band tried to energize the audience by prompting them to clap along, establishing a concert energy. The open space allowed the audience to mosh and dance wildly. Throughout the set, Letters in June displayed passion that radiated to the audience.
The second band to perform was Caltha, previously named Obstacle Monkey and Chicken Liver Testimony. Band members Cormac Delaney, Michael McKane, Matthew Baldari, Owen Stannard, and Charlie Schulz, all MCAS ’25, maintained the free-spirited, goofy energy that characterised the band’s identity.
The reigning Modstock winner played songs from its original EP, Chicken Liver Testimony. The set included energetic songs like “Alligator,” as well as slower songs like “Pastel Skies,” which caused the audience to sway with their phone flashlights in the air. Caltha ended on an animated note, establishing a strong stage presence throughout the whole set by actively engaging with the audience.
The final band to take the stage was Magnolia, composed of Tristan Trotter, MCAS ’27; Jett Takazawa, CSOM ’27; Michael Sardella, MCAS ’27; Nate Bastos, MCAS ’28; and Faith Hochgesang, MCAS ’27.
Featuring original songs, Magnolia captivated the audience with both energetic and slower, emotional tracks. Vocalist Hochgesang demonstrated strong vocal abilities that delighted the audience. Magnolia ended on an interactive song, “Sayonara,” where it taught the audience parts of the chorus to sing along, completing the night and leaving the audience wanting more.
After an extended wait, the three judges decided on the winner for each category. The top singer-songwriter spot went to martí adserà, with Caltha taking the band category.
When asked how they felt after the announcement, Baldari of Caltha responded with one word: “ecstatic.” This marks the second time the band will play at Modstock, the first being last year under the name Chicken Liver Testimony.
“We’ve really grown a lot as a band, a lot as friends, and I think that really showed tonight,” Delaney said. “We’re excited to just bring that energy on stage next week.”
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