I often wonder why many of the features on campus were put in. Are the zig-zag sidewalks in the main quad there for an esthetic purpose? Why does the stairwell in Buckley go up three floors on one side and four on the other? How can Villa be so large when from the front it looks like such a small building? Oh, the many mysteries of UP. However, one of the features on campus that I’ve often wondered about will soon be put to good use. This Friday (9/16), thanks to Pilots After Dark and KDUP, Kris Orlowski 
and Silver Torches will play an outdoor, free concert on the Franz auditorium steps.
Hailing from Seattle, Kris Orlowski is fresh off a tour promoting his new album Often in Pause. Kris Orlowski’s music mixes folk and pop to connect to the listener at a deep level, both with emotions and sensations. A good example of this connection is the song Enough, where a poppy harmony and an easy-going guitar riff mix with opening line “I wasn’t looking for the nine to five/or an easy ride/on this long drive”. Looping back to the harmony of “Where, where are we now/This could be enough, this could be enough”, the song seems to call for settling in, looking around, and realizing what one actually wants in lieu of what one is supposed to want. This leads us to say that what we want is to just listen to more Kris Orlowski, which is also what we were saying when we got to hear Orlowski play at UP back in the 2014-15 school year. Juniors and seniors, if you missed that show, here’s your second chance to hear some great folk-rock, for free.
Playing right before Kris Orlowski, Silver Torches brings us round with more beautiful folk/rock/pop mix. Also hailing from Seattle, Silver Torches is the solo work of singer-songwriter Erik Walters. Most recent album, Heatherfield, released in January of this year, is described by Rick Bowen of NorthWest Music Scene as “a soothing sonic delight in our overly-compressed world.”
With good free music, great people around, and the gorgeous weather that the PNW expects for Friday night, there’s no reason not to come hang out with Kris Orlowski and Silver Torches. Silver Torches comes on at 8 with Kris Orlowski following at 9. Afterwards, swing by the Pilot House for a chance to meet some of the artists and enjoy some coffee and Pilot House grub.
By Jacqueline Ott