On Friday night, the Horn Gallery hosted its first performance of the semester and new year. When the doors opened, Horn managers expertly navigated a streamlined soundcheck as students filtered in. “There’s always just a really good selection of music of such a variety,” Simon Gaines ’28 remarked about past Horn shows as he and other Kenyon students buzzed with excitement for the night of music ahead. The electrifying set began at 9 p.m. sharp, with Syed Rafey Abbas ’25 and Loch McRae ’25 of PKLJAM opening for the experimental band urika’s bedroom. The opening duo attracted dozens of students, and attendees were met with a thrilling DJ set. PKLJAM fused pop songs and the techno genre, making for an exciting start to the first live music heard on the Hill in 2025. 

After PKLJAM’s performance, urika’s bedroom immediately began its hour-long set. The lead singer, Urika, hails from the Midwest, and began making rap music from their dorm room at Michigan State University. From the start of their set, the group demanded attention. The whispering vocals of lead singer and bassist Urika backed by the energetic rhythm of guitarist Silas and the continuous beat of drummer Shameik encouraged student attendees to let loose almost immediately. The set consisted of hits from their 2024 album Big Smile, Black Mire, including the song “Video Music,” which featured a duet between the band’s two guitarists. In an interview with NR Magazine, Urika revealed that they largely draw inspiration from the shoegaze genre and the high intensity of clubbing music. The lead singer also lists a childhood love of Gorillaz and the Smashing Pumpkins as inspirations. The three musicians incorporated heavy bass and echoes, commanding the cozy space of the Horn Gallery as the energy of the crowd grew and grew. urika’s bedroom ended its set with their most streamed song, “XTC,” which incorporated attention-grabbing screaming and masterful use of reverb, distortion and fuzz to make for a thoroughly technologically gripping sound.