Music always draws people together, and the Cats Den concert held Thursday night in the Gatton Student Center was no exception. 

The concert consisted of performances from two different bands from the Lexington area. In a colorfully lit stage packed full of instruments and speakers, the college students in the rom conversing, studying and eating had no choice but to stop and enjoy the music.

The first group took to the stage a little after 9 p.m. The band consists of four musicians: lead singer and guitarist Blake Hester, his wife and bassist Kseniya Verenich, their other backup guitarist and their drummer.

The group sported a casual style of white high top sneakers, baseball hats and band tees, which nicely complemented their style of music. They played both covers songs and original indie songs, and Hester even took the stage by himself for a few pieces. The group was conversational with the audience and cracked jokes among each other while on stage, setting up a cheery and welcoming atmosphere.

“Hopefully we’ll be releasing new music to Spotify by 2020,” Hester said about his hopes for the future of the freshly formed band.

The crowd in Cats Den nearly doubled by the time the first group was finishing up. Students walking past the room were drawn in by the inviting sounds and sights of the room.

“One of my friends is playing so we came out to support him. It’s just a really good, chill time,” said Sydney Shelton, a senior at UK studying equine management.

The Sunmates were the second band to perform. The band is made up lead singer and guitarist John, bass player Logan and their drummer.

“We’re kind of a new band,” John said before playing.

They performed several original songs and a few cover songs, enticing more students to join in on the music.

“It’s a long-term thing, this is just the beginning of hopefully something really nice,” said Logan, Sunmates bassist and a senior here at UK studying marketing and economics.

Toward the end of the show, several students had put down their textbooks and started dancing around to the music. The concert offered students a free break from the stress of classwork, reminding them that it’s okay to close the laptops and put the pens down every now and then.

“I enjoyed myself. I really liked the atmosphere of the area,” said Katie Haskell, a senior international studies major.

The next stop for the Sunmates is at the Green Lantern in downtown Lexington on Dec. 8. For anyone interested in finding out more about the two bands, be sure to check out their Instagram accounts @sunmatesband and @blakeodhester.