Luke Rynne Cullen’s flagship event of the campaign season took over Wigwam on Tuesday night. “Mini Trinity Ball” featured a number of local artists playing from 8pm until 1.30am.
Though announced earlier, Cullen’s event follows candidate Judith Robinson’s “Feel the Groove” also at Wigwam on Monday. Despite the same location, Rynne Cullen’s event offered a very different scene than Robinson’s.
The crowd included many Trinity Ents representatives and those affiliated with the entertainments aspect of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), which Cullen has a lot of involvement with. In comparison with Robinson’s event, Cullen attracted a larger variety of people, with less of a specific type in attendance. Despite the variety, attendance was still under capacity, with the dance floor and the bar area sparsely populated throughout the night.
In line with greater variety in attendance, the music also ranged largely from DJs, to live acoustic performances, to live hip hop. Unlike the night before, live musicians continued well into the night, keeping in line with the theme of a mini Trinity Ball.
Despite anticipated difficulties in maintaining this events own individuality given a very similar event on just the night before, Cullen’s difference from Robinson was on display. While Robinson’s event had a very definitive vibe, drawing large numbers from DU Players and an artsy scene, what Cullen’s lacked in cohesive “vibe” was made up for in variety. Whether you were into large DJ acts, like Opium’s resident DJ SKI KELLY, acoustic bops like Oscar Blue, or even live hip-hop acts, there is something for everyone.
As far as accessibility goes – a major talking point of this year’s campaign – Wigwam was almost an ideal location, with the bar and the dance floor on the ground floor. However, the upstairs, including bathrooms, requires a staircase to access.
This was the second major event of the TCDSU entertainments candidates’ election, with final event – Jerico Alcaras’s “Intergalactic” – taking place last night. Thus far, entertainments candidates have continued to carve out their niches – and in event planning it has been especially noticeable.
