With a small drum set and a couple of microphones, the husband-and-wife band Us The Duo brought their original sounds Friday night to a packed room.
Michael and Carissa Alvarado of Us the Duo performed acoustic cover songs and their original music to about 400 UF students as part of GatorNights in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom, said Ashley Fosse, a band committee director of Reitz Union Board Entertainment. They were paid $15,000 to perform.
“It exceeded our expectations before it even began,” Fosse said.
As he waited in line for the doors to open, Ammar Khan, 19, said he was surprised the popular act came to UF.
“I expected there to be a large turnout, so I arrived early,” said the UF microbiology and cell science sophomore, who was one of the first people in line.
Khan, who discovered the band through social media, said he did not have high expectations for the live performance.
After the band took the stage, an overflow of about 100 people stood waiting in line outside of the ballroom. Fosse said they tried to get as many people in as others left.
After the show, Khan said the band sounded better live than he expected.
“Narrowing down my favorite part isn’t easy,” Khan said. “But if I had to choose, it would be between their ‘Banana Song’ and the medley at the end of their set.”
Carissa Alvarado does the Gator Chomp onstage during Friday night’s concert. She and her husband, Michael Alvarado, performed together as Us the Duo in the Reitz Union.
