About 15 bicyclists rode the streets on campus Sept. 21 to draw attention to the need for bike lanes.

The bike ride, called Courteous Mass, was organized by word of mouth by members of the NIU Green Paws Environmental Alliance and the NIU Cycling Club.

After that, some of the bicyclists and I found our way to The House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, where we watched a free (donations accepted) Station’s Creation RIP concert.

It was a bittersweet day for those who had grown to love Station’s Creation, as it was both the local band’s first time headlining at The House Cafe and the last show for the band. After four years playing together while attending NIU, the band of graduates dissolved Station’s Creation on friendly terms so they could focus on their respective post-collegiate careers.

The official lineup of the event was Station’s Creation, Seasonal Men’s Wear and Alcohol Poisoning. There were also special guest appearances by Nobelium 102 and one-man act Gonzo Violence.

The performances involved screamed vocals, hugely energetic on-stage presence, a tempo that would make anyone’s heart pound and raucous guitar playing. Station’s Creation performed energetically, with vocalist Connor Rice constantly moving across the stage, jumping around and, during the final song, performing a headstand against the drum set.

Station’s Creation played about 20 shows in the Chicago and DeKalb areas during its existence. Although the band was dissolving, its members wanted to put on one last show for old time’s sake, which led to the conception of the Station’s Creation RIP show. Rice said if the final show seemed a bit less angry than previous shows, it was probably due to the band members having extra fun during their last hurrah.

Station’s Creation consisted of Dan Clifford and Tim Lydon on guitars, David Zucker on bass, Dave Brienzo on drums and Rice on vocals.

The band sprung from its members’ experience in high school punk bands, their shared passion for hardcore and the anger needed to fuel their extra-energetic live shows.

Rice said he wrote all the lyrics himself, though music creation was collaborative.

“Hardcore is kind of a catch-all term,” Rice said. “Our influences are old school punk rock, ’80s thrash and heavy metal.”

He said his favorite performances were at crowded underground shows in DeKalb.

Although the departure of Station’s Creation reduces the number of local bands by one, there is still a glimmer of hope for their fans. According to Rice, the Station’s Creation website will remain online and could potentially be updated to include previously unreleased recordings.

Editor’s Note: Station’s Creation vocalist Connor Rice is also a former Northern Star Scene editor.