INTERVIEW: Rocktober in Review
WRITTEN BY: Drew Levy
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, WHIP Radio’s annual Rocktober concert took place on November 12th at the First Unitarian Church. Rocktober is a battle-of-the-bands-style competition, where local artists apply to the month-long bracket, and fans vote each week to advance their favorites through the rounds. It culminates with a final concert where the top three bands play a face-off to see who will be crowned the winner, with the audience casting the final vote right there at the show.
The prize for this year’s competition includes an interview on air, a website feature, and a complimentary recording session done by Temple’s very own Bell Tower Music.
After a highly competitive set of voting rounds, the three finalists selected were Mount Cloud Collective, Cortiella, and Strangeness in Proportion.
After much anticipation, it was finally the day of the show. Members of the WHIP Events and Music departments helped set up the venue, decorating it in line with the show’s 80s theme. Just being in the basement of First Unitarian amped up the atmosphere.
The Church already has a rich history as one of Philly’s most iconic DIY venues, with artists such as Modern Baseball, Jeff Rosenstock, Alex G, and countless others having played in its basement.
Behind the scenes, WHIP members have been hard at work this entire month, and it paid off. We sold the most presale tickets in Rocktober history and had over 100 people packed into the show.
Before the night officially kicked off, I was able to talk with each band about their Rocktober experience: how they were feeling going into the show and what being part of this event meant to them.
First on the bill was Strangeness in Proportion, the long-running musical project of Sean Cahalin. Starting with this in 2014, he’s been in it for the long haul and has seen many iterations of the local music scene. His act consists of vocals and guitar with music inspired by Midwest emo with an undercurrent of nostalgia all throughout.
What does being part of Rocktober mean to you?
Sean: This is absolutely incredible. I’m amazed. I’ve been doing this for over ten years, and this is a huge milestone, especially getting to play the Church. That’s something I don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to do again, and I don’t know if I would have otherwise.
How does it feel to be representing the local scene in this event?
Sean: It’s pretty awesome. It’s kind of insane. I’ve been doing this for so long that I feel like the old kid on campus now. A lot of the Philly music scene is college, and that’s fantastic! They have the most to say, and I think that’s really special.
Why do you think the local show scene is so important right now? How has being part of the DIY community shaped your values as a band?
Sean: DIY is huge. Being able to get your hands dirty and make merch and build callouses playing guitar is important. And knowing that you can build yourself from the ground up, you don’t need the most expensive gear or the craziest studio, I think that’s an art form that really needs to stay alive and well. I hope it always will, because for as long as instruments are made, there will be kids picking them up and doing what they do. And for me, I was listening to music where people recorded nonsense, and it was like, “Oh, I can do that.” You learn and grow, and it’s a lot of trial and error, but that’s a very pivotal and important step along the way. It’s also an incredibly special way of meeting people, whether it’s people in the audience or other bands. It’s the easiest way to find people with similar interests and like-minded people, and it’s important for socialization and connecting with other human beings.
Why do you think college radio and local stations like WHIP matter for emerging artists?
Sean: Like I said before, a lot of new music is college. I really think teenagers and college students are the ones who run the industry. It’s really special to learn more about your local scene and the people who are up and coming, and not just hear the same top ten songs that play on repeat.
From the opening moments, the crowd was energized. This was partly because the first song required audience participation and partly because Sean invites you in on the joke with him, creating an instant sense of camaraderie. His song titles and themes were witty, a little melancholy, but also somehow remained cheerful. A major highlight was his full rendition of The Campfire Song from SpongeBob, which had the entire room erupting into song with him. To top it off, he tossed custom-made Pokémon-style cards into the crowd.
Sean’s distinct singing, humor, and interactive energy made his set the perfect start to the night.
Next up was Cortiella, formed this year at Temple University, and includes Max Ogram (vocals), Jacob Piotrowski (Guitar), Andrew Cook (Guitar), Max Minnich (Bass), and Emmett Morrison (Drums)
What does being part of Rocktober mean to you?
Max O: Being part of Rocktober is really cool. I like the competitiveness of it, because there aren’t many battle-of-the-bands events around here. As a new band, we’ve only been around for two months, so it’s great to have made it this far and to see how many followers we’ve gotten in such a short time.
Andrew: I really appreciate being able to play with a bunch of other great bands and having that opportunity.
How does it feel to be representing the local scene in this event?
Max O: We’re a new band, so getting to represent our scene at Temple with other bands that have been around longer is really cool. We’re trying to do our best, and it’s worked out so far, so we’re just going to keep going.
Why is the local show scene so important right now? How has being part of the DIY community shaped your values as a band?
Max M: The local scene is so important right now, especially with how divided the world is. It really brings people together. Since I was little, I’ve been into music and going to shows, building a community around it. It’s just really awesome.
Andrew: There’s nothing like the local scene, or any scene for that matter. You can go to any different state, and each scene is so specific to the area. I personally love it. If I weren’t able to do music or go to shows, I don’t know what I would do.
Max M: And Philly has a great scene. Everyone’s supportive, and there’s a strong sense of community.
Jacob: It brings people together for good causes too. A lot of shows are benefit or relief shows that donate to important places.
Why do you think college radio and local stations like WHIP matter for emerging artists?
Max O: College radio gives a real opportunity to local bands. I never imagined when we started that we’d be playing such an iconic venue like First Unitarian. I’m super grateful to WHIP for giving us this opportunity
Andrew: And in general, college radio promotes smaller artists. It’s not like mainstream stations that only play popular stuff from the ’70s and ’80s. It’s about supporting people making music now and helping them grow.
Max M. The scene is all based on advertisement. So to get something like a radio station where people can go for things like this is how people find out about shows, it’s how bands get traction. Promotion is really everything when it comes to beginning bands. We’re really grateful to WHIP for that.
Jacob: As far as identity goes, we do consider ourselves a Temple band, so getting to promote ourselves through the campus radio station is really cool. It feels like part of who we are.
As soon as they got on stage, they commanded immediate presence with a high-energy rhythm section and shoegazey guitar riffs. The atmosphere escalated once Max Ogram entered with raw, screaming vocals. The crowd wasted no time forming a mosh pit that never lost momentum. The whole set was filled with dynamic covers that they transformed to fit their own sound. However, during the middle of the set, things took a surprising turn when Max went from screaming bloody murder to picking up a saxophone and playing a short jazzy number, then promptly put down the saxophone and got right back to it. Energized and relentlessly engaging, Cortiella kept the audience on their feet the entire time.
Last up was Mount Cloud Collective. Featuring Tommy Cornell (vocals and guitar), Tim McCloud (vocals and guitar), Logan Guinosso(Bass) and Logan Troeger (drums) They are an emo and indie rock band based out of Philly.
What does being part of Rocktober mean to you?
Tommy: I signed us up for Rocktober when the sign-ups came out, just on a whim, and somehow we made it all the way to the top three! So it definitely means a lot that people voted for us.
Tim: We’ve got some really great friends in our corner, really great people supporting us. Their help just means the world.
How does it feel to be representing the local scene in this event?
Logan G: The local scene is really important to us because that’s where our roots are. It’s important for our support to be right at home. There’s a big sense of community, and being able to play music, whether we’re being paid or not, is just so much fun. It brings everyone together.
Logan T: With the community thing, the part that gets me the most is that everyone’s so nice. Everyone’s kind, and it’s not profit-incentivized. It’s all for the love of it. Everyone has the same goal: make fun music and do it together.
Tim: I also feel like it’s important to create a space that’s safe for everyone. Everybody’s welcome, nobody gets turned away.
Why do you think the local show scene is so important right now? How has being part of the DIY community shaped your values as a band?
Tommy: There’s a lot of hate in the world right now, so it’s nice to have this little space where you can have some control over what goes on. You can book your own shows, bring people together, even if it’s just in a sweaty basement where everyone’s jamming out.
Tim: What you give out, you get back. We’ve made so many friends and beautiful connections through this. Especially thanks to the people who were so gracious and kind to us when we were first starting out.
Why do you think college radio and local stations like WHIP matter for emerging artists?
Tim: This is a dream for us. Getting to play at the First Unitarian Church, so many of the bands we love to death have played here. And this wouldn’t have happened without WHIP. It gives us a platform, and it gives a lot of young voices platforms too.
Tommy: The people at WHIP Radio conceptualized this whole Rocktober battle-of-the-bands thing. They put out these flyers for people to sign up, and turned it into this amazing event we have tonight. I feel very grateful to have had the chance to sign up, and grateful to the people who pushed us through into the final round.
Logan T: Also, college radio is public access, and public access is really important, especially as we’re all moving toward consuming the same stuff on social media. Local exposure really matters. This is a local Temple thing, and it’s for us and for our community.
They started off with a quick sound check, and even that was enough to get everyone instantly hooked. The harmonies done between Tommy and Tim were tight and instantly caught people’s attention. If the event was supposed to evoke the feeling of the 80s, then Mount Cloud was the perfect choice. They sounded like the band you’d hear playing at an ’80s prom in a coming-of-age movie. They balanced classic emo elements with hints reminiscent of other genres, with country rock and even some yacht-rock elements. The crowd rushed toward the stage almost immediately, and you could see that everyone, both audience and band, was having a blast.
Just like that, all three sets were over, and it was time for the audience to vote. People crowded around the ballot box, scribbling down their chosen band’s initials and dropping their ticket inside.
Then came the announcement.
The winner of Rocktober 2025 was Mount Cloud Collective, which was followed up by thunderous applause. They returned to the stage to thank the crowd and WHIP for the opportunity, closing the night out on a high note.
Their interview, photos, and full features will soon be available on WHIP’s website and social media pages.
And that’s a wrap on this year’s Rocktober! Thank you to the incredible bands, the WHIP members who put in countless hours into this, and everyone who showed up to support Philly’s local music scene and college radio.
