Branson held its Winter Formal at the Hilton Embassy Suites on Jan.  24, bringing students together for a night in a fresh location with a different vibe.

The venue marked a change from last year’s Peacock Gap location, setting a new backdrop for the evening. Branson’s Rock Band delivered a setlist of crowd favorites, from “Kilby Girl” by The Backstreet Lovers to Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me.”

“I thought the rock band was very really good, I loved all the songs they played,” Caitlin McCrath ’28 said.

Some students had specific favorites from the audience.

“Specifically, I think the song, ‘Bring Me To Life’ really, really amped up the crowd and it was fun to see,” Ryder Teakle ’28 said.

The live band became a talking point among students, with many comparing it favorably to previous dances like homecoming.

“I thought it was really nice. I really like having the Branson Rock Band perform versus having the DJ at Hoco,” Gigi Valente ’29 said. “The vibes were definitely there, people were dancing and having fun.”

“I loved the energy that the singers brought and the entirety of the band,” Tika Zahiri ’28 said. “I feel like it was very impressive that the Rock Band played for more than an hour, but after that, I feel like it naturally ended when the normal music came on because of the switch.”

Though the dance was scheduled until 10 p.m., the night naturally wrapped up around 9:30, shortly after the band finished their set. 

“I kind of wished it was a little longer because people were definitely vibing with the band,” Corrina Bouligny ‘29 said.

Still, the consensus among students was clear: WoFo delivered what students were looking for.

“Overall, I thought WoFo was pretty fun. The venue was nice, and I think it was better than a lot of people expected,” Dael Tao ’26 said.