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Anchor&Arrow Recovers From Technical Difficulties, Grooves Through First-Ever THON Performance

State College musical duo Matt Dashem and Jennifer Henry-Dashem provided the BJC with a spectacular performance at THON 2022 early Sunday morning.

The married couple, who have developed into a staple at a number of local bars, brought their unique, funky sound to all who needed it.

First up on the set list was The Romantics’ “What I Like About You.” Matt and Jennifer dealt with some technical difficulties through that first song, but managed to get right back on track after a five-minute break. In what was their first-ever THON performance, Anchor&Arrow rolled into the swing of things with an awesome performance of “Get Back” by The Beatles.

Matt managed to show off his chops on the guitar with that second piece, while Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” also helped the early-morning crowd get involved.

The pair showed off their ability to funk with just about any song shortly after that. They started by playing a fast version of “House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals, but made a seamless back-and-forth switch to “Jolene” by Dolly Parton.

Jennifer made a quick shout out to the crowd before jumping into a sing-along performance of “Stuck in the Middle with You” by Stealers Wheel.

“What a fantastic time this is,” Henry-Dashem said. “World’s largest student-run philanthropy — something to be super proud of.”

“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats kept the energy up through the set, while that was followed by a quick performance of “American Woman.”

One of the best songs of the set was without a doubt Frankie Valli’s “December, 1963.” Jennifer got a perfect chance to show off her singing ability, while the BJC crowd got into it by keeping the rhythm with some claps. Matt even got a chance to play another guitar solo as the pair ripped through the classic song.

Those good vibes were followed by yet another medley. A quick intro into Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” suddenly turned into an awesome rendition of “Hit the road Jack!,” which set up yet another perfect sing-along opportunity.

Want another medley? Anchor&Arrow brought it. The pair managed to work their way through “Sweet Dreams,” “Into The Groove,” and “Sunglasses At Night” within just a few minutes. That was followed by a perfectly executed “Oh, oh, oh” chant, and THON 2022 was completely sold on the electric pair of musicians.

That moment was followed by a quick original called “Honey Groove.” The song was flat-out fun, and focused largely around ordering pancakes at a diner. Either way, it was a perfect segue into a song Jennifer said she would never do live: “Wagon Wheel.” While she said she never planned on doing it, the singer managed to perfectly time the crowd’s part in the chorus. Suddenly, THON 2022 felt like Beaver Stadium.

From there, the couple poured themselves a cup of ambition and began to perform Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” THON can drive you crazy if you let it, folks. But there is truly nothing like it.

Classic “I Want Candy” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” helped Anchor&Arrow set up for their final song of the morning. The pair went for a tried and true classic in KC And The Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight.”

The selection was clearly a classic for Anchor&Arrow, as they flawlessly grooved out all the way to the end of their set. Matt closed things out with yet another quick guitar solo, and the pair thanked the BJC for welcoming them to their first-ever THON.

“You’re the best. We’ll see you soon,” Henry-Dashem said.

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About the Author

Will Pegler

Will is a senior majoring in digital and print journalism and is an associate editor for Onward State. He is from Darien, Connecticut and is a lifelong Penn State football fan. He loves a good 80's comedy movie, Peaky Blinders, The Office, and the New York Yankees and Giants. You can catch some of his ridiculous sports takes on his Twitter @gritdude and yell at him on his email willpegler@onwardstate.com

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