4 years. 4 editions. Spanning 4 days each. Revels officially ends for me.

It’s your college fest, mainly the cultural ones where you make memories that refuse to fade away. What is an engineering college campus in normal days becomes this huge showcase of talent, showbiz and fun for few days every year.

The most awaited event in any Revels is easily the ProShow. It’s the chain of mega events where renowned artists from various fields perform for the college. While the stage has seen comedy, magic, dance,poetry and even fashion shows as part of the ProShow, the musical concerts remains the biggest attraction. Where in the world apart from this will you get to attend these concerts at a nominal (and sometimes free) price?

I’ve gawked at the famous singers, swooned to the bands and grooved to the EDMs. And while each of them were different experiences, it’s fair to say you will have your own favorites. Here are mine, ranked in the order of how much I enjoyed them.

11. ANISH SOOD (2017)

I’m not a great fan of EDM. It takes time for me to connect to that kind of music and really enjoy it. Which is one of the two reasons why this Ground Zero performance from last year is at the bottom of my list. Second reason? The performance that preceded this left me too exhausted to invest my energy in it!

10. aswekeepsearching (2018)

Like EDM, even bands haven’t been my cup of tea. In fact, the only tea I have sipped most is Bollywood music. Of course, other artists who’ll feature later in the list were just too good to break my genre liking and completely invest me in their music. But not this one.

9. LAGORI (2017)

Lagori had the weight of meeting upto the standards of the band that stunned the audience last year. The expectations might have undermined this one which is why even though the band was good and kept me hooked, their originals didn’t lift our emotions like the other band did.

8. INDIAN JAM PROJECT (2018)

This YouTube sensation are known to give popular Western soundtracks a nice classical twist. Unlike others in this list, their music demands nothing from you other than just listening. With no vocals, the magic was with the instruments and the way they were played.

7. WHEN CHAI MET TOAST (2018)

Easily the second best band performance in the ProShow, this Kochi-based band had a strong list of originals to fall back on. The insertion of one Bollywood cover and some interesting anecdotes kept the energy levels high and gave me a good time. This was almost going to be my last concert until the Quinti-no-show happened.

6. PAPON (2016)

Fortunately, Papon came way before his recent controversy. At that time, he was a highly regarded singer with an impressive discography. Like most of his songs, the act was a slow ride unlike other Ground Zero performances and felt a lot longer. But it was enjoyable nonetheless.

5. NUCLEYA (2016)

The undisputed EDM king of the nation also graced our stage. And like a novice that I am, I never have seen or heard of him before the artist launch. Then there was the phase of discovering his music, going mad over Aaja, Mumbai Dance, Laung Gwacha et al. On the ProShow day, I remember getting utterly exhausted halfway through the concert with the kind of energy spent. It was eclectic and crazy!

4. ARJUN KANUNGO (2018)

Frankly, I had no expectations from this guy, and was almost about to give this one a miss. It was a pleasant surprise hence to see how good he actually was! Arjun has very few originals but he made up for it by singing various Bollywood hits which had me sold. Starting with some melo and slowly raising the levels with party songs and finally ending with his originals, Kanungo left a lasting impression.

3. BENNY DAYAL (2017)

This one was special. Being a Core Committee member, I had the chance to witness this performance very close to the stage, past the crowd barricade. You should experience this once! Top it with the peppy Bollywood numbers that switched between groovy, soothing and foot-tapping – Benny gave me the time of my life!

2. THE LOCAL TRAIN (2016)

I thought a lot about it. But the feeling after watching The Local Train is inexplicable. It was a pure showcase of the power of music. Their beats dictated our breathe, their tunes made us dance and the air beamed with energy. Magic, is the word

1. FARHAN LIVE (2015)

Firsts are always special. And if your first had none other than Farhan Akhtar, it’s no surprise that it tops the list. My experiences with my first ProShow is still vivid. From screaming in excitement during the artist launch, to waiting for hours and hours to get the ticket, to standing in the entry line that spanned from Director’s office entry from AB1 all the way till the Chem block, to the hearts beating in anticipation of Farhan entering the stage and the way he owned the crowd – it was the first time I felt blessed to have joined this college. Witnessing the entire crowd singing the songs in tune, dancing like there’s no tomorrow in the cramped Quadrangle – it was all a first for me! That was the moment where Revels felt my own.

It’s been an amazing, amazing journey with Revels and ProShow. Hope the fest and this event continues to shine and be as special to others as it was for me!