When rapper Jack Costanza plays his music, he wants to relay his passion. That’s exactly what he had the opportunity to do onstage at House of Blues last Sunday night, Jan. 3.

Costanza is a member of the group Co-Stanza along with drummer Maxx Ludeke, singer Abbie Boswell and DJ Peter Koulos. The group formerly played House of Blues as an opener, but this time they had the stage as headliner.

Costanza and Ludeke are both freshmen at DePaul University. Although neither are majoring in music, both are confident that it will always remain a major part of their lives.

“It’s electric. As soon as you are out there and the microphone is on and the lights are there, you know it’s gonna sound so good, because it’s such a high quality system,” Costanza said about performing at the House of Blues. “Everyone’s there, they’ve been there for a while, and they’re ready to let it go for the last show.”

The duo met during their sophomore year of high school at Naperville North, where they both attended. Although Ludeke has been playing drums since the age of five, Costanza is somewhat new to his craft, having started rapping his sophomore year for fun with some friends.

By the time his junior year came around, what started off as a joke for Costanza turned into live garage shows, and he realized music was something he was passionate about. Then came the booking agent, and the local suburban gigs, and eventually, House of Blues.

“Being a rapper and a singer, I run out of breath pretty easily, and I don’t like to have backing tracks for it — but at House of Blues you have so much stage to command that I probably should have done some cardio to prepare for the show,” Costanza said.

He certainly embraces a feeling of freedom in his music. He would describe his style as alternative hip-hop and rap, with some poetic elements. His music has been related to that of George Watsky and Twenty One Pilots, but with less of a pop influence.

For the most part, Co-Stanza keeps things lighthearted and fun. The passion of live performance is what Costanza and Ludeke thrive on most.

“I personally like the smaller venues, but I think that my personality when I’m drumming really comes out in the bigger shows,” Ludeke said. “So House of Blues, one of the bigger shows that I’ve ever played, it brings out my full potential, because I have to fill it. There’s a lot of people there, people are expecting a good show.”

Among the crowd present at House of Blues to see Co-Stanza was Ryan Dengel, a friend of both Costanza and Ludeke.

Dengel has played in bands before, and he would often speak about performing, writing and the realities of being a musician full time, rather than doing it as a hobby with Costanza. These conversations are what brought them together as friends.

“Jack’s growth is very clearly visible. He has a presence about him,” Dengel said. “I met him his freshman year in high school, and he’s clearly grown into his own skin and matured a lot. He has charisma. When you get him one on one or you see him on stage, it’s very much the same person; he’s extremely authentic.”

Dengel didn’t stop smiling the whole time Costanza and Ludeke were on stage.

Through landing the gig at House of Blues as freshmen college students, Co-Stanza has proven their passion and dedication. They manage to take a whole genre and make it all their own, through elements of both music and poetry. In regards to the group’s future, they plan to continue keeping things interesting and innovative with their music.

“I took a couple lessons from a local drummer who is very into Afro-rhythm,” Ludeke said. “What Afro-rhythm brings to the table is multiple rhythms at the same time, which is how I like to think about drumming. Sure you’re playing a consistent beat, but it’s also okay to throw in a couple off-beats and make it interesting to listen to, instead of just being the backing of a track.”

In the future, Co-Stanza is going to attempt to keep holding energetic and engaging performances.

“You run from side to side and get everybody involved and it can be exhausting; but that comes with the fact that you get a big stage and you get to be everywhere,” Costanza said. “It’s nice to have that freedom.”