There are a few things that consistently make any questionable music event infinitely better. The first is darkness, to ensure that even the shyest wallflower gets out and starts stomping around. Another is a late start time, so that all in attendance have nothing to accomplish afterwards and are in it for the long haul. The last and arguably most important thing to make any music event better is booze. Alcohol will turn even the dullest event into a screaming sensation provided there is a will to drink.
Unfortunately all of these things were noticeably absent from Kappa Alpha Theta's latest fundraiser, "Rock the CASA." The sorority hosted the bands to raise money for the Theta funded organization, the Court Appointed Special Advocates program. This organization works to place mentors with kids who have been bounced around the social services system and gives them a voice in the midst of impersonal government bureaucracy. The event attracted a variety of sponsors from the Charles Village area, such as PJ's and Coldstone Creamery, to donate both food and gift certificates for the event, which hosted four bands.
All this seemed good in theory but what people came for was the music and it was certainly not the best time for any of the bands involved. The 6 p.m. start time was entirely too early for even the most fervent supporters of student music (and we all know how many of those are on the Hopkins campus).
Adding to the problem was the location choice of the Great Hall in Levering, a vast space without a stage, which forced the bands to perform on the same plane as the audience. Lastly there was no booze, a crippling choice for any music event.
Live music is inexorably tied to altered states of mind and you could see the frustration of the audience, many of whom turned to sucking down the helium of the balloons that filled the Great Hall in harried desperation (I don't think I saw a single balloon around by the end of the event, a hilariously disturbing sign of Theta's mistake).
Although there were logistical problems abound, the bands still came to play. The first of the lineup was the sophomore Phi Kappa Psi house band, The Bohdangles. The group played a strong set of covers, focusing on blues and classic rock. Guitarists Mike Hayek and Alex Day traded solos for crowd pleasers like "Crossroads" and "Say It Ain't So." The real star was lead singer Samuel Ball-Brau. He fought through the lackluster excitement for the band by singing his heart out. The highlight was a pitch-perfect version of the Violent Femmes' "Blister In The Sun," with Ball-Brau throwing around the mic and shaking around feverishly like Roger Daltrey singing "My Generation."
Next up was Scott Wham of SAE. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, Wham managed to amp up the crowd of Thetas. Opening with a cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" that blended in sections of "I Got A Woman," Wham got people moving. Not letting a broken foot impede him, he led the crowd in a sing along to Old Crow Medicine Show's "Rock Me Mama," and even threw in a sped up version of "Let's Stay Together," a song that I imagine is a definite closer for those lonely Saturday nights at SAE. Midway through the set I heard one audience member proclaim, "He only plays four chords, but he plays the sh*t out of them."
Wham was followed by the Wawa band Mouthful of Egan (I don't get the name either). Their set was underwhelming and plagued with technical difficulties from the sound equipment, but they managed to offer up some college rock favorites including soothing renditions of Jack Johnson's "Breakdown," and Ben Harper's "Steal My Kisses."
Wawa showed up in full force to support their brothers, and demanded an encore from the band. After deliberating for a moment they came back on to play a cover of "Stir It Up" that went into "40 ounces of Freedom." However they had obviously not played the song in a while and the musical mistakes coupled with the overwhelming feedback from the amps showed that you should always leave the audience wanting more.
The event ended with the only performance of original songs, done by metal band Anubis Unbound. The band realized quickly that their performance was not necessarily going to go over well with the Hopkins crowd, but it didn't seem to deter them.
Front man Ziggy Smith grabbed the microphone before the first song, "When Innocence Dies," and thanked the audience for the opportunity to play, proclaiming to the inexperienced listeners, "Welcome to your first metal show."
The band was high energy and the unison head thrashing by all five members incited audience members to join right along with them. Most of this was done in mockery more than excitement but it was encouraging to see some audience participation for a band that seemed completely out of their element.
Smith ended the set with the proclamation, "Some of you may not like metal, but it is music, and music makes the world go 'round." It was a nice moment to end the night. Although the conditions weren't the best for live music, there was still support for all of the bands, showing that music is good no matter where and when, even when you aren't drunk. But hopefully for next time Theta will remember that drinking can make it a whole lot better.
