By Kailee Walsh
Correspondent
Although CUB Alt shows often feature small, local and underground artists, many students knew Alex G ahead of his performance on Friday, Oct. 28. It’s no surprise that Alex G has become a well-known name around campus — the singer of the band, Alex Giannascoli, has already developed a cult-like following in Philadelphia for his bedroom pop music.
Alex G took to the Decker Social Space to showcase some of those sleepy, understated rock jams after Philadelphia artists Brandon Can’t Dance and Clique opened.
Since his recent tour with indie-luminary Built To Spill concluded, Giannascoli has been getting press coverage from top publications, such as Rolling Stone and The New York Times, due in part to his name being listed as a guitarist on Frank Ocean’s sophomore album.
At the College, Alex G played “Harvey” mid-set and Giannascoli yelled out the lyrics: “Success for my buddies, success for my friends, success is the only thing I understand” — a reflection of the banter he and students shared throughout the evening.
Alex G interacted quite frequently with the crowd. Giannascoli mumbled, “You guys look so cool” to the audience before he smiled and screamed out, “But we’re cooler!”
He often complimented how good the band was doing, and there weren’t any objections from the audience, just a series of “I love you’s” from which Giannascoli awkwardly shrugged away.
For most of his career, he has performed at small venues like the Decker Social Space. Yet due to his recent fame, these intimate shows are becoming less common. Smaller venues are fitting, though, because he’s known for his intricate and sometimes kooky lyrics, like “Mary is the girl that leaves you to rot / She says ‘I am real and you are not.’”
Giannascoli played songs from each of Alex G’s released albums. He also promised that a new album was nearly finished.
Sophomore chemistry major Chris Ratanski has only missed one CUB Alt show this semester and said he was looking forward to this one in particular, since he’s an Alex G fan.
As he was the one who booked the show, Max Falvey, CUB Alt co-chair and a sophomore communication studies major, felt similarly.
“Alex has been one of my favorite musicians for a very long time, so to have him here was unreal,” Falvey said.
Alex G’s CUB Alt show was only the start of his upcoming tour with fellow Philadelphia rocker Brandon Can’t Dance and lo-fi Brooklyn outfit LVL UP.
When asked what he would wear that weekend for Halloween, Giannascoli replied that he already had a wolf costume ready to go for the occasion. He said the tour booked a house show for Halloween somewhere in Kentucky and he’s looking forward to playing “The Monster Mash.”
