By Amelia Ortman
Correspondent
CUB Alt’s latest show introduced students to four new bands that rocked the Decker Social Space. The crowd on March 27 started off light, but as the walls began to shake with the sounds of Coolshark, Pile, Palehound and Two Inch Astronaut, more and more people started to trickle into the basement concert.
Coolshark opened the night with a sound that resembled a mixture of relaxed, beach, surfer rock and Nirvana-like hard rock music. The band immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention with unorthodox noises that came from the vocals and instruments.
The blend of surf rock and hard rock didn’t come to the band right away, according to Coolshark drummer Andrea Denunzio.
“All members of the band have a heavier punk sound background, and when we got older, we wanted to branch out and have a product that was so different from what we normally play,” Denunzio said.
“We came up with the sound when we would hang out, groove and have a good time in the garage where we practiced — it’s summer music.”
The variety of music changed throughout the night with each band playing its own special blend of music. Two Inch Astronauts played “Good Behavior” off “Personal Life,” and Coolshark played “Bossa Nova” off its album “Brokesummer.”
Palehound played “Cinnamon” off its album “Dry Food,” while Pile played its hit “Prom Song” off the album “Dripping.”
Max Falvey, CUB Alt co-chair and a sophomore communication studies major, helped pull the event together seamlessly with his contagious smile and hard work ethic.
“I work with the event from top to bottom,” Falvey said, “I handle all communication with agents and managers, I solidify all contracts and everything for the day of the show.”
Booking bands and immersing himself in new music is clearly his passion.
“I’ve been booking locally for four years and booking for CUB Alt for one year,” Falvey said. He also buys food for the bands for the green room — the hospitality room for bands — which includes hummus, pita chips and veggie trays, according to Falvey.
“Everyone is a vegan these days, especially in indie bands,” he said.
The CUB Alt shows take place on Tuesdays and Fridays, and audience members range from fans of the bands to first-time listeners, like junior communication studies major Sabrina Axelrod.
“This is normally not my type of music, but I did enjoy it,” Axelrod said. “The shows are always put together in a great way, making it more of an experience and not just a concert.”
Axelrod said she loves to attend the events that CUB Alt puts together.
“I would definitely go to another Cub Alt band night,” she said. “I always look forward to their events. They are great at finding up-and-coming talent to show the campus.”
