Bandersnatch concert showcases acoustic Whitney, talented live acts
Bandersnatch concert showcases Whitney, talented live acts
The Bandersnatch concert series has brought a wide range of up-and-coming indie talent to Syracuse University since it started, and this semester is not different. University Union organized an installment of the series featuring Charlie Burg, SALES and Whitney on Wednesday, March 28. While the show did not sell close to the capacity of Goldstein Auditorium, a smaller crowd came to enjoy the night.
Charlie Burg, a music industry junior at Syracuse, opened the show to a friendly crowd. He looked confident and took to the stage with a smile on his face. He was joined by three other musicians playing drums, piano and bass while Burg sang and played the guitar. He is a fresh face with immense talent and a down-to-earth look and feel.
Berg’s voice was powerful and his comfort with higher notes was clear. Some audience members sang along with Burg’s music and others danced at the back of the crowd. Burg opened the night well in front of friends and new fans.
Guitar duo Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih make up SALES, the second act of the night. As the band set up, their fans moved their way to the front of the crowd in anticipation. However, once their set started the mood in the auditorium changed. Their music did not seem to fit the big, half-empty room. The instrumentals displayed talented musicians, yet the vocals never felt right.
“The second band, SALES, there was something about the mix where you could hardly make out what the vocalist was saying,” said Calvin Schneider, a junior music industry student. “She was also doing a weird mix of singing and yelling that didn’t really work.”
As the excitement in the room lowered during their set, the band’s lead singer Morgan tried to interact with the crowd. The set felt like a lull in the night as it was often hard to make out lyrics or groove with the sound. It felt like a YouTube mix that one might use as background music to do homework; the crowd could appreciate the music but also drown it out to talk to the person next to them.
The crowd began to stir when headliner Whitney began to set up their stage. The band usually travels with seven members, but only three members took the stage on Wednesday night: vocalist Julien Ehrlich on guitar, Max Kakacek on guitar and Will Miller on trumpet. Ehrlich usually plays the drums for Whitney, but played guitar for their acoustic set.
Ehrlich’s vocal performance was the highlight of the night. His voice cut through the room in a high pitch that never once cracked. The crowd remained still and silent as the band played, but exploded with applause when they were done.
Whitney had a great stage presence, laughing amongst themselves and breaking the tension in the air left from SALES. Their sound was unique and the trumpet blended with guitar gave the instrumentals an emotional and esoteric life.
In an age of SoundCloud rappers and adlibs that drive the charts, it felt special to spend time with talented live musicians. University Union put on another successful show bringing talent from all over the country to Syracuse University.
I have a deep interest in content creation, music management & brand development. I am junior at Syracuse University, pursuing a degree in Magazine Journalism. I am also enrolled in the Music Industry minor program. I am passionate about the pursuit of quality music, traveling around the globe and various areas of history.
