Malatese

Kicking off the official bandness was Malatese, and they kicked off MACRoCk something proper. They were just as feisty and shouty as I had imagined they would be, and so high energy. I was particularly fond of when the sonic party got a little dark, and shit started to get just a tiny bit creepy and weird. But in a good way. The folks at the Dodger seemed to dig Malatese, and I can certainly add my approval to that consensus. I found the singer especially engaging, with his mild histrionics and pogoing hither and thither across the stage. The last song of their short set was dedicated to a dad, which was too cute. Thumbs up on the Malatese live experience for sure.
- Megan Petty; Fuzzy Logic

Early April in the Western Virginia mountains, friends, there’s nothin’ finer. Well, perhaps if you throw in a weekend’s worth of great bands. Oh hey, that’s exactly what happens every year at the Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference, otherwise known as MACRoCk. I went to my first MACRoCk last year and had such a grand ole time that I’m heading back down once again. Here’s a sampling of the bands that I’ll be taking in, and the bands you should get to know even if you’re not getting your MACRoCk on.

It sorta makes sense to start at the beginning, right? According to the schedule (subject to change, of course), Malatese is the first band of the first official day of MACRoCk. The Harrisonburgers call themselves trance punk, and I might could get behind that. Frantic rhythms and vocals just flat enough whip themselves into a fine frenzy, tempered with a reserved insanity. I look forward to seeing what these dudes can get up to in person. - Megan Petty; Fuzzy Logic DC Music Blog (http://www.logicfuzzy.com/)

Early April in the Western Virginia mountains, friends, there’s nothin’ finer. Well, perhaps if you throw in a weekend’s worth of great bands. Oh hey, that’s exactly what happens every year at the Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference, otherwise known as MACRoCk. I went to my first MACRoCk last year and had such a grand ole time that I’m heading back down once again. Here’s a sampling of the bands that I’ll be taking in, and the bands you should get to know even if you’re not getting your MACRoCk on.

It sorta makes sense to start at the beginning, right? According to the schedule (subject to change, of course), Malatese is the first band of the first official day of MACRoCk. The Harrisonburgers call themselves trance punk, and I might could get behind that. Frantic rhythms and vocals just flat enough whip themselves into a fine frenzy, tempered with a reserved insanity. I look forward to seeing what these dudes can get up to in person. - Megan Petty; Fuzzy Logic DC Music Blog (http://www.logicfuzzy.com/)

Well, today was rather interesting. As you’ll recall, I recently reviewed the Gypsy Death and You EP. WHO, by the way, made it on the newest NWShoegazing compilation! Congratulations to Alex and Emily! Excellent cover, excellent band. Again, if you haven’t checked them out, do it! They’re on muxtape.
Malatese is Jon Reed (drums), Graham Brouder (bass, vocals), Travis Legg (vocals), and George Dodson (guitar). They’re from Harrisonburg, Virginia.
So apparently Gypsy Death and You are friends with the guys from Malatese. I’m assuming they read my review of the GDaY EP because they very kindly sent me a link to their music to check out. Here are my thoughts.
My wife is with me, listening to their stuff as well. Her first reaction to “Time Mask,” the first song on the EP, was that they have a somewhat similar sound to really early U2 from about 34 seconds in. I mean, we’re talking Boy-era U2–not The Joshua Tree type material. So, you know … that’s a pretty good thing. I think it is, anyway. She also compared their sound to Weezer. I didn’t get that from their sound, but to each their own, right? I think they have a much more aggressive sound than either of those two band. Not violently aggressive … just aggressive. As in, “Hey guitar … I’m gonna pwn you. Just get used to it.” Or “You are *my* drum kit. You *will* obey me!” You know … stuff like that.
The first thing that strikes me is how well balanced the mixing is, even though it’s obvious this wasn’t recorded in a professional studio. Despite that, the drums sound as raw as if you were sitting right in front of them; the bass comes through with a very prominent distinction. I’m pretty sure I’m hearing two guitars here. Now … I don’t know if this is on purpose or not, but one of them sounds a hair out of tune. If that was on accident, whoops. If it was on purpose, congratulations–you’ve stumbled on some kind of sonic dissonance that doesn’t suck–in fact, it’s actually pretty damn cool. Edit: Uneless I’m mis-reading their email, there is but one guitar. Guess I need to break out the headphones instead of listening on iTunes.
“Heaven Would Melt” has me scratching my head. During the chorus, there’s some kind of squawking falsetto screaming that I can’t quite … get. It just doesn’t seem to fit the song. Now … to be fair, in the interest of full disclosure, with the kind of muted vocals and over-emphasized distorted guitars, it’s a bit hard to make out all the lyrics, so the squawk shrieking might very well be completely relevant. However, I have no idea.
Remember The Misfits? Ever heard of Samhain? Yah … there’s a very Glenn-Danzig-meets-Jim-Morrison kind of quality to the singer’s voice and style. For the music, it totally fits. I’m liking it.
One thing the band told me when they wrote and said, “Let us know of any comments you have, for we did everything ourselves and won’t turn down any kind of feedback.” I have one suggestion: find a way to get some funding for a professional studio because I would *love* to hear what you guys can do with some better recording equipment. I mean that with all the respect I have for what you’ve accomplished so far. Your sound is raw and raging, and I like that. I really do. But you owe it to yourselves to see what would happen in a professional studio. Hey … ya never know what you can pull off!
So I’m filing this one under “bands to watch.” I don’t know if they’ll ever score a radio hit with their sound, but ya know what? These days, that’s probably a *very* good thing. Actually, let me amend that: I can see them becoming a college radio circuit phenomenon. That would be very, very cool cuz most college radio stations don’t play crap, so if they hit that stream, good things will happen." - Geoff Tate; Frissonic.net

Well, today was rather interesting. As you’ll recall, I recently reviewed the Gypsy Death and You EP. WHO, by the way, made it on the newest NWShoegazing compilation! Congratulations to Alex and Emily! Excellent cover, excellent band. Again, if you haven’t checked them out, do it! They’re on muxtape.
Malatese is Jon Reed (drums), Graham Brouder (bass, vocals), Travis Legg (vocals), and George Dodson (guitar). They’re from Harrisonburg, Virginia.
So apparently Gypsy Death and You are friends with the guys from Malatese. I’m assuming they read my review of the GDaY EP because they very kindly sent me a link to their music to check out. Here are my thoughts.
My wife is with me, listening to their stuff as well. Her first reaction to “Time Mask,” the first song on the EP, was that they have a somewhat similar sound to really early U2 from about 34 seconds in. I mean, we’re talking Boy-era U2–not The Joshua Tree type material. So, you know … that’s a pretty good thing. I think it is, anyway. She also compared their sound to Weezer. I didn’t get that from their sound, but to each their own, right? I think they have a much more aggressive sound than either of those two band. Not violently aggressive … just aggressive. As in, “Hey guitar … I’m gonna pwn you. Just get used to it.” Or “You are *my* drum kit. You *will* obey me!” You know … stuff like that.
The first thing that strikes me is how well balanced the mixing is, even though it’s obvious this wasn’t recorded in a professional studio. Despite that, the drums sound as raw as if you were sitting right in front of them; the bass comes through with a very prominent distinction. I’m pretty sure I’m hearing two guitars here. Now … I don’t know if this is on purpose or not, but one of them sounds a hair out of tune. If that was on accident, whoops. If it was on purpose, congratulations–you’ve stumbled on some kind of sonic dissonance that doesn’t suck–in fact, it’s actually pretty damn cool. Edit: Uneless I’m mis-reading their email, there is but one guitar. Guess I need to break out the headphones instead of listening on iTunes.
“Heaven Would Melt” has me scratching my head. During the chorus, there’s some kind of squawking falsetto screaming that I can’t quite … get. It just doesn’t seem to fit the song. Now … to be fair, in the interest of full disclosure, with the kind of muted vocals and over-emphasized distorted guitars, it’s a bit hard to make out all the lyrics, so the squawk shrieking might very well be completely relevant. However, I have no idea.
Remember The Misfits? Ever heard of Samhain? Yah … there’s a very Glenn-Danzig-meets-Jim-Morrison kind of quality to the singer’s voice and style. For the music, it totally fits. I’m liking it.
One thing the band told me when they wrote and said, “Let us know of any comments you have, for we did everything ourselves and won’t turn down any kind of feedback.” I have one suggestion: find a way to get some funding for a professional studio because I would *love* to hear what you guys can do with some better recording equipment. I mean that with all the respect I have for what you’ve accomplished so far. Your sound is raw and raging, and I like that. I really do. But you owe it to yourselves to see what would happen in a professional studio. Hey … ya never know what you can pull off!
So I’m filing this one under “bands to watch.” I don’t know if they’ll ever score a radio hit with their sound, but ya know what? These days, that’s probably a *very* good thing. Actually, let me amend that: I can see them becoming a college radio circuit phenomenon. That would be very, very cool cuz most college radio stations don’t play crap, so if they hit that stream, good things will happen." - Geoff Tate; Frissonic.net

Malatese describe themselves variously as "nerve punk" and "trance punk," and I guess that's a good way to understand them. These tunes are weird, in a really good way. The music walks the fine line between adventurous punk and what I would term "hard indie," with a bit more shoe gazing than than your average DIY group and a fair bit more aggression than any other band with a similarly twee name. It's a psychological turn of tune, mixing various elements of oldschool punk, surf, and rock melodies, all overlaid by droning vocals that, while unusual, fit the music really well. This is pretty obviously a home recording, but considering it's the home of a music industry major, that's not really a strike against it. For me, this is some solid chilltimes music; to most people this would be more suited as a soundtrack for pogo. Either way, it's pretty cool.

Malatese — Absurd Constructor EP

Track Listing:
Paradise
World Panic
Mother Night
Shadow Figures

Malatese is a punk band from Harrisonburg, Va., deep in the cool little JMU music scene there. Word on the campus is they're named after an intriguing book collection. They have several upcoming shows, of particular note is:
4/14: @ Magnolia House, Charlottesville VA w/ Bunnybrains
4/25: @ The Galaxy Hut, Arlington VA w/ Buck Gooter"
- Ryan Marley Grant; Still Here Zine (stillherezine.blogspot.com)

Malatese describe themselves variously as "nerve punk" and "trance punk," and I guess that's a good way to understand them. These tunes are weird, in a really good way. The music walks the fine line between adventurous punk and what I would term "hard indie," with a bit more shoe gazing than than your average DIY group and a fair bit more aggression than any other band with a similarly twee name. It's a psychological turn of tune, mixing various elements of oldschool punk, surf, and rock melodies, all overlaid by droning vocals that, while unusual, fit the music really well. This is pretty obviously a home recording, but considering it's the home of a music industry major, that's not really a strike against it. For me, this is some solid chilltimes music; to most people this would be more suited as a soundtrack for pogo. Either way, it's pretty cool.

Malatese — Absurd Constructor EP

Track Listing:
Paradise
World Panic
Mother Night
Shadow Figures

Malatese is a punk band from Harrisonburg, Va., deep in the cool little JMU music scene there. Word on the campus is they're named after an intriguing book collection. They have several upcoming shows, of particular note is:
4/14: @ Magnolia House, Charlottesville VA w/ Bunnybrains
4/25: @ The Galaxy Hut, Arlington VA w/ Buck Gooter"
- Ryan Marley Grant; Still Here Zine (stillherezine.blogspot.com)

Ty Segall is certainly a burgeoning rock star, and the music scene in Harrisonburg, Virginia is certainly burgeoning in its own right. The two came together for a fantastic show on the campus of James Madison University on September 26, coordinated by JMU’s student-run station, WXJM.

The show was held in Festival Ballroom, a venue that before this night was primarily associated with galas, balls, conferences, and other collegiate wish wash, not punk rock. The sets put on by Segall, his tourmate Mikal Cronin (who both hail from San Francisco), and local favorite Malatese are responsible for the room’s shift into an atmosphere befitting a crowded, euphoric basement, where many of Harrisonburg’s best shows are commonly held.

Malatese is Harrisonburg’s finest act (and happen to be close friends of mine), so you’ll hear nothing but praise from myself and almost anyone that frequently catches their set. The band rips through soaring dance punk, spazz-out psychedelia, and twisted hardcore every performance, and on this night, things were no different. Well, except the collection of new tracks that the band revealed, displaying new melodies, towering choruses, and incredibly interlocked breakdowns. Singer Travis Legg (top photo) was enthralling on stage, as always, his spastic movements and visceral vocals having him appear as if he was the possessed love-child of a homosexual relationship between Jim Morrison and Ian Curtis. Jon Reed’s drumming was intense as always, thundering away to Graham Brouder’s (also pictured, with Travis) pulsating bass lines. George Dodson’s guitar cascades over it all, with the perfect amount of both precision and absolute chaos. The band was able to play on what would have to be the best PA they’ve encountered yet, and it showed. They closed their 30-minute set with “Divine,” their most haunting and disruptive song. “Divine” glides from nervous dance-punk to a chorus as loud and fast as any Minor Threat track. The crowd, which decided to not make use of the expansive ballroom, clashed together in a mass of bouncing bodies. And there were two acts to go.

Mikal Cronin is a high-school friend and collaborator of Ty Segall, and his music resides in the same house as the latter’s, but definitely spends more time on the porch. Cronin’s self-titled debut album was released just weeks ago, and his set featured almost every song from the record. Cronin was accompanied by a strong backing band, which gave his sun-drenched pop melodies more crunch than I expected. Every song that sounds great on the record sounded even better live, as Cronin tore through fantastic versions of “Apathy,” (which has maybe the catchiest chorus I’ve ever heard) “Green and Blue,” (complete with ringing guitar feedback) and “Situation”. However, the set’s highlight was “Get Along”, which saw Segall emerge at the front of the crowd to sing along and dance goofily directly in front of Cronin. Before the song had finished, the crowd had been whipped into a melee once again. It was impossible to not join in, singing along breathlessly.

I knew when Segall began his set with an improvised cover of Devo’s “Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy” that I was in for a treat. I mean….who covers fucking Devo to begin a show, without telling the rest of his band? Segall is quite possibly the best songwriter working in indie rock today, as he has developed from the garage punk/psychedelia of 2010's Melted into the soothing, Neil Young-esque stoner pop of this year’s Goodbye Bread. But his set was all out warfare. After being slightly restrained at some points during the first two sets, basking in the joy of the music while briefly erupting, the crowd was an inferno for Segall’s set. The slightly confusing opening cover (it seemed like I was the only nerd in the crowd who had a huge smile on his face as Segall barked Mark Mothersbaugh’s crazy lyrics) only gave way to one of Segall’s best tunes, “Imaginary Person”. From there, it was one rollicking rendition after another, from the driving chorus of “Caesar” to the joyous explosion that is “Girlfriend” to the up-tempo dance beat of “Standing at the Station”. Segall was nothing but smiles and jokes all the way through the set, his rapport with the crowd strong, and his guitar work raw and rattling. Cronin was onstage yet again (second photo from top with Segall), playing bass and singing “Finger”, another gem from Melted. And then there was the closer, an absolutely vicious cover of Black Sabbath’s classic, “Paranoid”. There were a few metal-lovers in the crowd bopping along throughout the night, but when the riff to “Paranoid” coarsed through the speakers, every single one pushed toward the stage and into the melee of the crowd. If it isn’t obvious, this was an awesome ending to the evening, as the crowd merged into one sweaty heap screaming out Ozzy’s infamous lines. When the music stopped, most people stood around in bewilderment, understandably giddy and perhaps a bit shell-shocked - Joe Arvis; See/Saw (http://arvistj.wordpress.com/)

Ty Segall is certainly a burgeoning rock star, and the music scene in Harrisonburg, Virginia is certainly burgeoning in its own right. The two came together for a fantastic show on the campus of James Madison University on September 26, coordinated by JMU’s student-run station, WXJM.

The show was held in Festival Ballroom, a venue that before this night was primarily associated with galas, balls, conferences, and other collegiate wish wash, not punk rock. The sets put on by Segall, his tourmate Mikal Cronin (who both hail from San Francisco), and local favorite Malatese are responsible for the room’s shift into an atmosphere befitting a crowded, euphoric basement, where many of Harrisonburg’s best shows are commonly held.

Malatese is Harrisonburg’s finest act (and happen to be close friends of mine), so you’ll hear nothing but praise from myself and almost anyone that frequently catches their set. The band rips through soaring dance punk, spazz-out psychedelia, and twisted hardcore every performance, and on this night, things were no different. Well, except the collection of new tracks that the band revealed, displaying new melodies, towering choruses, and incredibly interlocked breakdowns. Singer Travis Legg (top photo) was enthralling on stage, as always, his spastic movements and visceral vocals having him appear as if he was the possessed love-child of a homosexual relationship between Jim Morrison and Ian Curtis. Jon Reed’s drumming was intense as always, thundering away to Graham Brouder’s (also pictured, with Travis) pulsating bass lines. George Dodson’s guitar cascades over it all, with the perfect amount of both precision and absolute chaos. The band was able to play on what would have to be the best PA they’ve encountered yet, and it showed. They closed their 30-minute set with “Divine,” their most haunting and disruptive song. “Divine” glides from nervous dance-punk to a chorus as loud and fast as any Minor Threat track. The crowd, which decided to not make use of the expansive ballroom, clashed together in a mass of bouncing bodies. And there were two acts to go.

Mikal Cronin is a high-school friend and collaborator of Ty Segall, and his music resides in the same house as the latter’s, but definitely spends more time on the porch. Cronin’s self-titled debut album was released just weeks ago, and his set featured almost every song from the record. Cronin was accompanied by a strong backing band, which gave his sun-drenched pop melodies more crunch than I expected. Every song that sounds great on the record sounded even better live, as Cronin tore through fantastic versions of “Apathy,” (which has maybe the catchiest chorus I’ve ever heard) “Green and Blue,” (complete with ringing guitar feedback) and “Situation”. However, the set’s highlight was “Get Along”, which saw Segall emerge at the front of the crowd to sing along and dance goofily directly in front of Cronin. Before the song had finished, the crowd had been whipped into a melee once again. It was impossible to not join in, singing along breathlessly.

I knew when Segall began his set with an improvised cover of Devo’s “Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy” that I was in for a treat. I mean….who covers fucking Devo to begin a show, without telling the rest of his band? Segall is quite possibly the best songwriter working in indie rock today, as he has developed from the garage punk/psychedelia of 2010's Melted into the soothing, Neil Young-esque stoner pop of this year’s Goodbye Bread. But his set was all out warfare. After being slightly restrained at some points during the first two sets, basking in the joy of the music while briefly erupting, the crowd was an inferno for Segall’s set. The slightly confusing opening cover (it seemed like I was the only nerd in the crowd who had a huge smile on his face as Segall barked Mark Mothersbaugh’s crazy lyrics) only gave way to one of Segall’s best tunes, “Imaginary Person”. From there, it was one rollicking rendition after another, from the driving chorus of “Caesar” to the joyous explosion that is “Girlfriend” to the up-tempo dance beat of “Standing at the Station”. Segall was nothing but smiles and jokes all the way through the set, his rapport with the crowd strong, and his guitar work raw and rattling. Cronin was onstage yet again (second photo from top with Segall), playing bass and singing “Finger”, another gem from Melted. And then there was the closer, an absolutely vicious cover of Black Sabbath’s classic, “Paranoid”. There were a few metal-lovers in the crowd bopping along throughout the night, but when the riff to “Paranoid” coarsed through the speakers, every single one pushed toward the stage and into the melee of the crowd. If it isn’t obvious, this was an awesome ending to the evening, as the crowd merged into one sweaty heap screaming out Ozzy’s infamous lines. When the music stopped, most people stood around in bewilderment, understandably giddy and perhaps a bit shell-shocked - Joe Arvis; See/Saw (http://arvistj.wordpress.com/)

The scene inside Festival is usually an assortment of moving images: students studying, eating, and catching up with friends. On September 25, the building’s Ballroom A buzzed with a different kind of energy.

At first, the building seemed deserted, but as 9 pm approached, the space was flooded with anticipation. On this particular evening, JMU’s student-run radio station WXJM hosted three superb acts to a crowd of about 100 students and townsfolk alike. The show featured local Harrisonburg band Malatese, California’s Mikal Cronin, and headlining, the incomparable Ty Segall, hailing from San Francisco.

Although the event happened very recently, months of planning went into it before the pieces could fall together and bring the show to life. It all started in May, when Segall’s booking agent contacted local Harrisonburg concert promoter and organizer Patrick Walsh. Shortly thereafter, Walsh teamed up with WXJM and booked the Festival ballroom.

WXJM’s Big Events Directors, Marisa Cagnoli and Natalie Strickland, were among the students who worked to get Segall and company to JMU. Once the date and bands were set, WXJM Publicity members took to the streets of Harrisonburg, handing out flyers, putting up posters, and spreading the word on Facebook.

“I was so happy because there were over 100 people there and it’s different, because we don’t live in New York City and there is a small community that contacts that type of music here in Harrisonburg,” said Cagnoli, junior. “The energy was awesome because people were dancing and bobbing their heads, regardless of if they’d heard of the bands.”

While many of the big acts JMU books appeal to pop music fans (like those who attending the Chiddy Bang and Chris Webby concert on October 8), Segall, Cronin, and Malatese offered an alternative for those who don’t enjoy the Hip-Hop or Rap featured on Top 40 radio. Freshman Hannah Chapple, a DJ for WXJM, enjoyed the variety that the Ty Segall show brought about.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for the people that aren’t a fan of the other music played here to expand their horizons musically,” said Chapple, who helped take tickets at the door.

The tickets, which sold for $3 each, admitted students into the Festival ballroom, which featured just a simple platform stage and a small table for merchandise. While the room wasn’t filled to the brim like the scene of the much larger Chiddy Band concert in Wilson’s Auditorium, people of all ages crowded as tightly together and as close as possible to listen to the three bands’ sets. In what amounted to a giant pit, there was dancing, moshing, singing, and all kinds of camaraderie. At one point, a state flag was hoisted into the air in a strange act of concert enthusiasm. Jon Reed, a senior and the drummer of Malatese, was excited by the display.

“It was the most rewarding thing at the show to see such a large and electrified crowd. The audience is such an important aspect for creating a great show experience,” said Reed. “The crowd at the show really came out and had a blast; people were running around on each other’s backs, constant crowd surfing which ultimately led to a giant Virginia state flag being waved and carried by crowd surfers. It just contributed such a positive feeling to the show.”

While the biggest spectacle was surrounding Ty Segall, for me, Mikal Cronin stole the show with his feel-good surf pop and rock fusion. Cronin played for roughly half an hour and continued to pump up the crowd for the main event.

“It was a really, really great experience. We definitely were extremely disciplined in regards to practicing before the show,” said Reed. “Ty and Mikal are great artists who have really honed their craft, we wanted to make sure we represented as best as possible. It was really interesting to watch them and see how they reproduced tracks on their records. “

By the time Ty Segall took the stage, the crowd was as rowdy as any large-venue show. The music, that blended punk rock with psychadelic sounds, filled the area at full volume. All through his set, the ballroom shook from the speakers and the sneakers, keeping the energy up until Segall closed with an adrenaline-filled cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.”

“It was a really good turnout, everything was great with the dancing, and I can say I gave Ty Segall a place to stay, which was cool,” said Tess Duncan, senior and Programming Director of WXJM.

The concert proved overall a success for WXJM as a whole. Raising over $300, the money will be put towards bringing other alternative acts to JMU and offering students a different musical experience. For those students who choose to attend the event, the show proved to be all that and more.

“I feel like there’s more of a sense of community to the shows [WXJM] makes happen,” said freshman Mary Menchel, a member of WXJM’s tight-knit population. “It makes me feel like more of a part of JMU.” - Kelly Carlin; How ___ Affected Me: A Music Blog (http://howblankaffects.tumblr.com/)

The scene inside Festival is usually an assortment of moving images: students studying, eating, and catching up with friends. On September 25, the building’s Ballroom A buzzed with a different kind of energy.

At first, the building seemed deserted, but as 9 pm approached, the space was flooded with anticipation. On this particular evening, JMU’s student-run radio station WXJM hosted three superb acts to a crowd of about 100 students and townsfolk alike. The show featured local Harrisonburg band Malatese, California’s Mikal Cronin, and headlining, the incomparable Ty Segall, hailing from San Francisco.

Although the event happened very recently, months of planning went into it before the pieces could fall together and bring the show to life. It all started in May, when Segall’s booking agent contacted local Harrisonburg concert promoter and organizer Patrick Walsh. Shortly thereafter, Walsh teamed up with WXJM and booked the Festival ballroom.

WXJM’s Big Events Directors, Marisa Cagnoli and Natalie Strickland, were among the students who worked to get Segall and company to JMU. Once the date and bands were set, WXJM Publicity members took to the streets of Harrisonburg, handing out flyers, putting up posters, and spreading the word on Facebook.

“I was so happy because there were over 100 people there and it’s different, because we don’t live in New York City and there is a small community that contacts that type of music here in Harrisonburg,” said Cagnoli, junior. “The energy was awesome because people were dancing and bobbing their heads, regardless of if they’d heard of the bands.”

While many of the big acts JMU books appeal to pop music fans (like those who attending the Chiddy Bang and Chris Webby concert on October 8), Segall, Cronin, and Malatese offered an alternative for those who don’t enjoy the Hip-Hop or Rap featured on Top 40 radio. Freshman Hannah Chapple, a DJ for WXJM, enjoyed the variety that the Ty Segall show brought about.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for the people that aren’t a fan of the other music played here to expand their horizons musically,” said Chapple, who helped take tickets at the door.

The tickets, which sold for $3 each, admitted students into the Festival ballroom, which featured just a simple platform stage and a small table for merchandise. While the room wasn’t filled to the brim like the scene of the much larger Chiddy Band concert in Wilson’s Auditorium, people of all ages crowded as tightly together and as close as possible to listen to the three bands’ sets. In what amounted to a giant pit, there was dancing, moshing, singing, and all kinds of camaraderie. At one point, a state flag was hoisted into the air in a strange act of concert enthusiasm. Jon Reed, a senior and the drummer of Malatese, was excited by the display.

“It was the most rewarding thing at the show to see such a large and electrified crowd. The audience is such an important aspect for creating a great show experience,” said Reed. “The crowd at the show really came out and had a blast; people were running around on each other’s backs, constant crowd surfing which ultimately led to a giant Virginia state flag being waved and carried by crowd surfers. It just contributed such a positive feeling to the show.”

While the biggest spectacle was surrounding Ty Segall, for me, Mikal Cronin stole the show with his feel-good surf pop and rock fusion. Cronin played for roughly half an hour and continued to pump up the crowd for the main event.

“It was a really, really great experience. We definitely were extremely disciplined in regards to practicing before the show,” said Reed. “Ty and Mikal are great artists who have really honed their craft, we wanted to make sure we represented as best as possible. It was really interesting to watch them and see how they reproduced tracks on their records. “

By the time Ty Segall took the stage, the crowd was as rowdy as any large-venue show. The music, that blended punk rock with psychadelic sounds, filled the area at full volume. All through his set, the ballroom shook from the speakers and the sneakers, keeping the energy up until Segall closed with an adrenaline-filled cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.”

“It was a really good turnout, everything was great with the dancing, and I can say I gave Ty Segall a place to stay, which was cool,” said Tess Duncan, senior and Programming Director of WXJM.

The concert proved overall a success for WXJM as a whole. Raising over $300, the money will be put towards bringing other alternative acts to JMU and offering students a different musical experience. For those students who choose to attend the event, the show proved to be all that and more.

“I feel like there’s more of a sense of community to the shows [WXJM] makes happen,” said freshman Mary Menchel, a member of WXJM’s tight-knit population. “It makes me feel like more of a part of JMU.” - Kelly Carlin; How ___ Affected Me: A Music Blog (http://howblankaffects.tumblr.com/)