MELISSA FUCHS
Special to the Leader
Rarely has there been a better marriage than that of coffee shops and intimate musical performance from local musicians. This is exactly the case in Fredonia, especially with every Rhythm and Brews.
This event, sponsored and organized by Music Industry Club, allows local musicians the opportunity to showcase their skills on the Fredonia campus.
Club member Dan Calderone played a large role in organizing this year’s Rhythm and Brews, as he booked “The Spot” in Tim Horton’s and selected the event’s artists. Calderone said he likes giving new students who haven’t received as many opportunities at performing their shot. He also has to consider the musical styles of the artists he selects.
“For this one I was lucky enough for the performers to come to me first and ask to play . . . which made my job easier,” Calderone said.
The first one of the spring semester kicked off this past Saturday with the musical act, “Sullivan.”
The set featured a mix of both original songs and covers by alternative band, Guster, and a well-received rendition of Third-Eye Blind’s iconic “Semi-Charmed Life.”
Brooke ft. Justin Terrence Boise (a.k.a. music industry’s own Alex Vasiloff) followed Sullivan’s set. Brooke warmed the listening audience of Tim Horton’s with her stirring vocals alongside a spacey-sounding overdrive from Boise’s electric guitar, especially on Boise’s original song “Snow Covered Trees.”
“It’s always a lot of fun! I love representing Music Industry Club and performing with my friends, in front of my friends is always an enjoyable experience,” Vasiloff said.
The final act of this rendition of Rhythm & Brews brought to the stage Soul’r Inc. The group’s fusion of jazz elements was apparent through their saxophone and piano instrumentation. Their guitar and bass instrumentation alongside the vocals brought a bit of a musical chill element to the listening audience.
The trio of acts last Saturday showed how plugged in Fredonia students seem to be to the popping local music scene in and around Fredonia. Whether it’s a performance in Mason Hall, an off-campus show from a local band or one of Music Industry’s events like Rhythm & Brews, it’s hard to deny the powerful binding agent music can be on campus.
For students like Andrew Pszonak, Music Industry Club and its events like Rhythm and Brews can be influential in preserving the Fredonia area music scene and its artists.
“It’s how I got into performing around campus and [it] introduced me to Sound Services and Music Industry Club, which led to me becoming a music industry major,” Pszonak said.
That same binding agent is something that some, such as Vasiloff, feel can help strengthen the sense of community while putting Fredonia on the map as a music scene for both Fredonia and Buffalo bands.
“People like to feel that they can contribute to an artist they enjoy, but there needs to be a scene for that to happen,” said Vasiloff. “So what we did in Fredonia was make [that] scene so that we can enjoy all the bands that come through and let them know that Fredonia is a loving and wild music scene that supports and respects artists.”