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KRIS HARRIS
Staff Writer
This past Wednesday, Battle of the New Bands winner Će JJr and Buffalo natives The Traditional, took the stage at BJ’s and thoroughly entertained the packed bar during the last show of the semester.
Će JJr started off with a vamp with such smooth groove that led straight into its original song “Leave it to Whom?” and set the tone for what show-goers should expect from the four-piece.
The group consists of Cameron Orlando, sophomore communication major on vocals; Jabari Noel, senior guitar performance major on guitar; Ryan Gese, sophomore graphic design major on bass; and Jake McCoy, senior music industry major on drums.
While classified as alternative hip hop, each member brings something different to the table that somewhat goes beyond that genre, whether it be Orlando’s versatile approach on the mic, Noel’s brilliant and complex guitar skills, Gese’s asymmetrical yet flowing grooves, or Mccoys’ tight rhythm patterns.
It was very easy to see why Će JJr won Music Industry Club’s Battle of the New Bands. The band was dynamic, constantly engaging with the crowd and had an amazing presence. On the battle, the band said that the whole experience was a whirlwind.
“We did the best we can do — it was a little demanding,” said Orlando. “It was a lot we had to do in a little amount of time.”
The band’s manager Megan Stade, a junior music industry major, played a heavy role in the band’s Battle process, promoting them through fliers and online media. Still, she is thankful for it.
“I got really lucky working with them — they’re all really talented guys,” Stade said.
The performance was a mixture of covers and originals, with a nice surprise rendition of Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” that perfectly captured the song’s laid-back nature. It was also the debut of a new song which was crafted just before the show, which stemmed from a bassline made by Gese.
Everyone was prompt to ask for an encore from the newcomers, which Će JJr easily agreed too.
It ended its inaugural set at BJ’s with a house-shaking cover of Kanye West’s “POWER,” that got the audience to shout the vocal hook of the song. Orlando seemed to be so full of energy during the song that it appeared that he lost himself at times. However, he got himself back on pace quickly, and it did not hinder the performance in any way.
Će JJr will be quiet for the rest of the semester but hopefully looks to do more in the upcoming months.
Up next were The Traditional, and it greeted the BJ’s crowd with a sea of hair and heavy riffs, wasting no time to get everyone moving. The band’s mixture of emo and indie rock felt perfect for the tiny bar.
The band started back in 2012, with current members having belonged to other bands that were fizzling out. Now The Traditional contains Anthony Musior on bass and lead vocals, Michael Bienias on guitar, Steve Shero on guitar and Jon Coric on drums. Bienas joined the band just before their recent tour, which reached venues in Michigan, New Jersey and even Toronto with New Jersey band Gin War.
Early on this year, the band released its first LP, “How to Live Without Blood,” off which they played a few tracks from during their set such as “Haunt You” and the title track, which got everybody hooked on its colossal chorus.
One thing to be noted about the band is its lyrics, which have a story-like quality to them. When asked about this, lead singer Musior replied, “when I write, I’m definitely putting my heart out there on record. When I write about how I’m feeling, if they are feeling the same way, I want them [the listener] to relate.”
The group frequently hailed to the crowd, asking everyone to raise their Mason jars, which all somehow shone brilliantly in the dimly-lit space.
Crowd members were not afraid to get personal with The Traditional, as people went on top of the stage barriers, chanting lyrics into the their faces. A showgoer even took the stage and held down lead vocals, which was welcomed by Musior. When it seemed that the crowd was getting rowdy, the bar owner was quick to intervene, making sure that nothing got too wild.
Back-to-back encores were given during the night, with The Traditional giving one more song to round out the night perfectly.
The band is looking to record more material in February, bringing together its diverse musical backgrounds to put together another solid piece of music.