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CLAIRE O’REILLY
Staff Writer
Wednesday nights at BJ’s in downtown Fredonia are known to be rocking. Many students frequent the bar to see the bands and get the famous well drinks.
Some students even make it to every show.
“I help with the booking with Last Call Entertainment, so I go to all of them,” said senior audio/radio and music industry double major Aidan Licker.
“I go to all the BJ’s shows because I love the local music scene,” said junior audio/radio production major Lexi Reyngoudt. “I also help book the shows with Last Call Entertainment.”
Next Wednesday, popular Buffalo band Super American, composed of frontman Matt Cox and Pat Feeley, will be coming back to Fredonia for another show.
“[We have] nothing but love for Fredonia. Every time we come back, whether to play or see a show, we’re reminded that scenes [and] communities like this don’t exist everywhere,” said Cox. “[We’re] always gravitated to come back.”
Licker has seen Super American before and is excited for them to return.
“I love Super American,” he said. “Their music combines today’s alternative rock with early 2000s pop punk to create a sense of nostalgia that everybody can rock out to. Their performance is really high energy, and you’ll feel left out if you’re not jumping up and down during their set.”
Super American may have formed relatively recently, but the idea to start a band had been on the table for a while.
“Super American started right around this time last year when Pat and I began working on songs together,” said Cox. “[It was] something we’ve always talked about, so when the opportunity presented itself, we got right to work.”
The story behind the band name is, interestingly enough, a simple one.
“I was sitting around with my friends at school, trying to describe something [or] someone that I can’t remember and used super american as an adjective,” said Cox. “It felt right.”
Sophomore music education major Marilia Riva Andrade is also excited for Wednesday, even though it will be her first time seeing them perform live.
“I haven’t [seen them before] but I’ve listened to their music and want to see them live. Also, if nothing else, the legacy of the pineapple intrigues me,” she said. “I’m most excited to just see them perform and be in the active crowd that the BJ’s shows always have.”
Those wondering what a pineapple has to do with the band may also scratch their heads at its mantra of “Year of the Pineapple.”
“It’s the year of the pineapple and basically a pineapple is passed around the crowd and people take pictures with it,” said Andrade.
Cox further explained the “Year of the Pineapple.”
“#YearOfThePineapple is an idea that Pat and I have been running on for awhile,” said Cox. “Initially, it was kept internal. It’s a year dedicated to progress, love, growth, luck, community and art. It’s a year for everyone, and everyone is invited.”
The band was recently featured in an article published by Alternative Press, which talked about the release of their upcoming album, “Disposable.”
“It’s great to have anyone care about your art, and we’re fortunate that [Alternative Press] was willing to share ours,” said Cox. “Honestly, I’m not sure how it all came about. We were told we would be announcing the album via [Alternative Press], and at that point we weren’t going to ask any questions that may screw that up. [We’re] thankful for the opportunity.”
Cox also talked a little about their upcoming album release.
“Our album ‘Disposable’ will be available April 7. We’re most excited to simply exist. At times, artists can be guilty [of] working their art to death, and it never sees the light of day,” he said. “To share art is a privilege, and we’re most excited for that opportunity.”