Campus Band Night blends full pallette of rock and reggae

Vendetta opened this month's Campus Band Night, using their hyperactive guitar licks as a way of showcasing sophomore lead guitarist Leandro Oliveira, as the rest of the band filled in confidently around him. Vendetta's music is influenced by punk, heavy metal and Santana, which work together to create a unique harmonic sound. The best moments of the show came when Oliveira displayed his technical mastery of his instrument. On one occasion he placed the guitar on the stage and let his fingers walk across the bridge, to the delight of the sparse 'Sco crowd. Oliveira had a truly epic performance, lighting up the stage with his masterful, nimble fingers.

Another audience favorite was the Hendrix-esque rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" that moved fellow band members to patriotic gestures. The band's sound seemed to provide an ideal soundtrack for an '80s movie about college. Their song "Turkish Assassin" was the perfect example of this, with its hard-driving classic rock essence and a smidgen of The Clash thrown in for good measure. Though some of Vendetta's tunes trailed off without any lyrical hooks, they still managed to keep the crowd keyed into their performance. On another memorable occasion, Oliveira created a short guitar loop onstage and then stepped back to admire his handiwork. The 'Sco crowd screamed for more.

Another aspect of Vendetta that kept them afloat was the maniacal animation of rhythm guitarist Josheph Veselak who managed to keep at least two of his appendages flailing at all times. He provided a necessary adrenaline rush to senior bassist Ryan Ragland and sophomore drummer David Meadow. The entire band played well together, as guitarists and bassist shared the floor. There was a brief yet rambunctious drum solo. Ragland was also able to keep up with fellow band members, despite the crescendo of harmonic intricacy.

One detraction from Vendetta's stage presence is that Veselak left the stage, screaming "I quit," in mock frustration as he was replaced with sophomore Sam Weisberg. He proved to be an adept replacement and stayed on for the three-guitarist encore. Amidst the shouts for "Freebird" and "Hot for Teacher," Vendetta ended their set with another pounding punk original - leaving the crowd hungry.

Steelie Banton performed next. A reggae cover band that combined mellifluous vocals with talented performers to create a breezy, festive sound, Steelie Banton started off with a lively rendition of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock." On this tune, both vocalists displayed their smooth voices, especially backing sophomore vocalist Susie Richter, whose smooth crooning almost made the audience wonder why the I-Threes needed a trio of vocalists. This tune immediately laid down a positive vibe, as the band invited audience members to crowd the stage for a more tight-knit experience.

Steelie Banton, more than any other band to perform Wednesday night, got the 'Sco dancing. On their next tune, "He's Gone," guitarist sophomore David Rooklin and first-year keyboardist Michael Coleman melded a sound reminiscent of Bob Marley in his mid-'70s creative peak. Both Rooklin and Coleman displayed their technical mastery of these tunes, though it would have been nice for the audience to see both band members be rewarded with a solo.

Another good piece in the Steelie Bontan set was the crowd favorite "Get Up, Stand Up," a Marley cover. One great alteration during this tune was sophomore Greg Walters adding a touch of percussion, as he debuted his talents on the bongo drums. The Marley tune, originally a political protest song which then became an international hit, energized the crowd.

For their final song, the band turned to a song titled "Northern Lights Cloud," a song specially written by Coleman. Steelie Banton pounded passionately on their instruments, letting the melodies wash over the 'Sco. As the song progressed, the band began to stand on the front of the stage, repeating, "The voice is the foundation/Nothing but the voice is the foundation" as the vivid lights danced above their heads. For one of the favorite bands of the night, it was a strong ending to an energetic performance.

The last band of the show was the Connection, a power trio mix of hard driving indie-rock with bubble-gum lyrics. Though it was hard to hear the lyrics of their first song, the audience was rewarded with enough guitar-driven hard rock to leave any rhythm aficionado happy. Leftie guitarist and singer, Senior Bill McElnea, kept the crowd psyched with his empassioned takes on hip-hop-inspired style of rock. A few numbers even incorporated a cheesy-but-effective drum machine element, creating a dance club feel at one point during the set. While crowds had dwindled slightly after Steelie Banton's departure from the stage, a semi-circle of energetic fans bobbed along until 1 a.m. as the Connection closed the show with one new song and one old favorite.

Overall, Campus Band Night was a success for all bands involved. While Vendetta got the 'Sco jumping with its quasi-punk instrumental anthems, Steelie Banton heaped on the energy its large crowd of loyal followers deserved, and The Connection closed the show with a healthy dose of biting rock. What made for an extremely eclectic bill left all audiences satisfied.

Chugga-chugga: Vendetta, who opened Campus Band Night, proved that 1985 prog rock is not dead. (photo by Lea Morgenstern)