Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
I would like to start off by apologizing for my infrequent posting this semester and year in general. Sophomore year of college was the hardest academic year of my life, because of what I can only assume was the burnout of ‘rona learning finally catching up to me after three whole semesters. I was taking 5 classes --two of which were IN PERSON -- and a lieu of new extracurricular activities fell into my lap. I was apartment searching, reporting for the Oracle, trying my best to socialize as I felt my social battery plummet...so I had no time or energy for Twilight. It was killing me. Especially because at the end of this semester, as the flowers began to bloom and the sun peeked out after a particularly harsh Upstate Winter, New Paltz saw its biggest musical renaissance ever since COVID put live music and house shows to a halt in the spring of 2020. This movement was starting to seep through the cracks just weeks before the end of the Fall 2020 semester, with an outdoor performance at the new outdoor venue Bauhaus that occurred in November. Before this, all that was known was none other than the legacy of Man’s Mother performances in front of the Groovy Blueberry storefront that started happening in September 2020. Since then, Bauhaus has led a number of residential backyard venues to blossom in the spring air. Shortly after the weather turned nice, the Groovy Blueberry created an Instagram account, @blueberry.field, and announced that their gig season was officially starting in May. Weeks before the opening, on every stoner’s favorite holiday, a quaint and almost hidden record/book shop tucked away on S Chestnut street held a massive all-day festival. Bands, performers, and even an improv group took the stage in front of the entrance all afternoon to the very late night. This was the Parlor’s 4/20 Show, and it completely made all of the hardship of the semester worth it. I saw so many people that I haven’t seen in months. Especially freshmen. I was so happy that they were getting to experience something as fun as this. I was blanket-hopping, talking to all of my friends, something I haven’t been able to do in months. I was standing up and dancing to the music, cheering on my performer friends, feeling the sun beat down on me as I went for snack runs at Chestnut Mobil. Feeling all of these feelings again was overwhelming, but on top of it all, I felt alive. I wrote an article about the show for the Oracle and even got to sit in at the Happenstancery Improv troupe’s practice session to write it. Sitting in for that practice and listening to the wise words of troupe leader Joe Davis made me super optimistic. It made me realize that there are still passionate people in the live performance arts up here, and that they were just buried under the snow for the most of this semester, waiting for it to melt. The article hasn’t been published in the online archives, but one of my favorite lines is a quote from Joe himself. “It felt like it was swelling in the air for so long,” he explained. “I haven't seen music with other people for so long. I can't believe how much I rely on it for spiritual growth.” I did too, Joe. The last month of school, following the largely successful 4/20 gig, saw an immediate explosion of outdoor shows happening in new venues all across New Paltz. Another Parlor gig, a stacked lineup of Blueberry shows, more at Bauhaus, Space Station (hosted by New Paltz funk specialty Moonunitt themselves), The Grotto, Rat City….and probably more to follow. I went home for the summer, so I will be out of the loop for a bit. This new explosion also led to the explosion of new and returning bands, taking this amazing opportunity to play as many shows as possible. I mentioned the amazing Moonunitt, who have been killing it with talent and consistency everywhere they play, but beloved acts such as Mono Neko, Kablamo, What?, and Man’s Mother have also smoothly found their way back into rotation. What? has always been amazing with their rail trail jam sessions, but it’s great to see them back on a stage. Kablamo, made up of Bby Carrots members Santi and Julia, just released their first official single, “Crusin’,” and even played a show the day Julia graduated from New Paltz. (I wasn’t there but it was entertaining to see her Instagram story of her running back from The Grotto with her gown on.) Talk about dedication!!! Two bands that I’m very excited about and that I’d like to highlight are newcomers Crimson Crush and a polished version of an 845 classic The Field Service. I’ve been aware of Crimson for a while, because three out of their five freshman members are in the New Paltz Music Collective club, and two of them are involved with our radio station, WFNP. I’ve had a little sneak peek into the fact that they make music for a while, and I couldn’t wait to see it in full effect. They’ve had some campus performances before, for the Esopus Hall talent show, but they had their first big show on May 9 in front of the Blueberry, and I must say, those kids are naturals. All dressed in amazingly fashionable outfits, they delivered a number of classic rock covers flawlessly. They are all so musically inclined and dedicated, and I’m not just saying that because their guitarist, John, might be my assistant on the WFNP E-board next semester. If there’s an up-and-coming band to keep an eye on in New Paltz next year, it’s them. Previously known as Spaceshack, The Field Service has been in the game for a while. They’ve welcomed Man’s Mother member Jack into the mix, and have been the perfect ending-the-night-with-a-bang act for the past month. Their jam band, trippy-psychedelic sound mirrors the personality of New Paltz as a whole, but unfortunately, not everyone seems to appreciate that. Despite the pleas of Facebook Karens to stay away and stay silent, The Field Service has been keeping pace with a slew of original music with covers thrown out there every once in a while. They’ve quickly become a fan favorite, and have laughed off the controversy by incorporating it into posters for their shows. Never stop rockin’ on, dudes!
As I get accustomed to life at home again, I’ve been seeing clips of all of the summer performances that have been happening, and I’m suffering from major FOMO because of it. After my lease starts in June, I hope to be able to chill up there for a couple of weeks before the semester starts. I might have missed home a lot, but I will always miss the magic that these New Paltz outdoor shows have given me. With vaccines and the warm weather to accompany it, the return of live music and band activity gave me a sense of hope to finish out this rough semester. To all of the venue hosts, thank you. To all of the friends that I dragged to shows and made them stay even when the sun set and it got toe-freezing cold, I REALLY thank you. And to all of the bands and performers, I will appreciate you forever. I hope to see you (and interview you, muah ha ha) all so soon. Happy summer folks! Thanks for reading. More summer blog content will follow, I promise. Alli Dempsey :)
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