Wesleyan Bands Wanted in Middletown

Even when Eclectic is once again hosting shows and the Sound Co-op is once again amplifying music, here's a suggestion that musicians on campus should keep in mind.

Bill Carbone posted on Aural Wes over break to encourage campus musicians to play more shows at bars and restaurants on Main Street:

The recent stunning loss of Eclectic (if you haven't already, sign the petition here) as a venue has inspired quite a bit of discussion about the lack of performance spaces at Wesleyan, and it is indeed lamentable. However, there are options that I haven't really seen floated.

For one, most of the bars and businesses on Main Street would love to be more deeply engaged with Wesleyan students (The Middletown Eye had a great discussion about this recently).

I attempted to launch a concert series at Public this semester to coincide with bar night, and though it was somewhat successful, I didn't manage to get a single band in which I do not play to do a gig there (several took the gig and then canceled for various reasons). The owner of the bar is very serious about establishing a night that will showcase Wesleyan music; he's offering a guarantee and free drinks to the bands, not charging a cover, and in general being a pretty cool guy (the offer of a gig still stands, if interested contact me).

There are several other places to play in town as well. For the traditional bar-type setting there's La Boca, Hair of the Dog and the brand new and quite cool Fishbone Cafe, while the Buttonwood Tree offers a more art-space style room and Javapalooza is that interesting combination of a coffee shop and a microbrew beer bar (and thus a place where one can have a show that isn't 21+).

Of course there's nothing as fun as a dark, sweaty dance party show at one of Wesleyan's venues (or more often living rooms), but in this age of everything local, why not bring your tunes down to Main Street and encourage your friends to put their PBR dollars into a different coffer for an evening? It's a proposition that benefits everyone involved: the band actually gets paid, the local venue gets a momentary influx of Wesleyan students, and most of all, a night of music goes down free of the looming threat of a P-Safe shutdown.

This would be great - an excuse to get off campus every once in awhile, add more variety to the social scene, and maybe integrate Wesleyan with Middletown a little better. Not to mention a financial incentive for the musically skilled in these economically challenging times.

Party @ Public this Wednesday

Two Wesleyan bands, The Shade and Precision Libido, are playing at Public this Wednesday.

The Shade consists of Adam Tinkle '08, Josh Koenig '09 and Matt Paterson '09, and Jake Nussbaum '10 and Will Brant '10.

Precision Libido consists of Aliza Simons '09, and Rayna Edwards '10, Elissa Martel '10, and Emily Meyer '10.


Rayna says:

First, rock out with the steamy stylings of Precision Libido, Wesleyan's only all-female post-punk band. P Lib's original raunchy riot grrrl tunes and slightly pornographic stage antics are bound to make you hot and bothered. Next, cool down to the jazzy garage-rock jams of The Shade, whose stylistically sleek sounds will chill you out to the point where you forget spring break ended days before.

So come party with some Wes bands on the first bar night of spring and kick off the awesomefest that is post-spring-break Wesleyan.

When: Wednesday, March. 25th (bar night) at 10pm sharp
Where: Public Bar & Grill (337 Main St.)

The Shade at Public

Tonight at Public, come for the drinks, stay for the band:

Tonight at 10PM (or roughly barnight-o'c'lock), stalwart Wesleyan music-band/rock-group The Shade will perform at Public, the new Main Street bar and eatery that's attempting to steal the Wednesday night thunder from Gatekeeper through some unbelievable drink specials.

The Shade, featuring Adam Tinkle '08, Josh Koenig and Matt Paterson 09, and Jake Nussbaum and Will Brant '10, were most recently seen at Earth House sharing a bill with Megafaun.

Expect grooves to wash over you like that apparatus at the waterpark that makes huge waves in the swimming pool, except this pool is steamy hot, and if you put on your undersea goggles, you would see all kinds of crazy and brightly colored corals growing out of the floor. Dance? Drink ridiculously cheap pitchers? Avoid the pink corona gimmick?

Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 10 pm
Place: Public (on Main Street)

Middletown Bar Looking for Live Wes Acts

Public, the new bar on Main Street, is looking for Wesleyan acts to play gigs on Wednesday bar nights:

I'm writing at the request of my middletown-ian friend, Rob Derosa. Rob runs a CT music label called Homegrown, and has a show on WESU (also called Homegrown) which features local CT artists. He also claims to have booked the first ever off-campus show for MGMT, for whatever that's worth. maybe you've met him-- he works at the Red and Black cafe and is often smiling.

Anyway, Rob is trying to organize a "Wesleyan bands" night of sorts at Public, the new bar down on Main Street. these would take place on Wednesday nights. He asked that i write to anyone who might be interested in playing gigs throughout the year. The gigs are potentially paying (although he didn't specify how much) and will definitely be pretty fun. Anyone with a band/act who is interested should email thinmanmusic@sbcglobal.net.

- Mary Longley '10