Music lovers of Bates turned out in distinct droves and waves on Friday night, March 5^th for a WRBC-sponsored event at The Benjamin Mayes Center. The concert was much promoted by the campus radio station, in an effort to get students listening and excited for these up and coming groups.

The artists, who fall under the blog-spun catch-all genre “chillwave” all actually sounded pretty distinct. Each group brought a distinct and enjoyable sound to students who were clearly very excited to dance and enjoy what the bands had to offer.

Students were first treated to a local artist, James Cook ’12, who played a lengthy introductory set of his own ambient pop tracks. Cook, a History major from Woodstock, CT, played his own unique sprawling drones from behind a small set up and laptop. Cook played what he thought would be his last track, and when the next group, Small Black, was nowhere to be seen, played a few more. Cook has an EP coming out toward the end of spring on UK-based electronic label, Urbantorque.

The crowd was at its height when the first touring group, Small Black from Brooklyn, NY, took the stage. The group, made up of a vocalist, a bassist and an electronic percussionist, played some thumping and driving electronic rock, pausing to joke with the audience. “This is like, a really nice college,” Small Black’s vocalist said, “You guys seem to really like it up here.” The crowd certainly enjoyed themselves, hoisting members up on shoulders and dancing in a pulsing mass of people.

The next group, Washed Out, is composed solely of Ernest Greene, a Georgian, who’s EP Life of Leisure has garnered a lot of acclaim and excitement on the internet. His songs are fantastically retro, thoroughly blurry and with pleasant beach-like reverb and echo. Greene limited his crowd interaction to singing his songs and a few exclamations of “Yeah!” Small Black joined him for a few songs, including his set’s ender, “Feel it All Around” and an unrehearsed encore.

By the time Toro Y Moi had set up, many had left The Silo for other exploits around campus, which is unfortunate, because Chaz Bundick’s music was probably the most original and interesting of the night. Bundick, from South Carolina, played to a small, and somewhat distracted audience, but saw the whole thing out properly. His songs, mostly off of his recent LP, Causers of This, moved between thumping bass grooves not unlike Washed Out’s, to multi-layered reverb-heavy electro tracks to more spaced out guitar songs, rich in echo-y vocals, which almost recalled Animal Collective at their best and most tolerable.

The evening concluded late, around 2, with the summery tunes ushering in a spring-like weekend.

-Charles Thaxton (Photography: Peter Senzamici)

Charles Thaxton is the co-host of Songs from Mt. David, Sundays 2-4 AM on WRBC.

Peter Senzamici is the co-host of Liberation Musicology, Sundays 6-8 PM on WRBC.

-Liana Blum

Liana Blum is the co-host of the Let Me Hear that Flow Show, Thursdays 8-10 PM on WRBC

Small Black

Washed Out

Toro y Moi

Entry is just $1 and, without a doubt, if Pitchfork was there, they would be enjoying this show.

-Doug Ray

Doug Ray is the co-host of Saltimbocca and Escargot, Sundays 8-10 PM on WRBC.

“World Sick”, a new Broken Social Scene song, hit the internets.

Vampire Weekend made a pretty good video.

People are liking Joanna Newsom.

Ditto Hot Chip.

Of course, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out and Small Black are this upcoming Friday.

Pretty sure Snoop Dogg was here.

And, Trivia Night happened.

Until next time.

-Charles Thaxton

Charles Thaxton is the co-host of Songs from Mt. David, Sundays 2-4 AM on WRBC.

Note: This is a republishing of an article originally posted on January 17th. The significant change is that the band Toro Y Moi has been added to the line up of the March 5 Washed Out and Small Black show.

This Winter Semester is going to be a decidedly epic time for concerts at Bates College courtesy of your friends at WRBC. While a few more shows are in the works, the first week of March will be a crowded, but decidedly epic week of shows.

The first show, to be held on Wednesday, March 3rd, will feature the music of Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Hey Mama. This contemporary rock ‘n roll four-piece band, features Avi Salloway and Celia Woodsmith, formerly of the aptly named Avi and Celia. This show, like most of our shows, will be in the Benjamin Mays Center at Bates College.

The second show in this same week is an offering from chillwave acts Washed Out, Toro y Moi and Small Black This show will be on Friday, March 5th and also in the Benjamin Mays Center. These two super up-in-coming electronic artists have been known to present an awesome show, and, therefore, you should seriously consider attending.

Be sure to stay tuned as more concerts are likely to be added to our line-up soon. You can always keep track of our events here or all local concerts here.

-Doug Ray

Doug Ray is the co-host of Saltimbocca and Escargot, Sundays 8-10 PM on WRBC.