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Posts published in “Music”

Houndmouth Live at the Academy of Music

Attending a two-hour concert for a band when you only know one of their songs could be a letdown. However, if that band is Houndmouth, you won't be disappointed. The American alternative rock band played a nineteen-song set at Northampton’s own Academy of Music on April 27, 2023. Though the theater only holds 800 concertgoers, Houndmouth brought the audience to their feet, and me to their Spotify “This Is Houndmouth” page.

Marching to The Beat of a Different Drum; A Night of Ska at Race Street Live

On Sunday night, April 16, The English Beat closed a warm spring weekend with a lively performance at Race Street Live in Holyoke, MA. Hailing all the way from Birmingham, England, frontman Dave Wakeling is the only original member left of what used to be known as The Beat, the iconic ska-soul-punk fusion band that defined the genre back in the 1980s. At 67 years old, Wakeling has been touring with a backup band of ska musicians in an effort to keep “the beat” alive and well. Holyoke was one among many stops on their current US tour. 

Joy and Collaboration: Indie Band Moxie’s WOZQ Homecoming

It’s November of 2019 and indie pop artist Samia headlines WOZQ’s annual fall concert, with indie rock band Moxie opening. I am a first year with choppy bangs just getting involved with the radio station, excited to go to my first WOZQ concert. The indie rock band Moxie goes on at 8:00 p.m., to an energetic Davis Ballroom full of Smithies. Rei Kimura, on vocals and guitar, guides the crowd through their 30-minute jam-packed set, making sure to get everyone involved with Daniel Snyder’s rhythmic drumming by giving a clapping beat to follow. Leander Holzapfel’s riffs and Inky Cohen’s smooth bass capture the crowd, especially on ‘Blue Skies,’ their 2018 hit about naivety, which many Smithies sing along to, word for word. I walk away from this performance exhilarated, not only by how much this band rocks but especially by finding out that they are about my age. 

The Anatomy of a House Show: Bringing a College Music Scene to Smith

In a dimly lit basement, a stranger’s sweat seeps into my skin. My ears are beating from the indistinguishable rhythms of oppressively loud drum kits. Mosh pits merge and scatter around me as students headbang uncontrollably. This is the House Show, an essential component of the college music scene.