Sometimes it takes a last-minute lineup and a multitude of problems to create a small college concert worth listening to.

Bandersnatch, the subset of University Union Concerts which focuses on bringing lesser-known musical acts to Syracuse University, created a night of punk/emo rock for about 150 people. Three different bands, Screaming Hello, Name Taken and, the headliner, Silverstein, each with their own unique sound, played to a very energetic audience.

‘College shows are the luxury for a band,’ said Paul Koehler, drummer for Silverstein. ‘It’s the best experience for a band our level. You show up to a show at a dirty club and you get a loaf of bread and a few beers and some water – that’s your hospitality. But you show up here and people are really eager for you. There are good staff, nice people, clean venues. It’s just a really good experience.’

Silverstein, a screamo Canadian hard rock band which took its name from the children’s poet, had people singing along to its lyrics and was the big draw for many in the audience. Led by the microphone-swinging Shane Told on vocals, the band built the energy of the night where it may have lacked in earlier spots. By the end of its set, people were moshing in the middle of the crowd and screaming right along with the band.

Name Taken, a four-piece group whose sound was unlike what many were used to, obviously pulled from its California roots to combine the likes of both emo and rock into a more melodic, albeit somewhat depressing, sound. The band played in the middle of the show, but its repetitive sound was not missed by most when it made way for the headliner.

Even the warm-up act seemed somewhat out of place. Scream Hello from New Brunswick, N.J., was an energetic but generic punk band that played for only a short 45 minutes. This was understandable, however, as the band was only added to the lineup a few days ago.

‘Our guitarists went to high school with someone in Bandersnatch,’ said James Caverly, the guitarist and singer for Scream Hello. ‘So they called us up three days ago and said that they needed another band, and we’re always down to play anytime, anywhere.’

The show, which was put together in a matter of weeks, was the end result of a bumpy road as Bandersnatch members dealt with many different problems in the planning stages; everything from copiers being broken to specific procedures not being followed, said Ryan Raichilson, co-creator of the show and a sophomore management major. And even though the crowd’s population might have been small, Bandersnatch members aren’t deterred.

‘We had an idea that we wanted to do a punk show, so we took that route,’ said Emi Horikawa, co-creator of the show and a sophomore music industry major. ‘Yet we only had a limited amount of time to promote the show, and the bands are only limitedly well-known, so around 200 is a very good turn out.’

Bandersnatch constantly has to deal with its small budget, which forces it to pick bands only the minority of students has heard of. This is a major cause of low turnout compared to the thousands of people who attend the popular UU Concerts, but the group has high hopes for the future.

‘Bandersnatch only started last year; you have to build up your repertoire with people,’ said Dave Mendini, a member of Bandersnatch in charge of press for this show and a sophomore management major.

To compensate for the chosen band’s lack of popularity, Bandersnatch goes all out on publicity. Mendini was one of the people who tried to promote the show by covering the entire Quad in fliers two nights ago, but ran into yet another problem when each individual flier was picked up and thrown away by morning before anyone could see them.

‘I just want whoever did it to know that I’m gonna get you,’ Mendini said, shaking his fist.

And even with all the problems before and during the show, both the bands and the crowd were happy to be there.

‘I’m not into the music, but I enjoyed it anyways,’ said Joey Schlesinger, an undeclared freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences. ‘It’s a good change from the music I usually listen to, and also from studying.’

Published on October 25, 2004 at 12:00 pm