On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the Knight Spot housed a concert showcasing alternative musicians A Wonderful from Rochester, Bridges and Powerlines, who hail from New York City, and a solo act, Drew Danburry from Utah.
The show was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but was delayed by a half hour in order for the first band, A Wonderful, to set up their equipment and do a sound check. When they were finally content with their setup, frontman Tim Wilson took to the microphone.
He walked up to the stage with a chair and his acoustic guitar and it soon became apparent that he was going to strum along and croon into the microphone - and that was exactly what he did do, for three long songs. After his solo songs, Wilson beckoned the rest of his band up to play with him, as if it was some sort of honor for them. The audience visibly appreciated the quicker tempo A Wonderful picked up once the band joined Wilson on stage.
Although Wilson continued to sing falsetto, the musicians in the background provided a more well-rounded rock show atmosphere. Amidst Wilson's crooning, it was the group's drummer who really stole the show.
While the songs A Wonderful played were pretty standard for an alternative rock band, they tended to end very abruptly and were on the shorter side.
The crowd's energy picked up significantly when Bridges and Powerlines, the second band, took the stage. The band was a noticeable improvement from the first; along with the addition of a keyboard and a more talented singer, the group featured delightful harmonies and catchy melodies. Several less inhibited viewers got up and started dancing, while others were swaying and head-bobbing.
During a few of the songs, one of the guitarists played a trumpet, which added an extra dimension to their music. The audience was thrilled when Bridges and Powerlines dove into an amazing cover of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Ghost."
Soon after Bridges and Powerlines concluded their high-energy set, solo artist Drew Danburry took to the stage with nothing more than his acoustic guitar, harmonica, and a small amp. Clad in suspenders, penny loafers and a lumberjack-like beard, Danburry welcomed and thanked everyone for being there. It was quite alarming at first to see such a tall man have such a soft speaking voice, but it was even more alarming when he began singing.
Danburry's soft-spoken demeanor quickly disappeared as he forcefully strummed on his acoustic guitar while yelling into the microphone. His style was reminiscent of Bob Dylan or singer/song-writer Conor Oberst in the way he was both soft-spoken and powerful at the same time.
The crowd was impressed with Danburry's ability to infuse so much emotion and passion into his singing, as well as his clever remarks and joking in between songs. One of the more noteworthy songs he performed was about his wife, entitled "I Love You, Lynnette." While it was sweet and very sincere, it was almost like watching an emotional teenage boy recite a love poem to his high school crush.
Tuesday's Knight Spot concert, an impressive dual coast display of some of the indie genre's most promising up-and-coming artists, went over very well with the Geneseo students who attended.