Senior Joe Coon organized a local house show on Saturday Oct. 24 in honor of Coon’s 21st birthday and his friend junior Alejandro Guidos’ 20th birthday. The lineup was rather modest for this show—only two bands performed. The crowd, however, was sizable.
Nappetizers—a relatively recent addition to the Geneseo music scene—started off the night playing a wild set that won over many audience members. “I thought the songs were really great with a very tight rhythm section,” sophomore Brian Itzkin said.
While I too found the drums—played by senior Nolan Parker—entrancing, every other member of the band equally enamored me. Whether honing in on junior Ella Mosco’s unique voice or senior Ben Freiman’s guitar skills, the audience couldn’t help but pay attention. Senior Dan Pugh was particularly enjoyable to watch, with his deviation from guitar and vocals to bass.
One noteworthy song that Nappetizers performed was “Byrne Dairy,” a tribute to the local dairy company. The audience’s exuberance shined during this song as they screamed along to the lyrics.
After Nappetizers ended their set, the attention shifted to local band Soft Cough. In a surprise twist, Soft Cough ended up playing two whole sets, with a 15-minute instrumental in between. Audience members shouted along to nearly every track; dancing and singing abound in the crowded room. The audience even mimicked the guitar sounds of “Trebuchet.”
We were also treated to a sped up version of “Hosono,” which was a delight. The normally slow and driving track was upbeat, which the audience definitely seemed to appreciate.
The final two treats of the night came in the form of guest vocals on the last two songs. Coon went up and sang the classic and much loved Soft Cough track “Sea Dogs and Pyrite,” while the audience bellowed the words along with him. This was meant to be the last track of the night, but upon Coon’s insistence, the band stayed on to play a cover of Mac DeMarco’s “Ode to Viceroy”—also featuring Coon on vocals.
With all the options one normally thinks of for a 21st birthday celebration, Coon chose to host a house show. “It just made the most sense,” Coon said. “I love music, I love Geneseo and I love these bands. Why not make them play a show for me?”