Betcha you haven’t heard of Betcha unless you’re on the perpetual search for the next Strokes. But maybe you have heard of the four-piece rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. If so, you’ll know they don’t mess around like Ray Charles—but they do get down. Nashville is known as the “Music City” and it’s not just because of the prevalence of country music and the Grand Ole Opry. Nashville has a deep and diverse music scene that is hardwired into the fabric of the city. One of its offsprings is Betcha. They’re the type of band that pumps punk energy one minute and then is onto some softer rock vibes the next. Last Friday night, the band played the Mat, which is located in the Parker commons.

The Mat is a good location for a laundry room or an alternate study spot. It’s not a good concert venue. Due to the minimal promotion of the events thus far and the lack of student interest overall, the concerts at the Mat this fall have been awkward soirees. You cannot compete with Greek life at Colgate. When it’s bid night, bid your concert good night.

But Betcha rocked it. They’re a band that knows how to do their job. Lead guitarist, Ben Booth, can shred like Albert Hammond Jr. or Julian Casablancas (both of the Strokes) if he wants to. The lead singer, Charlie Greene, has palpable angst. His style is what Urban Outfitters tries to emulate. Greene has an impressive vocal range and tried his best to amp up the baker’s dozen crowd. When not singing his heart out, he would crack little jokes, like a toothpaste university quip.

The openers, TACH Band, was able to pull a strong crowd to kick off the show. TACH Band is a revolving door of Theta Chi’s best musicians. Multi-instrumentalist and singer, Peter Bertone ‘w20, said that his favorite song they played was Portugal. The Man’s “So Young.” If you asked Bertone about his childhood, he’d probably tell you he can feel it still. Another highlight of their performance was their fun rendition of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” Lead singer, Benji Pratley ‘20, had the whole crowd raising their piña coladas and singing, “Ah-hooooooooooo.”

This fall concert series at the Mat is an incredible opportunity for Colgate students to perform alongside major acts. Last week, Bilal Boussayoud ‘21, opened for the groovy and fruity Topaz Jones. Like Betcha’s performance, Topaz Jones’ set was unfortunately meagerly attended. Senior Advisor to the President for Strategic Initiatives Murray Decock said, “performances at the Mat are receiving a good reputation for partying and social space around live music. Many students seem to want a lot more.” Hopefully, word of these concerts continues to spread because they are a great opportunity to see weekly high-quality live music, at no extra cost.

Betcha did the best they could with the space and even released an EP the same day as the show called Falling and it’s a stoned-suburban-feel-good-rock project.