Las Petunias, a Madrid-based punk rock band, played two shows in Hamilton and at Colgate University at the Blackmore Media Center on Feb. 27 and the Palace Theater on March 1.
The band features Cecilia Soto on bass, Elsa Moreno on guitar and Natalia “Golla” Montes on keys and synth board.
They also visited some of Colgate’s Spanish classes throughout the week. Sophomore Veronica Cordero described the conversations that took place in the classroom.
“The Spanish intern [Antonella Pedota] has questions to lead the discussion, like ‘how did you guys meet? What’s your writing process? Who are the inspirations to your music?’ They would also play bits of their songs. They’re more punk, but they didn’t have their whole set up, so they played acoustic versions and explained the songs,” Cordero said. “My favorite songs were ‘Cuando tengas frio’ and ‘audio 4 latas.’”
Las Petunias’ brief residency was co-sponsored by the Colgate Arts Council, the Keck Center for Language Study, the Division of Arts and Humanities, WRCU Radio, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, the Africana, Latin, Asian and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center and the LGBTQ Studies Program. Sophomore Kiera Tran, a DJ and board member at WRCU, spoke on the student-run radio’s involvement with the events.
“WRCU was invited by the romantic language department to host a live set by Las Petunias. We helped out with advertising and the station performance, but otherwise, it was the romantic language department that took care of most of the planning,” Tran said. “I know that Golla in Las Petunias designed the flyer that they used, so the band was also heavily involved in the planning process.”
Las Petunias’ songs are entirely in Spanish, but that did not prevent students of all language backgrounds from enjoying the show.
“I thought the music was incredible,” sophomore Jay Adolphe said. “I’m a big fan of rock music, and this was my second punk rock show, so I was super excited to attend. Even though I didn’t understand the lyrics, the band’s energy truly was extraordinary and made the performance.”
According to students, the band’s stage presence was captivating.
“I really loved the concert! I thought the band was so fun, and the music was really good and exciting,” sophomore Annika Hansen said. “They were super cool and charismatic, and it was great to see so many students there having fun.”
A Colgate student band called The Proof opened for Las Petunias at the Palace Theater. Sophomore and vocalist Georgia Porter, first-year and guitarist/vocalist Jack Shannon, junior and electric guitarist Luke Lostumbo, first-year and bass guitarist Molly Opalsky and junior and drummer Maximillian Shah took the stage to get the crowd hyped. Sophomore Maxwell Walker founded the band but was unable to make it to the gig.
“The opening band was awesome, too. I always enjoy watching Colgate student bands because the concerts feel so much more intimate,” Adolphe said.
When events like these roll around, the Colgate community connects over a shared love of live music, but we are also reminded of how rare it can be in Hamilton.
“I live for live music, and I feel like there isn’t enough of it on campus even though a lot of people go and enjoy it,” Hansen said. “It’s a great way to bring people together.”
“I think the Palace is a great venue for live music, and I would love for them to book bands every weekend,” Adolphe added.
Tran further emphasized the importance of live music at Colgate and discussed how Las Petunias brought new sounds and new ideas to Hamilton.
“Live music is an invaluable asset to the Colgate community. Bringing a band like Las Petunias infuses such a powerful energy into the student body, and events like the radio live set and the performance at the Palace Theater create a welcoming and vibrant space,” Tran said. “In particular, Las Petunias was such a great performance because it brought a punk-pop sound from Madrid to the Colgate campus, which diversifies the live music scene. Las Petunias were also such compelling performers that emphasized the connection between music and social justice as they used their platform to advocate for protecting trans rights and defying systems of power.”
