Hearing the distant thrum of a bass or unmistakable buzz of a gathering crowd isn’t unusual on campus, though the culprit is usually a dorm party. This semester, when students followed the cheering, it led them across Peter’s Glen and onto the newly refurbished rooftop of Dana Arts Center. Over the summer, Dana’s previously bare concrete roof transformed into a cozy space with string lights and benches. While students on their way to class enjoyed the aesthetic changes to campus, Colgate University’s music scene discovered Dana’s potential to be the perfect venue.
Sophomore Jack Shannon, sound tech and guitarist for student band The Proof, described why Dana was such an attractive spot for performances.
“It’s flat, accessible and with beautiful lights,” Shannon said. “It’s super easy to get a crowd. Everyone knows where it is — it’s the big, ugly building.”
The recent explosion of Colgate’s student music scene has ushered in exciting opportunities for performers and listeners alike. Last year, student bands The Proof, 80k and Chalant introduced themselves to the campus with crowd-rocking performances. Only Chalant has played on Dana so far this year, but the bands have altogether performed at the Creative Arts House (where The Proof got its start), Gate House, Edge Cafe, Palace Theater and other spaces on and off campus. Each band has a unique tone that enraptures listeners. The genre veers from garage rock to indie alternative as the gig locations and occasions change. These gigs are often planned by the band members themselves.
Shannon mentioned the essentiality of campus connections for organizing Chalant’s “sunset show” on Dana’s rooftop on Sept. 5. Shannon keeps in close contact with junior Katie Bradley, a member of Chalant, in case they discover collaborative opportunities. The bands’ ability to maintain connections with each other, residential fellows, commons directors and other campus authorities is what has allowed them to gain rapid traction on campus.
Senior Maxwell Walker, a founding member of The Proof, observed how the band scene has grown as of late.
“Until the spring, the band scene at Colgate wasn’t really a thing,” Walker said. “I feel very strongly that [the current scene] is because we’re all so connected.”
Sometimes, the bands are very literally connected. In junior Andrew Tatela’s case, he was a part of both Chalant and 80k for a brief time.
Senior Will Rye, 80k’s rhythm guitarist, noted how Tatela forged vital connections for them.
“We have more communication with some bands [than others],” Rye said. “Andrew [Tatela] was our bassist … because of Andrew, we’ve definitely been in contact with Chalant a lot. At least last semester, it felt like we had a really strong music community here … it felt like the music community was thriving.”
Right now, the future of Colgate’s music scene looks bright. However, as full-time students, these musicians have naturally faced some hurdles. Aside from the logistical problems of organizing performances, members also study abroad, simultaneously juggle their classes and band practice, then eventually graduate. For some bands, this puts them in a tough spot of wanting to keep absent members in the loop while filling essential instrumental roles during performances.
“This semester, things are in flux,” Rye said. “Hopefully we can get something going … but I think next semester, when [juniors Ethan Aday and Maxine Alpart] are back, we’re gonna try to do a lot more before the end.”
When student bands are also involved in original songwriting, as many of Colgate’s are, maintaining cohesion between members and others on campus can be difficult. Despite these challenges, Chalant continues to perform originals, The Proof is currently recording an EP and 80k is working up from their indie rock covers. On top of that, they’re all currently planning future gigs, attempting to secure venues as interesting and convenient as Dana.
As the school year ramps up and courseloads take over, it will be more and more difficult for Colgate’s student bands to play gigs in spaces like Dana’s rooftop. Still, they have kept a tenacious grip on the budding music scene on campus and have proven to be dedicated to their crafts. These bands are not disappearing anytime soon.
