CONCERT REVIEW: Aggiepalooza rocks TSC
Guitars screeched and wailed, swing-dancers twirled and leaped and the crowd bounced and boogied at Monday night’s Aggiepalooza.
Student and local bands, like Man Down, Hasenpfeffer and the Bomdiggity, Anesty, Final Warning, lokalgrown, Hercummer and F-Unit. There was also a performances by the Polynesian Student Union and the USU Swing Team rocked TSC’s ballroom for free.
“They donated their time, in an effort to raise money for a good cause,” said Aggiepalooza staff member Shannon Keyser.
Keyser, along with fellow Management and Human Resource students organized the event as part of an MHR 3110 assignment and donated the accumulative $3 entrance fees to Habitat for Humanity. The students raised $765.
Peter Phippen, emcee and student-organizer, introduced the various bands and added a touch of quirky humor to the night’s local showcase.
“You may not know me, but probably seen me walking around at school,” Phippen said. “I’m the guy with the green coat.”
The 250-plus attendees enjoyed an array of talent, everything from the old-school hip-hop of F-unit to the funky, jazzy grooves of Hasenpfeffer and the Bomdiggity. Two stages set up on each end of the ballroom alternated performances, so while one band was performing, another could set up. A make-shift dance floor lay in-between stages for the two dancing groups to perform on.
Logan-based band lokal-grown kicked off the night’s event to a measly, early-bird crowd of 30. They played a five-song set, including a perky, up-beat reggae original and a slower, lighter version of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience.”
“We want to do something new,” lead guitarist Jake Callister said. “So, we don’t get bored and you don’t get bored.”
Unfortunately, boring, was the essence of the bongo-drumming, acoustic duo of Hercummer, who played next. Jonathan Ribera, a Logan resident who enjoys local music, sat next to me and shared his thoughts.
“No one is paying any attention to these guys,” Ribera said about Hercummer. “They’re a totally average band who everyone will forget when they walk out of here. We need something more vibrant, more flashy, something more alive.”
After three long-winded and extremely similar songs, Hercummer ended their set and turned the spotlight over to the change-of-pace, more-alive native dancing of the Polynesian Student Union.
More people trickled in throughout the night. Through most of the musical stage performances half of the crowd chilled in chairs while the other half moved their bodies to the various beats from the very-different sounds of each band.
When funk-driven Hasenpfeffer and the Bomdiggity (H&B) took stage, many chair-sitters exchanged their relaxed comfort for appendage-shaking floor space.
“I love H&B because they put the groove in my hips,” said fan Jana Martinez.
H&B’s impeccably strong musical vibe distinguished themselves from the other performers. With a unique blend of funk, jazz and rock, the band appeared to be the most popular choice of audience members so far.
However, lead-singer Hasen Pfeffer struggled to keep up with the bands fast pace and lacked the vocal strength needed to rise above the wailing guitars.
“They’re an awesome band, but lacking in lead vocals,” said festival attendee Whitney Russler. “[Pfeffer] just doesn’t connect with the band.”
Often rambling incoherently with a raspy flair, Pfeffer stood out as the bands only weakness.
“He sounds like Louis Armstrong on speed,” Ribera said. “They should put that other dude as lead.”
Phil Leffler, (the other dude) played lead guitar, sang background and some lead parts with amazing accuracy.
“I was so impressed with Leffler’s voice,” Russler said. “I wanted to hear more of him.”
Later, after a couple more performances, Russler compared H&B with punk-rock foursome, Anesty.
“I love the jazzy style of H&B, but Anesty connects better as a band,” she said. “There are no weak links.”
Maybe no weak links musically, but they are definitely some weird guys.
“The last band (H&B) ate my family and I want them back,” said Anesty’s lead singer out of the blue.
Before Anesty’s last song was finished, some audience members shifted to the other stage and gained front row space for Aggiepalooza’s finale, ’80s heavy metal cover band, Final Warning.
Final Warning appeared on stage to loud cheers, whistles and hollers.
Dressed, like a dirty, cheap version of Guns N’ Roses, Final Warning sang several “butt rock” power ballads, such as Poison’s “Every Rose has its Thorn,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
Aggiepalooza’s organizers were happy with the many bands and dance-groups who volunteered their time but were discouraged with the turn out.
“We were definitely hoping for more,” Keyser said.
“It’s sad that not many people came,” Russler said. “It’s for a good cause and was a lot of fun.”
Jack Saunders is a junior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to jsaunders@cc.usu.edu.
Mike wWrren from Man Down picks out a riff during their set at Aggiepalooza Monday night. Man Down formed in 2001 out of Salt Lake City. (Photo by Michael Sharp)