The University of Rhode Island Musician’s Guild held a concert featuring bands Strip Mall, 8th Grade Slow Dance and RoboPumpkin on Friday in the Memorial Union.
This was the second Guild-sponsored concert of the semester, bringing in local bands to play on campus. URI students were given discounted ticket prices, in this case half the $10 ticket fee.
The concert was originally slated to be in the Rainville Ballroom, but moved to smaller Atrium One. The change in venue didn’t impact the audience energy, however, and the smaller room brought an intimate atmosphere to the customary audience moshing.
8th Grade Slow Dance was first to take the stage, followed by RoboPumpkin and Strip Mall. 8th Grade Slow Dance is a four-person band from Rhode Island, describing themselves as alternative-emo.
“It’s always fun to warm up the crowd, because you’re in charge of getting the crowd ready for everyone else that night,” drummer Conrad Drezek said.
Drezek is joined in the group by John Guptill on vocals and guitar, Ty Wagner on guitar and Wyatt Grant on bass.
Friday’s show wasn’t the first time 8th Grade Slow Dance had shared the stage with Strip Mall. The former praised Strip Mall’s use of musical complexity, a contrast to other local bands.
8th Grade Slow Dance performed a total of seven original songs, closing out their set with “Yearbook” and “Well, to Name a Few.” “Yearbook” featured strong instrumentals that create a connection between band members, Wagner said.
RoboPumpkin, also known as Max Adams, is a solo project based out of Boston. Adams performed a nine-song set, including a new original song, “Chronically Online.”
Adams paused in the middle of his set to tell a story about one of his early performances, in which an audience member’s mother cut her hand open on a Lightning McQueen poster.
Strip Mall finished out the show with an eight-song set of originals. Friday’s show was the first the band has ever performed on a college campus as a group. The trio consists of guitarist and vocalist Vinnie Ortez, bassist Nick English and drummer Jack Anderson.
Going last built up the excitement of performing, according to Ortez.
“All these college kids are so amped to hear music, I hope they’re in for us,” Ortez said.
Strip Mall played one of their new songs, still untitled but going as “Spidey Song” for the time being, which was a highlight for the group, they said.
“Obviously we played it a lot less times, so it’s still exciting for us,” Anderson said.
The blossoming emo scene at URI was highlighted by Anderson, who thanked the Guild specifically. A URI graduate himself, the scene has grown since he was a student.
“It’s really cool to see people putting in effort and really working hard to make this community on campus,” Anderson said.
The Guild’s next event will be on Saturday, hosting Guildyfest on the quad, beginning at noon. The next Guild sponsored concert will be on Thursday, April 25 in the Memorial Union Ballroom, featuring Horse Jumper of Love. The band will be supported by URI groups Moss Boy and the Critters, Rose Tint and Morning Shower.